Bohjalian to Speak at Watertown Public Library

Library Holds Centennial Events in March

Ten-time New York Times best-selling author Chris Bohjalian will appear at the Watertown Free Public Library on March 26, as “One Book, One Watertown 2015” reads The Sandcastle Girls in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Author Chris Bohjalian stands in front of the statue of Armenian-American author William Saroyan in Yerevan, Armenia. ( Photo: Aaron Spagnolo)

The library staff invites the community to read Bohjalian’s The Sandcastle Girls, and to join programs in March commemorating and exploring the Armenian Genocide, its history and legacy, and Armenian culture today.

The novel is a cross-generational family saga that spans the 20th century and the miles from Aleppo and Der Zor, Syria in 1915 to Boston, New York, and Watertown in the present day. Though a work of fiction, this novel serves as a powerful catalyst for conversation and remembrance.

Copies of The Sandcastle Girls are available at the library. Large print, book on CD, playaway, e-Book, and e-Audio formats are also available.

Schedule of events

The following programs take place at the Watertown Free Public Library, at 123 Main St., Watertown, Mass.:

Wed., March 4, at 7 p.m.: Community Book Discussion. The community is invited to join the library’s Adult Book Group and two of its Adult Librarians to discuss The Sandcastle Girls.

"The Sandcastle Girls" — “The Sandcastle Girls”

Thurs., March 12, at 7 p.m.: “American Missionaries during the Armenian Genocide.” Barbara Merguerian, Ph.D., vice president of the Armenian Museum of America, will explore the role of American missionaries who brought aid to the Armenian people, and the challenges they faced in the Middle East.

Sat., March 14, at 2 p.m.: The Armenian folk-jazz fusion group Musaner will present a concert of vibrant new compositions grounded in a legacy of Armenian folk music. In Musaner’s hands, traditional folk tunes gain a vigorous new life. Every member of the ensemble came to Armenian folk-jazz fusion from a different musical background, and their collaboration has produced a style that incorporates diverse genres while respecting the music’s Armenian folk roots.

Thurs., March 19 at 7 p.m.: The library will screen “Armenian Exile,” a video self-portrait by Hagop Goudsouzian. Filmed on location in Armenia, the filmmaker chronicles his quest for identity, as he discovers what his Armenian heritage means to him in the diaspora. Born in Egypt, Goudsouzian is a Canadian filmmaker of Armenian descent. He has produced and directed more than 250 television programs.

Thurs., March 26 at 7 p.m.: The library welcomes Bohjalian to talk about his experience writing The Sandcastle Girls, and the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Light refreshments by Sevan Bakery will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m., and books will be available for purchase from Back Pages Books of Waltham. Tickets are required and space is limited for the event. Tickets may be purchased at the library’s Circulation Desk for $5 each (cash or check only, limit 4 per person) beginning on Feb. 26.

March in the Gallery: Throughout the month of March, the library’s T. Ross Kelly Family Gallery will feature the work of local artist Alik Eleyjian. Born in Aleppo, Syria and raised in Watertown, Eleyjian will fill the gallery with multimedia creations crafted specifically for this show. Much of the artist’s work is inspired by thematic elements in traditional Armenian texts.

The public is cordially invited to attend the “One Book, One Watertown” events. Tickets are required for the “Meet the Author: Chris Bohjalian” event. All other One Book events are free and do not require prior registration.