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David Kherdian

デイヴィッド・ケルディアン

David Kherdian

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-12-17 （Racine, Wisconsin, United States）
Nationality
United States, Armenian American
Languages
English
Residence History
Racine, Wisconsin (birthplace) → The Berkshires, Massachusetts (residence/creative visits) → Holyoke, Massachusetts (location related to spouse's death) → Black Mountain, North Carolina (residence)

Career

Occupations
novelist, poet, biographer, publisher, editor
Active Years
1950-2025
Influenced By
Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson

Education

University of Wisconsin
Philosophy
Degree: B.S.
Country: United States
Sources indicate he dropped out of high school, served in the U.S. Army, and later attended the University of Wisconsin; precise graduation year is unclear.

Awards

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Children's Nonfiction)
1979
Work: The Road from Home
Category: Children's non-fiction
Organization: Boston Globe–Horn Book
Result: Winner
Newbery Medal (runner-up)
1980
Work: The Road from Home
Category: Children's literature
Organization: American Library Association (Newbery Medal)
Result: Runner-up

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Road from Home

1979 Memoir / Children's/YA non-fiction

A memoir depicting the childhood of the author's mother and the experiences of Armenians before and during the Armenian genocide. Through family memories and the immigrant experience, it tells a story of identity and survival.

memorydiasporagenocidefamily and belonging
Translations
  • Japanese

Finding Home

1981 Memoir / sometimes cataloged as fiction

A sequel describing the author's mother's move to the United States as a mail-order bride; deals with settlement and cultural adaptation as an immigrant.

immigrationadaptationfamily history

Starting from San Francisco: A Life In Writing

2017 Autobiography / Memoir

An autobiographical work in which the author writes about his school years and life in writing, recounting his early literary development.

creative lifeself-formationeducation and experience

The Dividing River

1990 Poetry collection

A collection of poems written after the death of a childhood friend, covering themes of personal loss and memory.

lossfriendshipmemory

Bibliography

  • The Road from Home (1979)
  • Finding Home (1981)
  • The Dividing River (1990)
  • Starting from San Francisco: A Life In Writing (2017)

Translations of Works

  • Works have been reported translated into 14 languages (detailed list not provided)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, retrospective proseconcise and direct narrationweaving personal memory with collective history
Recurring Motifs
homeriversmemory and lossArmenian heritage

Legacy

Known for works depicting immigrant experience and Armenian history; his best-known book The Road from Home has been translated and reissued internationally. His papers are held in the University of Connecticut Special Collections.

Archives

  • University of Connecticut Archive and Special Collections (David Kherdian Papers)

Trivia

  • His mother was a survivor of the Armenian genocide, and her experience formed the basis for The Road from Home.
  • His spouse was children's book illustrator Nonny Hogrogian; she died May 9, 2024, at age 92.
  • His works have been reported translated into 14 languages.
  • He dropped out of high school and, after service in the U.S. Army, reportedly attended the University of Wisconsin; primary-source confirmation is needed.