Becoming W70367

"Becoming W70367" is a gripping and deeply personal memoir by Artem Vaskanyan, an Armenian refugee who chronicles his harrowing journey from displacement to incarceration. At just seven years old, Vaskanyan was uprooted from his home in Azerbaijan due to ethnic conflict, forcing him to navigate a life of uncertainty as his family moved across Russia. As a teenager, he found himself in Moscow, where the dream of a better life led him to the United States. However, at the age of 20, his life took a tragic turn when he was arrested and subsequently imprisoned without a fair trial.

Faced with the harsh realities of prison life, Vaskanyan refused to succumb to the inmate mentality that surrounded him. Instead, he channeled his pain and frustration into a BA degree from  Boston University, writing, and authoring four books while behind bars. Despite his determination to rise above his circumstances, the dehumanizing process of becoming Inmate W70367 was inescapable. Vaskanyan's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a poignant exploration of identity, justice, and the struggle to maintain one's humanity in the face of overwhelming adversity.