Artine Artinian

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Artine Artinian (December 8, 1907 - November 19, 2005) was a French literature scholar of Armenian descent, notable for his manuscript collection, who was immortalized as a fictional character by Gore Vidal.[1]

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[edit] Background

Artine Artinian was born in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria[2] to Armenian parents. In 1920, his family came to the United States, settling in Attleboro, Massachusetts. There, Artine worked as a shoeshine boy, learning English from listening to conversations as he worked.

He later acquired such a valuable collection of French literary manuscripts that he was able to leave teaching in his 50s. He spent his retirement collecting manuscripts as well as portraits. He donated a large amount of his collection of manuscripts and art to Bowdoin College and gave artwork to several universities and museums.

“ Artine Artinian, of the Class of 1931, teacher and scholar. Native of Bulgaria, emigrant to Massachusetts at thirteen, you epitomize the courage and fearlessness, the grit and determination characteristic of your Armenian ancestors, long victims of oppression, in rising from bootblack to scholar. [3] ”

[edit] Death

Artinian died at his home in Lantana, Florida at age 97. Before his death, Professor Artinian was retired professor of French at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he taught for nearly 30 years. An authority on Guy de Maupassant, he had translated and edited what is known to be the definitive English-language edition of Maupassant's short stories.[1]

[edit] Literature

  • "Maupassant as seen by American and English writers of today", 1943
  • "Guy de Maupassant and Louis Le Poittevin", 1948
  • "New light on the Maupassant family", 1948
  • "First publication of Maupassant's Papa de Simon", 1948
  • "Guy de Maupassant and his brother Herve", 1948
  • "Maupassant's Paris addresses", Johns Hopkins Press 1949
  • "Maupassant and 'La terre de Virgile'", American Association of Teachers of French 1949
  • "Maupassant and Gisele d'Estoc: a warning", 1952
  • "Maupassant criticism in France, 1880-1940", Russell & Russell 1969

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Times, New York. "Artine Artinian, 97, Dies; French Literature Scholar". Retrieved on 2005-12-11. 
  2. ^ Artine Artinian, Encyclopedia Britannica.
  3. ^ Honoris Causa, Doctor of Letters

[edit] External Links