Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Peter Balakian has released his latest work, New York Trilogy, published by the University of Chicago Press. The book-length poem unfolds across three interconnected sections, tracing a journey through decades of personal and collective transformation—from the turbulence of the late 1960s to the complexities of the twenty-first century.
Through Balakian’s distinctive, elliptical language, New York Trilogy examines how private memory and public history intersect. Set largely against the backdrop of New York City and the nearby New Jersey Palisades, the work carries readers through the poet’s reflections on pivotal historical events: the Armenian Genocide, Hiroshima, the Vietnam War, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, and the global climate emergency. One of the book’s most haunting passages revisits Balakian’s 2009 journey to the Syrian desert with the 60 Minutes television crew, where he searched for the remains of Armenian Genocide survivors—a journey that bridges ancestral trauma with contemporary witness.
Critic Sven Birkerts describes New York Trilogy as “a feat of contemporary witness… a work that transforms fragmentation into a new kind of wholeness, integrating the poet’s consciousness with the fractures of our time.”
In World Literature Today, reviewer Keith Garibian has called Balakian “the preeminent Armenian writer in English today,” praising his command of montage and rhythm, and his ability to transform historical dislocation into poetry of emotional depth and intelligence. Similarly, David Wojahn in Tikkun notes that few poets of Balakian’s generation “have explored the interstices of public and personal history as deeply and urgently,” commending his search for “those essential recollections that define our truest sense of selfhood.”
Balakian—whose earlier works include Ozone Journal (winner of the Pulitzer Prize), Black Dog of Fate, and The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response—has long been recognized as a bridge between Armenian history and American literary consciousness. His writing has been translated into multiple languages, expanding the reach of Armenian cultural memory across borders. He currently teaches at Colgate University.
Upcoming Readings
Balakian will be reading from New York Trilogy at several venues this fall:
- Columbia University, New York — October 27
- Grolier Bookshop, Cambridge, MA — November 5
- NAASR (National Association for Armenian Studies and Research), Belmont, MA — November 6
Copies of New York Trilogy are available through the University of Chicago Press at press.uchicago.edu.
About the Author:
Peter Balakian is the author of nine books of poetry and several works of prose. His contributions have helped shape the global understanding of Armenian cultural identity, historical trauma, and artistic renewal.
The Armenian Genocide Museum of Canada (AGMC) in Toronto, Ontario is the country’s only museum dedicated solely to commemorating the Armenian Genocide. A non-profit institution, it focuses on education, historical truth, and community engagement, telling the story of survival and resilience across generations, with a particular emphasis on elevating women’s experiences, voices, and contributions during and after the Genocide. Originally founded in a private home, the museum is now expanding into a larger space to preserve and share this vital history, while continuing to support grassroots initiatives that keep memory and justice alive.
