David Kherdian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Kherdian
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| Born | December 17, 1931 Racine, Wisconsin, United States |
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| Nationality | Armenian American |
| Notable works | Monkey: A Journey to the West David of Sassoun |
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David Kherdian (born December 17, 1931) is an Armenian-American writer, poet, and editor. He is well-known for his book, The Road from Home (1979). This book tells the story of his mother's childhood. His writings have been translated into 14 different languages.
Early Life and Education
David Kherdian was born on December 17, 1931. His birthplace was Racine, Wisconsin. His parents were Veron Duhmejian and Melkon Kherdian. Both of his parents survived a very difficult historical period for Armenians.
He left high school during his junior year. After serving in the United States Army, he went to college. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin.
In 1971, he married Nonny Hogrogian. She was an Armenian illustrator. Nonny Hogrogian passed away in May 2024 at the age of 92.
A Writer's Career
Many of Kherdian's first poems were written quickly. This happened during his first visit to the Berkshires in Massachusetts in 1970.
In the early 1970s, a program called "The Poets in Schools project" began. Kherdian was part of this project for New Hampshire. During this time, he published three collections of modern American poetry. These books included Visions of America: By the Poets of Our Time, Traveling America: With Today's Poets, and Settling America: The Ethnic Expression of 14 Contemporary American Poets.
Kherdian received an important award in 1979. He won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for children's non-fiction. He was also a runner-up for the 1980 Newbery Medal. This recognition was for his book The Road from Home (1979). The book shares the story of his mother, Veron Dumehjian. It describes her childhood before and during a challenging time for her people.
The Road from Home has been published in many countries. These include most European countries and even Japan. It has been re-released several times in the United States. A follow-up book, Finding Home (1981), tells about his mother moving to the United States. She came as a mail-order bride.
In 2017, he published Starting from San Francisco: A Life In Writing. In this book, he wrote about his school years.
Influences on His Work
David Kherdian's writing was shaped by several important poets. These include Walt Whitman and Henry Thoreau. They were part of a movement called Transcendentalism. He was also influenced by American poet Emily Dickinson.
Kherdian also shared that his first literary influences came from his childhood. He learned a lot from the three large Kaiserlian families. They had ten children in total. His best friend, Mikey Kaiserlian, was the subject of a poetry collection. This collection was called The Dividing River / The Meeting Shore. Mikey and his cousin, Ardie, often appeared in Kherdian's poems. Maggie, the oldest Kaiserlian child, was featured in his autobiographical story, Asking the River.
The University of Connecticut Archive and Special Collections keeps a permanent collection of Kherdian's writings.
