Poetry Reading: Tenny Arlen's "To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here?"

Tenny Arlen was an author of Armenian and English poetry, and a San Luis Obispo local. Her debut book of poetry, To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here? was published posthumously in 2021, and is one of the first books of creative literature written in Armenian by an American-born author. The new bilingual edition of Tenny Arlen's book was released October 30, 2025. Siji Krishnan’s exhibition The Secret Place at SLOMA offers a potent container for reflection on language, loss and hope.