Ep. 6: Erased in Artsakh, Edited in Istanbul
In this episode, I join Elia Ayoub of The Fire These Times to speak with Efe Levent, editor of Mangal Media, about what it meant to collaborate on my article "Thunder, The Rose, and Ethnic Cleansing" about the erasure of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh. When a Turkish editor and an Armenian writer come together to shape this story about the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh, history becomes part of the editing process. We discuss the challenges and revelations of working across a painful history, how the Armenian Genocide shaped our respective perspectives, and why narratives of suffering—whether of victims or perpetrators—must be told with nuance. We also reflect on the blind spots of white Western analysts when it comes to struggles on the periphery. This is a conversation about editing, history, and the power of storytelling for memory and bridging divides.
Links mentioned:
- The Fire These Times: https://thefirethesetimes.com
- Article "Thunder, The Rose, and Ethnic Cleansing": https://mangalmedia.substack.com/p/thunder-the-rose-and-ethnic-cleansing
Obscuristan is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem:
- From The Periphery: https://fromtheperiphery.com
- Mutual Aid Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yOQU0aXxIaaxMS4GNfhXA
- Politically Depressed: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politically-depressed/id1723536158
- Antidote Zine: https://antidotezine.com
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- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fromtheperiphery
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Find us:
- Karena Avedissian: https://bsky.app/profile/karena1.bsky.social
- Efe Levent/Mangal Media: https://mangalmedia.substack.com & https://www.instagram.com/mangalmedia
- Elia Ayoub: https://spore.social/@ayoub, https://www.instagram.com/eliajayoub, https://bsky.app/profile/ayoub.bsky.social, Newsletter: https://hauntologies.net
- The Fire These Times: https://www.instagram.com/firethesetimes, https://www.youtube.com/@thefirethesetimes, https://thefirethesetimes.com
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Credits:
Hosts: Karena Avedissian and Elia Ayoub | Guest: Efe Levent | Sound Editor: Elliott Miskovicz (http://www.astickandastone.com)
*From The Periphery* is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti and israa abd elfattah.
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