press release for this year's Paros Symposium...

(Tiff Dressen and Demosthenes Agrafiotis at the 07' Symposium)


i leave for Greece in 20 days!

This year, 2008, The Paros Symposium is co-organized
by Greek poets Liana Sakelliou and Siarita Kouka, and
U.S. poets Susan Gevirtz and John Sakkis. It will run
from June 23 --June 29th at The House of Literature in
the village of Lefkes. Evening readings and events are
open to the public. They will begin at 7 or 7:30pm. A
schedule with descriptions and exact times will be
posted on the bulletin board at the entrance to The
House on the evening of the 23rd.

Some background:
The first meeting of the Paros Symposium was held in
2004 on the island of Paros. In 2005 we were
privileged to hold the Symposium at the EKEMEL
sponsored House of Literature, in the village of
Lefkes,again on Paros. In 2006 and 2007 we had the
repeat honor of convening at The House of Literature.
Typically, in the mornings participants break into
small groups to translate one another’s poetry. In the
evenings we have roundtable discussions about
questions that arise from the morning sessions, about
the cultural contexts of our approaches to poetry and
translation, or the invited participants give poetry
readings. The roundtable discussions and poetry
readings are open to the public. While the above
outlines the general shape of the Symposium, Greek
poet Siarita Kouka and U.S. poet Susan Gevirtz, the
original co-founders, intend The Symposium to be a
catalyst for the surprising and generative
interactions that are the most important outcomes of
such a gathering."