We are excited to let you know that the Queering Yerevan book is ready and currently being sent to all supporters of this project!

If you haven't received your copy yet, you should be getting it shortly. If you don't receive your copy by early January please let us know.

Once again we want to thank you all for making the creation and publishing of this book possible.

If you received a PDF version, but would like to buy the physical book, you can still do so at http://queeringyerevan.blogspot.com/ or by emailing queeringyerevan@gmail.com.

"Queered: What's To Be Done with Xcentric Art"
A catalogue of art works and texts that have shaped the Queering Yerevan movement. it includes documentation from various exhibitions and art happenings, photography, critical texts, excerpts from experimental writing, fragments from the qy blog, and email correspondence from 2007-2011.

For updates and more details on the book, visit http://queeringyerevan.blogspot.com/2011/11/queering-book.html

Read a recent review of the book from Ianyan Magazane:
http://www.ianyanmag.com/2011/11/21/queer-armenian-womens-movement-publishes-collective/

Thank you!

Queering Yerevan has posted an update on this project at http://QueeringYerevan.blogspot.com including Interviews with Four Artists from QY’s “Queering Translation” Art Intervention

Read the interviews at: http://queeringyerevan.blogspot.com/2011/03/glimpse-into-interview-process-and-two.html

THIS UPDATE IS FROM AUGUST 19, 2010 http://queeringyerevan.blogspot.com/2010/08/queering-yerevan-has-had-very-busy.html

Queering Yerevan has had a very busy summer, mostly organizing and launching our third annual summer happening -- the QY 2010 ART INTERVENTION "QUEERING TRANSLATION," parts of which you can see virtually by clicking here.

Սիրելի «Երկու տարվա նամակագրության» աջակիցներ,

Ներկայումս (ոչ բոլոր) նամակները հավաքելու և թարգմանելու գործընթացում ենք, և հույսով ենք մինչև հուլիսի 1-ն ավարտել բնագրի պատրաստումը: Գրքի ձևավորմանն ու դիզայնին գուցե կգնա մեկ ամիս ու օգոստոսի 1-ին այն կհանձնենք տպագրության: Սա իհարկե մեր նախնական պլանն է (և շատ բաներ գուցե փոխվեն ընթացքում): Ի վերջո (և գրքի «հետմահու կյանքում») կուզենանք, որ այն ստեղծի տարօրինակող (ու օտարացնող) էֆեկտ թե հայալեզու և թե անգլալեզու ընթերցողների համար, որպեսզի նրանք ի հայտ գան իրենց մշտածանոթ և «բնականացված» տարածքներից և մտնեն անծանոթ, ոգևորիչ ու ոչտնական աշխարհների հետ միշտ տարբերվող հարաբերության մեջ:

We are currently in the process of compiling and translating (some of) the letters, and we hope to have the manuscript ready by July 1st. This is when we’ll start the design and layout of the book, and finally get it to the printer by August 1st. That’s the plan, anyway. In the end (and in its “afterlife”), we would like this book to have a queering (and foreignizing) effect on both the Armenian- and English-language readers, so that they may come out of their familiar and “naturalized” spaces and enter into a relationship with strange, exciting, and unhomely worlds that always differ.

We sought funding for WOW activities and the publication of “Two Years in Correspondence” through several well-known and established organizations that focus on supporting and promoting the arts in the context of queer experience and interpretation, but none of those organizations were able to envision the significance of this project. Determined to subvert the power of those foundations to control what compels immediate attention, what should get published, and which groups should be heard, we decided to look for support elsewhere—among our friends, colleagues, and also strangers who might share common beliefs. And look what we have done—together! This is a moment of triumph not only because now we have the funds to publish the WOW letters, but also (and most importantly) because we found out that we have a strong network of dedicated people who believe in what we do and motivate us to go beyond conventional thinking. Thanks to you we have gained momentum in bringing more attention to contemporary Armenian queer and straight artists, writers, cultural critics and activists who explore queer identity, language, and culture. We couldn't do this without you! We also want to thank AGLA New York and especially Veken Gueyikian for initiating and organizing the fundraiser and for providing us with a platform to reach out to various communities. Please follow us on Queering Yerevan—the blog where we will be posting updates relating to this samizdat project, as well as our upcoming summer art events and workshops in Zarubyan 34.

The Women Oriented Women’s Collective

Sireliner,

Thank you all for bringing our project up to 61% of the funding goal! It's inspiring to see how many supporters we have -- people whom we know and also people who are complete strangers, yet who recognize the importance of this project. We wouldn't dare dream about going through with this book, about coming out, and about queering Yerevan if it weren't for your constant belief in the strength of this revolutionary collective.

Shnorhakalutyun,
Shushan Avagyan