Artist Dana Walrath Publishes "Book of Genocides" Examining Historical Mass Violence

American artist and anthropologist Dana Mashoyan Walrath has released "Book of Genocides," a graphic exploration of mass violence and ethnic cleansing over the past five centuries. The book delves into ten historical instances, including the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, events in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia, the persecution of the Rohingya, and the war in Gaza. Published by Harvard University Press, the work blends anthropological research, memoir, poetry, and graphic art. Walrath personally visited all ten regions featured in the book, interviewing survivors and their descendants.

Walrath's personal connection to the theme of genocide stems from her Armenian heritage, with her grandmother and other relatives being survivors of the mass killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. This family history served as a catalyst for her extensive research. Previously, she authored a verse novel about the Armenian Genocide, "Like Water on Stone," which prompted relatives to share previously unknown family details.

In "Book of Genocides," Walrath broadens her scope to include the destruction of indigenous peoples in the Americas, the enslavement of Africans, the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, mass killings in Cambodia and Rwanda, the Bosnian War, the persecution of the Rohingya, and the Palestinian issue.

A particularly contentious section addresses Palestine, examining the displacement of Palestinians, the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza. Walrath applies the term "genocide" to Israel's actions in Gaza, based on her interpretation of criteria formulated by Raphael Lemkin and codified in international law. She acknowledges that this definition may draw significant criticism and anticipates potential restrictions on her travel to Israel following the book's publication.

Despite the grim subject matter, Walrath views the book not as a warning of inevitable human violence, but as a call for its prevention. She asserts that systems capable of perpetuating mass violence are human-made and therefore alterable. "Book of Genocides" is scheduled for release on September 8, 2026.