STATELESS

Is a true story about a man’s determination to escape his war-torn land and eventually make it to the United States of America— a place he learned about through John Wayne movies. Ghazaros ‘Zarko’ Demirdjian is an amazing human being who believed the grass was greener on the other side…and who has lived an incredible life to confirm it! Dad, we are so proud to have had you in our lives these past 94 years. You have shown us what it takes to live the American dream and have instilled a strong will within us. When we experience some of the finer things in life, we believe it is because of your struggles. You worked so hard to give us all that you could and we appreciate and will never take things for granted. With this book, we will always have a piece of you…even after you ride off into the sunset on your horse… just like a cowboy. Thanks to our friend, Ishkhan Jinbashian for helping us translate our father’s life story from Armenian to English. Early in the process, our father’s hardship and engaging narrative gave Ishkhan a glimpse of our father’s strength and humility. He came to see that our father possesses “a connoisseur’s appreciation for life’s intricacies”. In Ishkhan’s words “time and time again, Zarko never beats his breast for the tragedies that have befallen him. On the contrary: he has a light, almost detached, though always passionate, way of relating them.”