Hrayr Varaz Khanjian PhD ֍ Հրայր Վարազ Խանճեան
Hrayr is pronounced [huh-died] Los Angeles 818-438-5030
hrayrvaraz@gmail.com hrayr.substack.com hrayrvaraz.com
Western Armenian linguist, translator, writer, revolutionary, with background in
undergraduate teaching. I meet students looking to expand their language through
conversation and reading.
EXPERIENCE
HRAYR VARAZ WESTERN ARMENIAN EXPANSION Los Angeles, CA 2005 to Present
Principal Linguist
● Expand adult English speakers’ Armenian speaking, writing, and reading skills
● Write poems in Armenian and post via social media with translation, pronunciation, subtitling
● Curate tools including textbooks, beginner language books, and online short videos & audios
● Tutor 1-2 hour one-on-one sessions online and in-person in LA, SF, NY
Publisher
● Create Armenian bilingual poetry books called #jivjiv, two printed with two forthcoming
● Print 500 copies of volume i through Abril Books, illustrated by Amy Kazandjian
● Reprint 500 copies along with 500 copies of volume ii with same printer, illustrator
ARMENIAN CREATIVES New York, NY 2022 to Present
Linguistic Consultant
● Co-create and maintain Armenian Erotic Glossary with Levon Kafafian
● Translate English poem by Nancy Agabian into Western Armenian
● Compile Western Armenian language library to combat fear of extinction
● Copyedit for consistency of grammar and spelling Western Armenian portion of volume
ZARMANAZAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION CAMP Frazier Park, CA Summer 2024
Counselor
● Facilitated 3-week Western Armenian immersive summer camp
● Ran Western Armenian workshops for daily camp paper, archive, theater
● Inspired and expanded 9-17 year old Armenian speakers
HRAYR KHANJIAN TUTORING
Principal Tutor SF and LA 2005 to 2019
● Taught Calculus, Single and Multivariable Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Geometry, Algebra
● Extended to natural sciences including Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography
● Designed personalized lesson plans
● Expert Tutoring (San Francisco), Aqademy (Los Angeles), Freelance
SPIRIT A.I. London, UK 2018 to 2019
Language Data Specialist
● Developed online gaming chat conversation natural language processing (NLP) classifiers
● Detected hate speech and harassment and improved NLP generation and understandingMR. S LEATHER San Francisco 2015 to 2017
Front-End Administrator and Coordinator
● Standardized and quality controlled thousands of product web pages
● Managed and maintained site offerings to align with current inventory and customer interests
● Ensured visual & textual product detail consistency, easing user experience, maximizing sales
● Coordinated between developer, designer, sales office, and marketing & general managers
CONSUMER FINANCIAL SERVICE CORPORATION Emeryville, CA 2014
Project Manager
● Researched and aggregated data of competing banks and credit card companies
● Conducted primary survey & phone interviews for in-depth investigation of offerings
TEACHING ASSISTANT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, MA 2009
● Led undergraduates and graduates discussion sections and graded exams & papers
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Los Angeles, CA 2007
● Guided undergraduates for a Mathematical Structures in Language course
RECENT EVENTS AND TEACHINGS
Class, Colloquium 2023-2025
● Pasadena City College Armenian 101; U Notre Dame Armenian Literature; UC Berkeley
Vendor 2023-2025
● GALAS Queernissage Los Angeles
Armenian Language Workshop 2023-2025
● UC Irvine Digital; Garod Collective Boyfriend Co-op
Mentor, Mentee 2022-2023
● International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) Armenian writers’ group
Armenian Night, Show 2023
● Zohrab Center NY; North Fig Bookshop LA; Oasis Drag Venue
#jivjiv Book Launch, Presentation , Cultural Day 2023-2024
● 2220 Beverly; Armenian Art Center; Hamazkayin KZV; Google Venice Armenian; Navasart
EDUCATION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, MA 2013
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics
Spoken Western Armenian Morphosyntactic Optionality
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Los Angeles, CA Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Linguistics, Minor in Mathematics
2007
Dr. Hrayr Varaz Khanjian is a queer Western Armenian-ist, Yelamu*-based (S.F.) poet, translator, teacher, linguist, flower photographer, dancer, sensory intensity flow-er. He’s a white non-disabled gay cis-male who writes with spelling freedoms and welcomes odar-words (non-Armenian words) putting aside amot (shame). Hrayr’s first self-published bilingual poem pair collection #jivjiv is now in its second printing, with a second #jivjiv volume focusing on language released summer ‘24. Both books are illustrated by Amy Kazandjian and printed by Abril Books. He’s also translated and collaborated on language projects with the Armenian Creatives. Hrayr reads his jivjivs frequently in SF, LA and NY.
Թոգդ. Հրայր Վարազ Խանճեանը տարօր արեւմտահայերէնիչ, Ելամու (Սան Ֆրանսիսքօ) ապրող քերթող, թարգմանիչ, ուղեկից, լեզուաբան, ծաղիկ նկարող, պարող, խոր զգայարանք հոսեցնող։ Ան ճերմակ, ոչ-անկարող, միասեռական, արու, ուղղագրական ազատութիւններով գրող, եւ ողջունող օտար բառեր (ոչ-հայերէն բառեր) մէկ կողմ դնելով ամօթը։ Հրայրին առաջին ինքնահրատարակուած երկլեզու ճիվճիվի հատորը երկրորդ անգամ տպուեցաւ եւ երկրորդ հատորը այս ամառ տպուեցաւ։ Երկու հատորները Էյմի Գազանճեանը գծագրեց եւ Ապրիլ գրատունը տպեց։ Հրայրը նաեւ կը թարգմանէ եւ կ՚աշխատակցի Հայ Ստեղծագործներ խումբին հետ։ Ան յաճախ կը կարդայ գրած ճիվճիվները ԷսԷֆ, Լոս ու Նիւ Եօրք։
Western Armenian, along with 99% of the world's languages are constantly being replaced by the dominant internet/business languages (English, Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, Hindustani)
Western Armenian lacks a nation and suffers massively from the fear of being used incorrectly.
Thousands of kids every day are shamed into silence by our instincts of preservation and perfection. Our efforts for preservation are a driving force of exclusion.
What if we encouraged Western Armenian speakers to release the shackles of shame of incorrect use of the language, and instead encouraged everyone to use the language in whatever capacity they can. Or better yet, what if we created the conditions for the language not just to survive, but to thrive?
This is my contribution to this effort. A 4 book series of powerful, playful bilingual poems, called jivjivs, which proudly dances with the Western Armenian language and does not shy away from bending and breaking rules and taboos with every line.
Full of humor, humanity, emotion, Easter eggs, quirky illustrations and play!
Short, bite sized, social media friendly, playful format with a rich history of centuries of Armenian poetry.
First run of 500 print sold out. On its second run of 500. Second book recently released!
Southern CaliforniaArmenian community raised. Attended Chamlian Ferrahian UCLA MIT. Have a PhD in linguistics looking at sentence structure in Spoken Western Armenian.
Instagram following of 2735 (as of aug 2023) with 3415 posts
Instagram 3204 (as of aug 2024) with 3474 posts
Instagram 3444 (as of jan 2025) with 3492 posts
Armenian Creatives - Armenian Erotic Glossary (with Levon Kafafian)
Armenian Creatives - Translation of poem by Nancy Agabian
Copyedit Armenian Creatives volume on translation
PhD dissertation on Spoken Western Armenian optionality
U Notre Dame Arm Lit class and colloquium Dec/24
Pasadena City College Armenian 101 Nov/24
Queer Bedtime Stories Bushwick Nov/24
Hamazkayin KZV #jivjiv book presentation Oct/24
Armenian Art Center #jivjiv ii Book Launch Aug/24
Navasard celebration - Bridging the Borders Aug/24
Google Venice - Armenian cultural day Aug/24
Queernissage Aug/24
...
All for Armenia fundraiser night in Oakland Nov/23
Armenian Oasis - at drag venue Oasis with VERA! Mary B & Vartoush Oct/23
Mentor for an Armenian poet through the IALA mentorship program Summer/23
Highland park, North Fig Bookshop - Armenian poetry night Aug/23
Queernissage Aug/23
Digital Armenian Workshop at UC Irvine June/23
Zohrab center NY April/23
2220 Beverly #jivjiv i book launch Jan/23
Queer bedtime stories and Vocal AF monthly in Yelamu (SF)
Mentee for an Armenian poet through the IALA mentorship program Summer/22
If we care about “this small group of unimportant people,” we have to act now. Every year is a generation lost.
Amot no more.
Release the language from the shackles of shame.
Western Armenian has been declared an endangered language by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. Thousands of native speakers experience shame of incorrect use of the language every day. My mission is to encourage everyone to use the language in whatever capacity they can and create conditions for the language to not just survive, but thrive.
This is my contribution to this effort. A 4 book series of powerful, playful bilingual poems, called jivjivs, which proudly dances with the Western Armenian language and does not shy away from bending and breaking rules and taboos with every line.
Join me along this journey by reading jivjivs, purchasing a book or donating to preserving our historic language.