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Alameda Sun, CA
Sept 25 2014
Alameda Author Pens Haunting Tale of Genocide
Fernanda Castro
Thursday, September 25, 2014
When the word "genocide" is said or heard, the first event to appear
in the minds of most people is the Holocaust. Upon first learning
about it, many have come to know it as the first genocide of the 20th
century. For many, it may have been a highlighted topic in grade
school history class. However, few people know of the Armenian
Genocide. From 1915-1923, Armenian Christians of the Ottoman Empire
were victims of mass killings, violence and deportations from
present-day Turkey. This was, in fact, the first genocide of the 20th
century. It is a piece of global history seldom told that has touched
the lives of many among us.
Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut, an Alameda resident since 2006, is one of
those many deeply affected by the Armenian Genocide. In her newly
published book, Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, A Daughter
Confronts the Armenian Genocide and Tells Her Father's Story, Chesnut
chronicles the experiences of her father as a survivor of the Armenian
genocide, which took the lives of one and a half million Armenians.
She tells the story of where life took him after he and many other
Armenians were removed from their villages in the Ottoman Empire and
deported to the Syrian and Mesopotamian deserts. His journeys
afterwards led him to places like Bulgaria and Iraq, Chesnut's
birthplace. "Years ago, I made a promise to my father that I would
tell his story. With the publication of this book, I have kept my
promise to him." Chesnut began writing her book in 2011, though she
began her journey to fulfill her promise in 1988, researching the
Armenian genocide with her father and translating Armenian writing on
the backs of photographs with a language professor at UC Berkeley. Her
book, designed by Alameda-based graphic designer Valerie Turpen,
features clusters of photographs that help tell the story and the
struggles of the Armenian people.
The book launch of Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, was held Tuesday
at the Alameda Museum. The museum holds a special place in Chesnut's
heart; joining the Alameda Museum was one of the first things she did
upon moving to town. Through her powerful connection with her Armenian
heritage and the story of her father, Chesnut will bring to light the
significant piece of global history that is the Armenian genocide. The
Scars He Carried brings readers a step closer to coming to terms with
it.
Fernanda Castro is an Alameda Sun intern.
http://alamedasun.com/news/alameda-author-pens-haunting-tale-genocide
Sept 25 2014
Alameda Author Pens Haunting Tale of Genocide
Fernanda Castro
Thursday, September 25, 2014
When the word "genocide" is said or heard, the first event to appear
in the minds of most people is the Holocaust. Upon first learning
about it, many have come to know it as the first genocide of the 20th
century. For many, it may have been a highlighted topic in grade
school history class. However, few people know of the Armenian
Genocide. From 1915-1923, Armenian Christians of the Ottoman Empire
were victims of mass killings, violence and deportations from
present-day Turkey. This was, in fact, the first genocide of the 20th
century. It is a piece of global history seldom told that has touched
the lives of many among us.
Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut, an Alameda resident since 2006, is one of
those many deeply affected by the Armenian Genocide. In her newly
published book, Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, A Daughter
Confronts the Armenian Genocide and Tells Her Father's Story, Chesnut
chronicles the experiences of her father as a survivor of the Armenian
genocide, which took the lives of one and a half million Armenians.
She tells the story of where life took him after he and many other
Armenians were removed from their villages in the Ottoman Empire and
deported to the Syrian and Mesopotamian deserts. His journeys
afterwards led him to places like Bulgaria and Iraq, Chesnut's
birthplace. "Years ago, I made a promise to my father that I would
tell his story. With the publication of this book, I have kept my
promise to him." Chesnut began writing her book in 2011, though she
began her journey to fulfill her promise in 1988, researching the
Armenian genocide with her father and translating Armenian writing on
the backs of photographs with a language professor at UC Berkeley. Her
book, designed by Alameda-based graphic designer Valerie Turpen,
features clusters of photographs that help tell the story and the
struggles of the Armenian people.
The book launch of Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, was held Tuesday
at the Alameda Museum. The museum holds a special place in Chesnut's
heart; joining the Alameda Museum was one of the first things she did
upon moving to town. Through her powerful connection with her Armenian
heritage and the story of her father, Chesnut will bring to light the
significant piece of global history that is the Armenian genocide. The
Scars He Carried brings readers a step closer to coming to terms with
it.
Fernanda Castro is an Alameda Sun intern.
http://alamedasun.com/news/alameda-author-pens-haunting-tale-genocide