In Publications, you will find two recently published pieces since the last Newsletter.
I love sharing these with you and appreciate the journals that host my work. Your comments are always welcome.
In the News you will find the book cover of my forthcoming memoir, Sophia’s Return: Uncovering My Mother’s Past. At this stage the manuscript is in the hands of a proofreader that has combed it, making sure there are no errors in its pages. Currently, the book is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and through your local bookstores.
Επιστροφή Στη Θεσσαλονίκη continues to be available. You can still order here for US delivery or at any bookstore in Greece for local delivery.
Featured Guest
This month's Featured Guest is my author/translator and talented Greek neighbor across the Canadian border, Emmanuel Aligizakis (Manolis). He has written extensively in Greek and English and has translated several well-known poets and writers. This presentation is of his recently launched translation of a side-by-side edition (Greek and English) of Bill Wolak's poetry. The collection is entitled The Seepage of Dreams/Ροή Ονείρων. "From the title of the book alone, one can begin to get an inkling of just how inextricably linked eros and death are in the poet's thinking. Seepage suggests loss, fading, dwindling, and diminution, while dreaming is usually connected with some aspect of desire," writes Chryssa Nicolaki in the Forward.
Collaborations such as this offer readers access to significant literary works we would otherwise miss. For me, the cross-cultural lens affirms the universality of common human experiences. Aligizakis skillfully brings out the lyrical and sensual color of this charismatic poet and the shifting point of view. His translation richly delivers the emotional tone of Wolak's work. In the insular pandemic days, the translator is acting as a much needed link across cultures richly, interpreting and delivering the emotional tone of Wolak's poetry.
In closing, we welcome spring with a few lines from a wonderful Greek poet, Elytis:
Ο Ήλιος ο Ηλιάτορας
ο πετροπαιχνιδιάτορας
λίγο το στόμα του άνοιξε
κι ευθύς εμύρισε άνοιξη.
-Οδυσσέας Ελύτης.
In the Sun and in the Rain aspires to bring you writing from many corners of the world, and introduce creative friends, who in the dark days of coronavirus, gift us with their work.
Feel free to share the Newsletter with your reading and writing community and friends who can also subscribe. Live long and prosper!
Best,
Sophia