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IALA x h-pem | Go light on the sweetness
“Go Light on the Sweetness” shines in its subtlety. Rendered with vivid imagery, the flower — “Encompassing millions of / Beginnings, endings, / And middles” — becomes a vibrant symbol of memory, of the struggle between history and amnesia, of the compelling juxtaposition between the absence of remembering and the presence of not forgetting. Characteristic of the Armenian experience, that juxtaposition is universally human. By asking, “Does the honey cause a paucity of flavor?” the writer summons a flower’s sweet nectar to toggle between presence and absence; in this case, the presence of honey subtracts flavor. What does it mean, then, when expectations collapse, when the natural order evaporates like the steam rising from hot water? To that tension, the writer responds, “My moral compass spins as / I pour in the sweetness,” evoking a disorientation all too familiar throughout the past year-and-a-half of death, destruction, and deception. All that remains is the in-between. We’re caught in a nebulous space, an origin point between polarities that force us to find footing on the continuum of an uncertain world. And maybe that’s where we must take root — acculturating “in both worlds.” It is this noteworthy sense of subtlety and soul that makes “Go Light on the Sweetness” a disquieting and imaginative interrogation of the in-between.
Commentary provided by YAPA contest judge Raffi Wartanian
IALA x h-pem | o white
Honorable Mention
“o white” stages the fraught encounter between an Armenian diasporan and a US census form — a form whose standardized options erase the complexities of SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) identity. The author writes, “As I pick up my #2 pencil, I’m left with 5 full moons to choose from. / None of them represent me.” Given the absence of nuanced modes of identification, the US Census Bureau has found that without a MENA (Middle Eastern or North African) option, census-takers who would otherwise check this category have to default to “white” — despite the chasms of difference that separates their lived experience from the experiences that accrue to whiteness. “o white” deftly captures the anxieties surrounding this lacuna, confronting the erasure of what Nelli Sargsyan calls “racially ambiguous diasporic belonging.” The poem proposes that the only choice within this classificatory system is the choice to opt out: “for the next time you see none of the zeros filled in.”
Commentary provided by YAPA contest judge Mashinka Firunts Hakopian.
Updated
IALA x h-pem | A love affair with poetry!
H-Pem is thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the newly founded International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) and host their inaugural Young Armenian Poets Awards.
Poetry has the power to unlock young people’s imaginations, inspire change, and challenge us with diverse reflections, especially in these trying times.
We’re all for creative ingenuity and are set to celebrate the winning entries. If you’re an aspiring poet between the ages of 14-18, join IALA’s contest. It's your chance to get your voice heard and initiate a meaningful conversation with the beauty of words.
Tap into your inner poet with fresh and exclusive insights from IALA Board leaders in the article below!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 14: Chef Ara Zada
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 13: Basketball coach Sevag Ketenjian
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 12: Garabala’s Aline Naccachian
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 11: Producer and songwriter DerHova
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 10: Journalist Avedis Hadjian
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
#IsolateWithHPem episode 9: Comedian and author Hratch Demiurge
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!