Athena Papadaki: Omnipresent Poetry

Eleni Ioannou: Who are the poets with whom you have an affinity?

Athena Papadaki: If I had to find poetry akin to my own, I would say it has been that of Odysseus Elytis, Nikos Karouzos, Tasos Leivaditis and Sylvia Plath.

EI:  What is the poetry that nurtured you?

AP:  From childhood I had access to my father's great library. He wrote historical fiction, mainly of the period of the 1821 Greek Revolution. I started reading Herodotus, Kazantzakis and various kinds of poetry from a very early age. But I would also stress the influence of ecclesiastical hymns which are often blended in my verse.

EI:  When does poetry start? What is the stimulus?

AP:  Poetry is the omnipresent Deity. This is what I discovered when I started composing the "Madonna of the Pressure Cooker", a synthetic poem referring to the everyday life of women. As years go by, I find new stimuli - but I am always interested in the insignificant, the almost invisible which often goes unnoticed and is lost; thanks to poetry, it brightens up and becomes an exceptional thing, unique even.

EI:  Is poetry | art a remedy or a consequence of everyday life?

AP:  Art is the remedy precisely because it projects the imaginary beyond any limits but at the same time is influenced by everyday life as well as our social surroundings.

EI:  Is it more difficult to write poetry today than it was at the time of Seferis and Elytis?

AP:  It has always been the case with art that it borrows material from real life - and what we mean by 'life' can be anything. The current global circumstances, however harsh, have a power of their own. Every era has its war, and we can find our defense mechanisms everywhere - they are waiting to be transformed into artistic creation.

EI:  How would you describe Greek poetry?

AP:  What defines Greek poetry is its continuance in time. From Homer to our times, poetry flows effortlessly. There are very significant voices in poetry today.

EI:  Do you feel you write 'female' poetry?

AP:  I believe there are both negative and positive aspects when it comes to the 'female' role in poetry. Such a concept seems like a moving point, and the reactions to it are conflicting and quite powerful. However things may be, I believe poetry can be either good or bad.

EI:  In your poems 'Ash and Ash Again' and 'Evdokia' you speak of passion, life, and rebirth. I would like your comments on these topics.

AP:  In 'Ash and Ash Again', I urge a process of combustion even when it is a quest after things others may find inessential. In 'Evdokia' I speak of a constant alertness which may reach the miraculous.

EI:  In your essay, "Some Like It Hot", you also refer to the idea of passion and of overcoming conventions as well as personal and social limits. What is your stance as a poet? Ought poets to be unconventional?

AP:  In this short essay I encourage exaggeration; exaggeration often leads to adventure, which is worthwhile but sometimes can lead to disaster. Anyone can surpass his or her limits. I find it quite an amusing idea to expect poets to be the only ones capable of such a thing. Writers of every genre are often considered to be daring when it comes to their work but are extremely conservative in their personal life.

EI:  'a drop of oil on my passions'...

AP:  The line comes from the Greek saying 'he threw oil into the fire', meaning, he made it grow stronger. What a paradox for something so peaceful such as oil (olive oil) to suddenly burst into flame.

EI:  Why did you choose Helen, Chrysanthe, Dorothea, and Danae? Can we ever escape from the Greek myth?

AP:  I was attracted to the sound of those names. As regards the Greek myth, I believe it is universal and timeless.

EI:  What role does the Divine play in your poetry?

AP:  Our time is one that substitutes the sacred with technology. I want to keep my distance. It is the only way for me to find the power to approach the invisible side of creation.