Four new books were released in the Armenian Series of The Press at California State University, Fresno in 2020. The Armenian Series was established through the Armenian Studies Program with funding established by the M. Victoria Karagozian Kazan and Henry S. Khanzadian Kazan Endowment. The new books represent volumes 8 through 11 in the series.

Fresno State professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian, general editor of the Armenian Series and Berberian Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program, said the series is important because it brings Armenian history, literature and culture to a broader audience.

“I have enjoyed working with the authors in the editing process. I find the entire creative process from the first manuscript to the final book to be very satisfying,” said Der Mugrdechian. “The new publications cover a variety of topics which will be of interest to all.”

“Armenian American Sketches”

By Bedros Keljik; edited by Christopher Atamian, Lou Ann Matossian and Barlow Der Mugrdechian. Volume 8 in the Armenian Series. Available from Amazon and Abril Books.

“Armenian-American Sketches” includes 29 short stories written originally in Armenian by Bedros Keljik. Armenians began arriving in America in large numbers at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They established themselves in communities throughout the United States, maintaining their Armenian culture while also becoming acclimated to life in America.

“Armenians and Kurds in the Late Ottoman Empire”

Edited by Ümit Kurt and Ara Sarafian, Volume 9 of the Armenian Series and No. 1 in the Armenian Studies Program Conference Series. Available from Amazon and Abril Books.

Five groundbreaking articles first presented at a conference called “Armenians, Greeks and Kurds: A People’s History of the Ottoman Empire,” held at Fresno State and organized by professors Barlow Der Mugrdechian and Ümit Kurt.

“The First Republic of Armenia (1918-1920) on its Centenary: Politics, Gender and Diplomacy”

Edited by Dr. Bedross Der Matossian, Volume 10 in the Armenian Series and No. 2 in the Society for Armenian Studies Publication Series. Available from Amazon and Abril Books.

This edited volume provides a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach to studying the First Republic of Armenia’s fascinating history. Through an analysis of the politics, gender and diplomacy of the period, the volume enriches our understanding of the short-lived Republic, which played a crucial role in guaranteeing the perseverance of Armenian identity and ultimately laying the foundation for the modern Republic of Armenia.

“The Armenians of Musa Dagh: From Obscurity to Genocide Resistance and Fame 1840-1915”

By Vahram L. Shemmassian, Volume 11 in the Armenian Series. Available from Amazon and Abril Books.

Shemmassian presents a comprehensive history of the people of Musa Dagh. They rose to prominence with their resistance to the genocide in 1915. In a thorough analysis of the social, economic, religious, educational and political history of the six villages that constituted Armenian Musa Dagh, his work focuses on the critical period of the mid-19th to the early 20th century. The book offers the reader a previously unavailable insight into the people whose courage and persistence ultimately led to their successful self-defense.

The mission of The Press is to publish great literature by both emerging and established voices, scholarly books that expand the horizons of human knowledge and other works that promote the rich cultural heritage of California’s Central Valley. The Press, housed within the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State, is the only university press in the California State University system.