Crows of the Desert
Lecture and Book Signing

GLENDALE, CA Levon Parian, the editor of Crows of the Desert, will speak about his book on Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 7pm at the Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 East Harvard Street. The lecture is in English. Admission is free; seating is limited. Library visitors receive 3 hours FREE parking across the street at The Market Place parking structure with validation at the Loan Desk.
Crows of the Desert details the memories of Levon Yotnakhparian. It is illustrated with photos, maps and documents from the British and Arab High Command. In 1909, Levon Yotnakhparian joined the Ottoman military and eventually found himself in the middle of the genocide against his people. This is his story of escape through the desert and subsequent return to Der Zor on a quest to save thousands of other stranded and orphaned Armenians. If you have read the story of Lawrence of Arabia, you will appreciate this memoir as he travels through the same deserts to Al Aqaba.
Levon Parian is the grandson of Levon Yotnakhparian. “It really was a family affair,” says Parian, “ my mother did the translation, I did the editing and layout, my wife made the maps, my aunts and cousins supplied pictures and documents, and my father did the prodding.” It was Parian’s father who inspired him to publish the book. Parian is currently working on a number of books. These include one with The Genocide Project that involves portraits and oral histories of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Lost Memories, is his other book about flood damaged images from his childhood. Scopophilia is a 3-D series about the Male Gaze, and also a book of his mother's memoirs The Girl from Jerusalem. Parian is an acclaimed photographer whose works have been exhibited throughout the world and are in the collections of the, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Library of Congress, Paradjanov Museum, Museum of Photography in Paris, Southern Illinois University Museum and The Downey Museum of Art in Downey.
The program is sponsored by the Library, Arts & Culture Department and the Friends of the Glendale Public Library.
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Contact: Elizabeth Grigorian at egrigorian@ci.glendale.ca.us or call 818-548-3288.
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale, CA 91205
www.glendalepubliclibrary.org