Poet
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Charis Vlavianós 1957-... country: Greece language: Greek |
Publications (selection): Somnambulations (1983); Peddler of Miracles (1985); In a Manner of Speaking (1986); Implacable Refutation (1989); The Melancholy of Air (1991); Adieu (1996; also in English translation); The Angel of History (1998). is the youngest of six Greek poets appearing at this year’s Poetry International festival. Of the remaining five, only Patríkios belongs to the first post-war generation, the others began publishing in the 1970s. Charis Vlavianós strives to be innovative in his poetry, to explore new avenues; he fears public acceptance. The themes of poetry remain fairly constant over time, but the times themselves are subject to change and so is the poetry that expresses them. Vlavianós hopes to be remembered as a poet who has tried his best to keep language alive, to express his thoughts and feelings about life in as honest and vivid a manner as possible. Poetry for him is not just a matter of aesthetics; it should express individual experiences and individual views. Vlavianós was born in Rome and grew up in Athens. He studied political economy en philosophy at Bristol University and political science in Oxford. As a student he often went to visit his father in Brazil. One day he won a considerable sum of money in a poker game, which enabled him to retire for a year to the Aegean island of Amorgós to write his first book of poetry. He currently lives and works in Athens, where he publishes the prestigious, beautifully styled magazine Píisi (Poetry). He has translated poetry by Walt Whitman, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens and John Ashberry, and a play by Carlo Goldoni. Vlavianós published seven collections of poetry. He also published The Other Place (1994), a collection of poetic aphorisms, many culled from his own poems. Author: Hero Hokwerda |
