Out of My Great Sorrows

"""Armenian and female, Mary Zakarian's quest for identity, community and clarity was through her art. Out of My Great Sorrows explores the odds against Zakarian as a woman artist, while noting her personal journey as the daughter of Armenian genocide survivors. The heartbreak and pyschological scars of her refugee family belonged to Zakarian too, while her art provided a vehicle for escape. In their poignant, trenchant, and memorable study, the authors show us how gender, race, self-expression, and a veil of sadness all contributed to Mary Zakarian's distinctive work."" Susan Shapiro Barash, Professor of Gender Studies, Marymount Manhattan College Debut authors Allan and Susan Arpajian, the children of Zakarian’s sister, know the subject well and depict her candidly and lovingly—some of their portrait based on personal recollections and some on Zakarian’s journals and an unfinished autobiography.....While Zakarian’s extraordinary life, and particularly her attempt to transcend her trauma through her art, is the fulcrum of the story, the authors also ably reconstruct the history of Armenian tribulations and the resulting psychological scars. The Arpajians provide an impressively sensitive account of Zakarian’s Christianity, which was fraught with contradiction. Kirkus Reviews ""Mary Zakarian’s ""great sorrows"" reveal the trauma of genocide transmitted imperceptibly across generations and its impact on the creative talent and production of an anguished Armenian American artist."" Richard G. Hovannisian, UCLA; Shoah Foundation, USC; and Chapman University ""A brilliantly-crafted scholarly work, well-researched and inspiring."" Vartan Abdo, Director, Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey ""This inspiring book is, at the least, a crucial piece of the growing literature about Armenian-American life. But it’s also a chronicle of growing up in the second generation, and, as such, should resonate with a wider audience. It’s not a stretch to think this book should be transformed into a one-woman play or some other drama. It is compelling reading and time well-spent for anyone interested in woman’s studies, the art world, and the Armenian-American community."" New York Book Festival"