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։
Hrayr is pronounced [huh-died]
hrayrvaraz@gmail.com
hrayr.substack.com
Linguist with native fluency in Western Armenian and English. Depth and breadth of experience in improving Armenian language acquisition for groups and individuals. Writer and translator of 21st century revolutionary poetry. Academic foundation in linguistics and mathematics. Pleasure Activist
EXPERIENCE
HRAYR VARAZ WESTERN ARMENIAN EXPANSION CO. - 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 learning tools such as textbooks, language books, and online short videos & audios
● Tutor one-on-one sessions, instilling playfulness with spelling, grammar, and word choice
● Expect to lead USC language conference panel on language play and pleasure
Publisher
● Create Armenian bilingual poetry books called #jivjiv, two printed with two forthcoming
● Print 500 #jivjiv v1 and reprint 500 through Abril Books, illustrated by Amy Kazandjian
● Print 500 copies of #jivjiv v2, focus on Armenian linguistics
ARMENIAN CREATIVES - New York, NY 2022 to Present
Language 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, and theater
● Inspired and expanded 9-17 year old Armenian speakers
HRAYR KHANJIAN TUTORING - San Francisco and Los Angeles 2005 to 2019
Principal Tutor
● Taught Calculus, Single and Multivariable Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Geometry, Algebra
as well as natural sciences: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography
● Designed personalized lesson plans to accommodate variety of learning styles
● Consulted with Expert Tutoring in San Francisco, Aqademy in Los Angeles
SPIRIT A.I. - London, UK 2018 to 2019
Language Data Specialist (remote)
● Developed online gaming chat conversation natural language processing (NLP) classifiers
● Detected hate speech and harassment and improved NLP generation and understanding
MR. S LEATHER - San Francisco, CA 2015 to 2017
Front-End Coordinator
● Standardized and quality controlled thousands of product web pages
● 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, and marketing and 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 and phone interviews for in-depth investigation of offerings
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) - Cambridge, MA 2009
Teaching Assistant
● Led undergraduate and graduate discussion sections and graded exams and papers
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) - Los Angeles, CA 2007
Teaching Assistant
● Guided undergraduates through Mathematical Structures in Language course
SELECTED ARMENIAN TEACHINGS
Guest Instructor 2023 to 2025
● Pasadena City College; U of Notre Dame; UC Berkeley; Garod Collective; UC Irvine
Poetry Book Presentations 2023 to 2025
● Zohrab Center NY; North Fig Bookshop LA; Queerbedtime Stories; Oasis Drag Venue SF
2220 Beverly; Armenian Art Center; Hamazkayin KZV; Navasart; Google Venice Armenian
Book Vendor 2023 to 2025
● Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS) yearly market Los Angeles
Mentor 2023
● Coached novice gay writer for International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA)
LANGUAGES
Spoken - Western Armenian (native), Eastern Armenian (fluent), French and Turkish (beginner)
Researched - Middle & Classical Armenian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Uyghur, W Greenlandic
EDUCATION
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) - Cambridge, MA 2013
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics
Thesis on the flexibility of spoken Western Armenian
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) - Los Angeles, CA 2007
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Linguistics, Minor in Mathematics. Magna Cum Laude
Undergraduate award for groundbreaking research in Western Greenlandic
Ferrahian Armenian High School (FHS) - Encino, CA 2003
Independent Secondary and Primary School
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
Instagram 3804 (as of oct 2025) with 3496 posts
#jivjiv volume ii - language
#jivjiv volume i - culture
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.