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Azad Archives
Nirvana’s Unwanted Disciples
A post-Soviet factory building in the middle of nowhere. Mind-altering music. Unexpected conversations. In vibrant, immersive prose, Levon Shant Ekmekjian describes his initiation into the Armenian underground music scene.
16 July 2022 | Azad Archives
borders are
borders are 1. invisible margins 2. like a necklace with a clasp too tight 3. traffic lights pulsating the color of blood 4. ruled the cause of death 5. quicksand that eat the enemy whole 6. uncertain who the enemy is 7. hours of absence turned years of absence turned decades of 8. absence 9. […]
05 October 2021 | Azad Archives
Ode to My Daughter’s Other Half
by Maryam Dilakian Mama, can you please tell meSome stories about Armenia?My daughter asksNo doubt perplexedAs alwaysBy all she knows of JamaicaHaving traveled to the islandThriceSwum in her watersClimbed her hillsHeard her songsHer father’s tongueTasted the goat and mangoFish and hard doughOxtail and sugar caneSince birth(Albeit on the island of Manhattan)And how little she still […]
02 September 2021 | Azad Archives
Queer Armenian Voices: Hagop Najarian
The relationship between Armenian parents and their LGBTQ+ children often ends with a strained relationship or complete loss of family. Armenian parents and families fear what they don’t know, or what the community deems “unnatural.” Instead, they’d rather hide the truth from themselves and friends by denying the “queer” part of their child. I gather […]
30 July 2021 | Azad Archives
Reflections on being a Queer Armenian
By: Alexandria Kazandjian To openly say I am a queer Armenian is a privilege I never thought I would have. I have gone from feeling outcast from my community for not speaking Armenian to coming out directly to the Armenian community as a nonbinary lesbian. Understanding identity, whether it be related to ethnicity, gender, or […]
07 July 2021 | Azad Archives
Queer Armenian Voices: Aren Adamian
Growing up going to everyday Armenian school, I was made fun of for being feminine. The first time someone called me gay, I was in the first grade. I had no idea what it meant, but from the derogatory tone it was said in, it sounded ‘bad’ and carried so much shame with it. Even […]
03 June 2021 | Azad Archives