On Carvings from an Heirloom by Helene Pilibosian:

"I am struck by these poems both for their artistry and for the wisdom of what they have to say. The stories they contain are resonant with mystery and ancestral voices. They move me as only poetry can: for their beauty, their humanity, their humility and their many illuminations."

--Harold Bond



I believe this work is unique. It eliminates the portion of the old world and continues its thread into the new. I admired her insight into countless nuances of style and custom and her skill in using a rich and varied vocabulary to express them. Some of her references sound straightforward enough at first reading, but a probing and critical re-reading reveals thoughts and implications that are rewarding.



Charles T. Ajamian
former lecturer, Northeastern University
in The Armenian Reporter and The Armenian Observer




If the first part of this volume is a resurrection of the past, and the middle a series of changes resulting from the clash of cultures, the third is a storehouse of nostalgic memories. The end for a generation is drawing near. The past becomes ever sweeter as it recedes into the distance. The gap between the dead long ago and the actual present becomes ever greater within the family itself. In other words, it is the tragic story of the Armenian diaspora unfolding in American style, with all its special problems.

Prof. James Etmekjian
formerly with Boston University
in The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.