Evita Arakelian
Poet
Writer
Educator
Evita Arakelian’s work has been published in the anthologies Smitten with the Written (Arcana Poetry Press), Rebirth (The Selkie), and Weaving the Light (Quillkeepers Press), as well as in several literary journals, including Talon Review, Eunoia Review, and A New Ulster. Her poem “Child” was shortlisted for the Hemlock Journal Poetry Competition in 2025, and her poem “The Memory of a Star” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net Anthology in 2022. She holds a master’s degree in creative writing and serves as a volunteer reader for Palette Poetry. Her craft essay, “On Poems That Won’t Let Go of Us Just Yet,” was published in January 2026 in Palette Poetry, where another one of her craft essays will also appear in early 2027. Evita enjoys teaching poetry as much as she enjoys writing it. She has facilitated several poetry workshops in venues such as NPAK (ACCEA), and she continues to design and facilitate workshops while offering one-on-one instruction in poetry on online platforms such as SuperProf. When she is not writing or teaching, she can be found playing with her pets, cuddling stray cats, or taking long walks in Yerevan, where she lives.
Selected Publications
“I Mean It,” Smitten with the Written, (Arcana Poetry Press)
“I Search for Words,” Smitten with the Written, (Arcana Poetry Press)
“On Poems That Won’t Let Go of Us Just Yet,” Palette Poetry (Craft Essay)
“Child,” Hemlock Journal (shortlisted)
“A Ditty Thing In Minor,” Talon Review
“Sunrise Seen Through a Smashed-Up Music Box,” Rebirth (The Selkie)
“A Voice Says,” Interessensgemeinschaft Feministische Autorinnen
“Found The Right Words,” Eunoia Review
“The Ultimate Guide to Leaving the House,” A New Ulster
“Felix Culpa?,” Pulp Poets Press
“Wasted,” WestWard Quarterly
“Memory of a Star,” Sparks of Calliope
“Metamorphosis,” Grand Little Things
...Performances
NPAK (ACCEA), 2025
A combination of an installation and an interactive performance, respectively revealing the creative process involved in writing the poem “Keeping You Safe,” and encouraging audience members to write preliminary sketches of new poems during the performance.
Poetry Performance Competition (2024)
The Seventh Seal Poetry Festival (2024)
The Makings of a Patchwork Heart
NPAK (ACCEA), Awarded “Square Performer of the Year,” 2023
...Interviews
“Why She Writes: An Interview with Evita Arakelian”
The Catch, 2025
“Interview with Evita Arakelian”
The Selkie, 2025
...and Articles on Writing and Poetry
You Can Also Find Evita on:
Testimonials
This week, I asked Evita to discuss different poets’ work with me and review poetry theory. She prepared a very helpful lesson and gave me many examples to understand the concepts better. She is always enthusiastic during class and challenges me to think about poetry in ways that are different from what I’m used to. She is a great teacher and overall fun person to discuss poetry with!!
— Jordan
We had a wonderful experience working with Evita for my daughter’s poetry recital coaching session. She created an immediate connection and made the session both engaging and comfortable. She guided my daughter through the meaning, structure, and emotional shifts of the poem, teaching her how to bring it to life with vocal expression, pacing, and tone.
My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the session, especially the fun games and interactive exercises Evita incorporated, which made the learning process playful and engaging.
By the end of the session, my daughter’s recitation was noticeably more expressive, polished, and dynamic. Evita strikes a rare balance between technical precision, including enunciation, projection, and rhythm, and artistic interpretation. She is patient, encouraging, and deeply knowledgeable, and my daughter genuinely enjoyed every minute. We highly recommend her to anyone looking to improve their poetry reading, speaking, and performance skills.
–Arunkumar
Evita is extraordinary. She is very creative, very sweet, and very thoughtful. I look forward to getting to know her more and having her read my poems.
–Yani
In addition to tutoring, Evita has also volunteered to mentor my older daughter through her college admissions application process. They have had multiple sessions discussing her PIQ questions and essays. I am thrilled to share that she has received admission letters from University of California (UC) schools, such as UC Berkeley, UCSD, UCSB, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz, and UCLA. Evita has been such a positive influence that both of my daughters recommend her without hesitation to anyone who experiences challenges with their English skills.
Very clear lesson plan. Just what I wanted from this. She’s super encouraging, upbeat and friendly
–Jon