A collection of 31 comic stories written by Iranian-Armenian composer and conductor Loris Tjeknavorian, 79, titled ‘Kharestan’ (literally, ‘donkey land’) has proved to be a great hit in the book market, encouraging its versatile creator to attend one book signing event after another.
One such event was held on March 11 at the central branch of Book City in Tehran. Cinema critic Akbar Alemi, 71, writer Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, 76, film director Khosrow Sinai, 76, and actor, producer, graphic designer and photographer Yarta Yaran were present, ISNA reported.
“Tjeknavorian has written a humorous work that literature students may call grotesque,” Dowlatabadi said introducing the book, adding that grotesque is usually a description of something that is comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
Explaining his book Tjeknavorian said, “People should never take themselves too seriously. It is our work that we should take seriously.”
He credited Yarta Yaran, the designer of the book, for encouraging him to write it. “Now I may write the second volume or compose even an opera on the topic.”
“Tjeknavorian has a wonderful sense of humor. Humor is manifestation of a genius,” Yaran said.
“Tjeknavorian has been a friend for 50 years. In the mornings when I’m in a foul mood, I call him and when he tells me one of his jokes it makes my day,” Sinai said.
“For over 60 years, I’ve been meeting artists of various sorts. Loris Tjeknavorian is undoubtedly a genuine artist.”
“On many occasions when we were together Loris would suddenly say that he has to leave. ‘I’ve left my keys home and I should get back’, he would say, but I knew some new idea had occurred to him, and he needed somewhere quiet to jot it down.”
Several times at airports he was at it again, with his notes sprawled all over, working on them. “Sometimes in my car, he used to tell me to cut the music. Those are the times I know he’s composing a piece in his mind,” Sinai said about his friend.
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