Azad Archives

“a q***r superstar persona encounters a boy with a plastic AK-47 in a sunny february yerevan park”

Read the full poem at azadarchives.com

I have committed apostasy. The price to pay is hell. Or so “they” say, rather gently. It is hate delicately masked by love. How fragile is that love, how dependent on ignorance. It’s quite a thought to behold and I hold it like a child clutches a dandelion.

Apostate comes from the Greek word apostasia. Some interpret this Greek word to mean “to fall away.” It sounds romantic. To fall away from old skin into new. But the literal translation is different. It comprises of apo, “away from” and hístēmi, “to stand.” The literal translation holds more agency. It reinstates that one does not uncontrollably fall away from the old skin, rather, one willfully stands away from it. I, as an apostate, have traded in an old identity for a new one, yet I am still learning to recognize myself.

- from “Apostasia” by Jane Partizpanyan

Read the full piece on azadarchives.com (link in bio)

We are very excited to open our first Call for Submissions of the year! This series will take on the theme of Identity. We’ll be taking submissions for this call until March 1.

Prompt: What does identity mean to you?

We aim to make the process of sharing creative work as accessible and inclusive as possible. For this series, we invite you to submit a piece of writing or artwork that reflects on what identity means to you—whether explored directly or abstractly.

We look forward to seeing your work!
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