A Small Escape

Description:

A Small Escape (Η μικρή φυγή) (1976) is a revised edition of five poetry collections by (Alexis Zakythinos) from 1954 to 1972, encompassing  The Dim Window Panes (Θολά τζάμια), The Evil Bird, (Το κακό πουλί), The Soldier (Ο στρατιώτης), The View of Fellow Humans (Η θέα των συνανθρώπων), and An Alternate View (Η άλλη θέα). Bringing together nearly two decades of poetic output, this remarkable book provides a comprehensive look, confirming (Zakythinos’s) exceptional dedication to his work. The poems are characterised by a lack of formal experimentation and a commitment to a particular form of expression, creating a suitable poetic environment for (Zakythinos’s) dignified, wise, and occasionally ironic sorrow. The language is shaped effortlessly, with perfect internal rhythm and melancholic grace, offering a genuine version of Poetry.

(Zakythinos’s) world is an enclosed, distinct one, often intertwined with the world of the dead. Through foggy windows, life reaches the poet in a truncated form, as seen in The Dim Window Panes (Τα θαμπά τζάμια) and The Chamber (Η κάμαρα). He speaks of exile, reversing and distorting concepts and feelings, resulting in a union, a festival, the weight of love, and the vital darkness of the city. The loss of innocence and the harmless era of fake weapons are presented in (“Θητεία”) and (“Ο στρατιώτης των ναυαγισμένων”). The shadow of the black wing and the bad bird reappear in An Alternate View (Η άλλη θέα) and The Succession of the Species (Η διαδοχή των ειδών). Ultimately, the desire for liberation and escape is evident in An Easy Escape (Η εύκολη φυγή) and A Life (Μία ζωή), highlighting the unquenchable dreamlike escape to distant horizons, dressed as art, succeeding through Art.

See: Karpathiotaki, Chrysi. “Η ζοφερή πραγματικότητα του λόφου. Η Μικρή φυγή, ποιήματα του Αλέξη Ζακυθηνού,” [The Grim Reality of the Hill. The Small Escape, poems by Alexis Zakythinos], Parodos, no. 17 (December 2007): 2053-2054

About the poet:

Alexis Zakythinos (Αλέξης Ζακυθηνός) was born in 1934 in Lixouri, Kefalonia, and passed away unexpectedly on 16 August 1992. The son of historian Dionysios Zakythinos (Διονύσιος Ζακυθηνός), he studied law at the University of Athens and worked as a journalist for the radio. In 1960, he joined the Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on cultural relations and promoting Greek cultural values abroad, serving in the USA, Libya, Germany, and as ambassador to Cameroon, Argentina, Brazil, and UNESCO in Paris.

Zakythinos organised an exhibition of Greek engravings in Cameroon, published two poetry anthologies of contemporary Greek poetry in Portuguese and French, and facilitated the first-ever performance of the Athens State Orchestra in Paris. As an esteemed poet and member of the National Society of Greek Writers, he published nine poetry books, with three translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and French. His poems were featured in various Greek and international magazines and anthologies, translated into multiple languages including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Prominent composers such as Yorgos Sicilianos (Γιώργος Σισιλιάνος), A. Kounadis (Α. Κουνάδης), G.A. Papaioannou (Γ. Α. Παπαϊωάννου), D. Terzakis (Δ. Τερζάκης), D. Nikolaou (Δ. Νικολάου), V. Fidetzis (Β. Φιδετζής), M. Sfakianakis (Μ. Σφακιανάκης), H. Xanthoudakis (Χ. Ξανθουδάκης), G. Tsilikas (Γ. Τσιλίκας), Cl. Santoro, and L. Mucillo, have set his poems to music. In 1986, in Brazil, he organised the production of a long-playing record by Nova Copacabana, featuring chamber music works by Yorgos Sicilianos (Γιώργος Σισιλιάνος), A. Kounadis (Α. Κουνάδης), and G.A. Papaioannou (Γ. Α. Παπαϊωάννου).

After his death, through his initiative and organisational responsibility, two significant CDs were produced and released by the “Lyra” company: one featuring works by Greek diaspora composers and the other with the Athens State Orchestra’s concert programme in Paris (works by I. Xenakis, A. Evangelatos, and M. Theodorakis). A passionate and profound connoisseur of Greek music, he edited and published the “Discography of Greek Classical Music” in English twice at his own expense, with the first edition in Buenos Aires in 1984 and the second in Brazil in 1987.

Source: Biblionet.gr