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The Oculus
These artfully crafted poems capture the thrill of sex and love, sorrow and joy, and all the nuances in between. Written by a Greek American gay poet who is at once businessman, athlete, and avid reader and writer, The Oculus is a journey of the eye. It captures the contradictions of memory, constantly evolving and unresolved, seen through the wisdom of the present.
"How necessary it is / to lose yourself in tangles..." This is an allusion to exploring the past in all its contradictions and embracing confusion, almost as an art and a perpetual state of self-discovery.
The vistas in The Oculus are lush and transport the listener from the sensual Aegean Sea to the calm harbors of New England, the childhood home of a fatherless child, and to the sexual landscape of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The language in The Oculus is structured and uses rhyme, half-rhyme, and versions of traditional poetic forms such as sonnets and couplets to capture experience that is verbally sonic. Stelios Mormoris' poems resound with emotion anchored in very imagistic landscapes and graze sentimentality with a cold, perceptive eye.
This is Stelios Mormoris' debut collection after a lifetime of writing poetry in isolation in Paris, where the author lived most of his life, in Greece, where he spent his childhood, and in New England, where he currently lives.
"How necessary it is / to lose yourself in tangles..." This is an allusion to exploring the past in all its contradictions and embracing confusion, almost as an art and a perpetual state of self-discovery.
The vistas in The Oculus are lush and transport the listener from the sensual Aegean Sea to the calm harbors of New England, the childhood home of a fatherless child, and to the sexual landscape of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The language in The Oculus is structured and uses rhyme, half-rhyme, and versions of traditional poetic forms such as sonnets and couplets to capture experience that is verbally sonic. Stelios Mormoris' poems resound with emotion anchored in very imagistic landscapes and graze sentimentality with a cold, perceptive eye.
This is Stelios Mormoris' debut collection after a lifetime of writing poetry in isolation in Paris, where the author lived most of his life, in Greece, where he spent his childhood, and in New England, where he currently lives.
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Published December 23, 2022
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About the author
Stelios Mormoris
2 books7 followers"The Oculus" is Stelios Mormoris' debut book of poetry, which is a meditation on the nature of memory, and, in the process, touches on themes of reconciling loss, finding belonging in the world, as well as complexities of family, sex and love.
"Perishable" is Stelios Mormoris' second collection, embraces the world in constant decay and self-renewal, and celebrates this as a form of beauty and truth.
Native of Boston and Martha's Vineyard, MA., Stelios Mormoris is the CEO of SCENT BEAUTY, Inc. Citizen of Greece and the U.S., Stelios was raised in New York and spent most of his adult life living in Paris. He received his undergraduate degree in architecture from Princeton, and M.B.A. from INSEAD [Institut d'Européen d'Administration et des Affaires] in Fontainebleau, France.
His work has been published in BOOK OF MATCHES LIT MAGAZINE, CROSSWINDS POETRY JOURNAL, FOURTH RIVER, GARGOYLE, GOOD LIFE REVIEW, GREEN LANTERN REVIEW, HIGH SHELF PRESS, HUMANA OBSCURA, MIDWEST POETRY REVIEW, NASSAU LITERARY REVIEW, PLAINSONGS, POET's CHOICE, PRESS, SOUTH ROAD, SPILLWAY, SUGAR HOUSE REVIEW, TUPELO QUARTERLY, VERSE, the WHELK WALK REVIEW and other literary journals.
Stelios is an avid gardener and sailor, and a fan of rugby, American poetry, biographies, and husband of Robert Cornell, and father of a beautiful, black Shiba-Inu, Apollo. xx
"Perishable" is Stelios Mormoris' second collection, embraces the world in constant decay and self-renewal, and celebrates this as a form of beauty and truth.
Native of Boston and Martha's Vineyard, MA., Stelios Mormoris is the CEO of SCENT BEAUTY, Inc. Citizen of Greece and the U.S., Stelios was raised in New York and spent most of his adult life living in Paris. He received his undergraduate degree in architecture from Princeton, and M.B.A. from INSEAD [Institut d'Européen d'Administration et des Affaires] in Fontainebleau, France.
His work has been published in BOOK OF MATCHES LIT MAGAZINE, CROSSWINDS POETRY JOURNAL, FOURTH RIVER, GARGOYLE, GOOD LIFE REVIEW, GREEN LANTERN REVIEW, HIGH SHELF PRESS, HUMANA OBSCURA, MIDWEST POETRY REVIEW, NASSAU LITERARY REVIEW, PLAINSONGS, POET's CHOICE, PRESS, SOUTH ROAD, SPILLWAY, SUGAR HOUSE REVIEW, TUPELO QUARTERLY, VERSE, the WHELK WALK REVIEW and other literary journals.
Stelios is an avid gardener and sailor, and a fan of rugby, American poetry, biographies, and husband of Robert Cornell, and father of a beautiful, black Shiba-Inu, Apollo. xx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
February 26, 2023
This debut volume of poetry by Stelios Mormoris is remarkable in its range of formal to free verse poems that touch on themes of failed love, the nuances of sex, and the search for belonging. The first section features a poem called "Fog", which is a long metaphor of driving through fog and falling in love, with all its dangers and beauty. The fluent interweave of plain speak, artful leaps into song, and philosophical resolution all happen neatly in one poem, a feat that few poets can accomplish successfully.
Some of Mormoris' poems are deceptively simple, but upon re-reading reveal themselves with deeper messages, and achieve sentimentality without cliché. The poem, "Zeus", about a dog, speaks about companionship and aging, in a simple, and meaningful way, using a clever string of rhymed and semi-rhymed couplets. I support books of poetry with accessible narrative, but also layers of sound and meaning, which Mormoris achieves quite cleverly throughout this whole collection.
The third section of this book is a triumph: it is a mediation on the poet's mother, presumably, and full of finely observed details of loss, love, and discovery, rooted in childhood. The poem "Margarita" is an intricate telling of a boy watching his mother put on make-up, and the resultant, intense sense of love between them. There is an epic poem titled "Mass In Harlem", which juxtaposes the mother's recent death to being in a church in Harlem, and interweaves themes of grieving, white guilt, and a beautiful ending of the mother dancing in the church.
I am a reader of many accomplished poets like Mark Doty, Ilya Kaminsky, Victoria Chang, Toi Derricotte, Richard Blanco, and others, but against this backdrop find Mormoris as an equally compelling voice His writing is simultaneously calm and tense, accessible yet complex, and highly visual and auditory, with a focus on a refined aesthetic, always aspiring toward beauty.
I highly recommend this book, and look forward to more works from this author.
Some of Mormoris' poems are deceptively simple, but upon re-reading reveal themselves with deeper messages, and achieve sentimentality without cliché. The poem, "Zeus", about a dog, speaks about companionship and aging, in a simple, and meaningful way, using a clever string of rhymed and semi-rhymed couplets. I support books of poetry with accessible narrative, but also layers of sound and meaning, which Mormoris achieves quite cleverly throughout this whole collection.
The third section of this book is a triumph: it is a mediation on the poet's mother, presumably, and full of finely observed details of loss, love, and discovery, rooted in childhood. The poem "Margarita" is an intricate telling of a boy watching his mother put on make-up, and the resultant, intense sense of love between them. There is an epic poem titled "Mass In Harlem", which juxtaposes the mother's recent death to being in a church in Harlem, and interweaves themes of grieving, white guilt, and a beautiful ending of the mother dancing in the church.
I am a reader of many accomplished poets like Mark Doty, Ilya Kaminsky, Victoria Chang, Toi Derricotte, Richard Blanco, and others, but against this backdrop find Mormoris as an equally compelling voice His writing is simultaneously calm and tense, accessible yet complex, and highly visual and auditory, with a focus on a refined aesthetic, always aspiring toward beauty.
I highly recommend this book, and look forward to more works from this author.
October 6, 2022
I met Stelios when he came into my book store in New York and offered me his book of poems. He told it was his first. He didn't look like what I imagined poets to look like--a big (handsome) man, more like a police officer, or fireman, and then he told me he used to play rugby, and wrote poetry in his spare time.
I was astonished (surpised?) to find such dazzling, beautiful poems in his book. He writes clearly, that is the first thing I will say, and some of the images and words were very inventive and aesthetic. It was clear he loves what he writes about--places he traveled, I guess Greece in some of the poems--and lovers, and parents, and siblings. I found the poems very crisp, and disciplined, in terms of the form, and how the poems are structured visually.
The last section of the book was the most powerful, about his mother, and his childhood. He narrates in a clever way about the pains of childhood, trying to find love and security. He focuses on concrete and strong images that channel the power of his emotions. It was quite moving. I guess these are universal themes, sure, everyone can identify with. I think as a writer he is very masculine, but finds power and solace in women figures.
If you want to try a new book, that you will read again and again, I would read this one, The Oculus, by Stelios Mormoris. I think his genre of poetry is not what I see being often written today, (maybe not in vogue??)--I read tons of poems about suffering, and self-therapy, in very dense language that tries hard to be clever; it is a little overwhelming. This poetry is clear and actually very positive, even through it focuses on themes of pain and loss and struggle. Stelios Mormoris reminds me more of some of the classic poets we sell steadily here in our book shop to older customers.
I was astonished (surpised?) to find such dazzling, beautiful poems in his book. He writes clearly, that is the first thing I will say, and some of the images and words were very inventive and aesthetic. It was clear he loves what he writes about--places he traveled, I guess Greece in some of the poems--and lovers, and parents, and siblings. I found the poems very crisp, and disciplined, in terms of the form, and how the poems are structured visually.
The last section of the book was the most powerful, about his mother, and his childhood. He narrates in a clever way about the pains of childhood, trying to find love and security. He focuses on concrete and strong images that channel the power of his emotions. It was quite moving. I guess these are universal themes, sure, everyone can identify with. I think as a writer he is very masculine, but finds power and solace in women figures.
If you want to try a new book, that you will read again and again, I would read this one, The Oculus, by Stelios Mormoris. I think his genre of poetry is not what I see being often written today, (maybe not in vogue??)--I read tons of poems about suffering, and self-therapy, in very dense language that tries hard to be clever; it is a little overwhelming. This poetry is clear and actually very positive, even through it focuses on themes of pain and loss and struggle. Stelios Mormoris reminds me more of some of the classic poets we sell steadily here in our book shop to older customers.
October 8, 2022
Το Oculus αποτελεί την πρώτη συλλογή ποιημάτων του καταξιωμένου Έλληνα επιχειρηματία και πλέον συγγραφέα Στέλιου Μόρμορη, είναι γεμάτο με ένα δυναμικό και ευαίσθητο όραμα μιας κοσμικής ζωής γεμάτη επιτυχία, ευτυχία και συνάμα πόνο και λύπη.
Ο Στέλιος είναι ένας ταλαντούχος συγγραφέας καθώς τα ποιήματά του αποτυπώνουν αγάπη και ονείρα βρισκόμενα σε πολυτελείς, μακρινούς κόσμους.
Το βιβλίο αποτελεί σύνολο ονείρων και παθών κάποιου, που ολοκληρώνεται μέσα από αντιξοότητες και πολυπλοκότητες της ζωής του. Αποτελεί επίσης ένα διαλογισμό των εξελισσόμενων αναμνήσεων του.Οι ιστορίες του είναι κομμάτια ενός γιγάντιου παζλ που το μυαλό μέσα απο την οπτική του Oculus προσπαθεί συνεχώς να λύσει.
Η περίτεχνη επιλογή λέξεων και φράσεων εξυψώνει την ποίηση και της δίνουν συναισθηματική δυναμική παραμένοντας προσηλωμένη στην αγνή επιλογή αγγλικού λεξιλογίου. Σου προκαλεί συναισθήματα ριζωμένα σε φράσεις γεμάτες φαντασία που αποφεύγουν τον συναισθηματισμό.
Ο Στέλιος Μόρμορης είναι νέος αλλά πλέον πολλά υποσχόμενος συγγραφέας.
The Oculus, a debut collection of poems by Stelios Mormoris, offers a dynamic and sensitive vision of a worldly life full of success and joy, but studded with pain and sorrow.
Stelios Mormoris is a talented poet. His poems capture the epiphanies of love and unfettered dreams in luxurious, far-away settings. My sense is this book is a meditation on one’s dreams and passions, achieved through adversity and complexity. It is also a meditation on the evolving nature of memory. His stories are pieces of a giant puzzle that the eye—the aperture of The Oculus—is constantly trying to solve.
Mormoris’ artful choice of words, phrasing and metaphor elevate the poetry, and give it an emotional weight, while remaining grounded in clear language. It evokes emotion rooted in imagistic turns of phrase, while avoiding sentimentality.
He is a new, promising writer on our horizon.
Ο Στέλιος είναι ένας ταλαντούχος συγγραφέας καθώς τα ποιήματά του αποτυπώνουν αγάπη και ονείρα βρισκόμενα σε πολυτελείς, μακρινούς κόσμους.
Το βιβλίο αποτελεί σύνολο ονείρων και παθών κάποιου, που ολοκληρώνεται μέσα από αντιξοότητες και πολυπλοκότητες της ζωής του. Αποτελεί επίσης ένα διαλογισμό των εξελισσόμενων αναμνήσεων του.Οι ιστορίες του είναι κομμάτια ενός γιγάντιου παζλ που το μυαλό μέσα απο την οπτική του Oculus προσπαθεί συνεχώς να λύσει.
Η περίτεχνη επιλογή λέξεων και φράσεων εξυψώνει την ποίηση και της δίνουν συναισθηματική δυναμική παραμένοντας προσηλωμένη στην αγνή επιλογή αγγλικού λεξιλογίου. Σου προκαλεί συναισθήματα ριζωμένα σε φράσεις γεμάτες φαντασία που αποφεύγουν τον συναισθηματισμό.
Ο Στέλιος Μόρμορης είναι νέος αλλά πλέον πολλά υποσχόμενος συγγραφέας.
The Oculus, a debut collection of poems by Stelios Mormoris, offers a dynamic and sensitive vision of a worldly life full of success and joy, but studded with pain and sorrow.
Stelios Mormoris is a talented poet. His poems capture the epiphanies of love and unfettered dreams in luxurious, far-away settings. My sense is this book is a meditation on one’s dreams and passions, achieved through adversity and complexity. It is also a meditation on the evolving nature of memory. His stories are pieces of a giant puzzle that the eye—the aperture of The Oculus—is constantly trying to solve.
Mormoris’ artful choice of words, phrasing and metaphor elevate the poetry, and give it an emotional weight, while remaining grounded in clear language. It evokes emotion rooted in imagistic turns of phrase, while avoiding sentimentality.
He is a new, promising writer on our horizon.
October 5, 2022
I just read this book, recommended by a friend in the LGBQT community, and it is outstanding. The language is beautiful, accessible, artful, and extremely powerful, without being sentimental. This work reminds me of some great poets like Mary Oliver or Mark Doty or even Elizabeth Bishop. I am not used to reading a book of poems that is so accessible, and clear. But upon re-reading, the poems have many deeper levels of meaning, that touch you emotionally.
Some of the poems are wildly sexual, and clever, about lust, and love and lost love, and longing, and memory, without being vulgar, or shocking, but actually quite elegant and beautiful. There is one sensational poem about a dog (the author's dog), which is moving, and written in rhymed couplets. There is another about rape, and another about a child's feelings of loneliness at Christmas, another about comparing fog to falling in love. All the poems are tightly written.
I read a few well-crafted sonnets, and much free verse--each poem seems to have its own visual and sonic structure that is meticulously crafted. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for clear and beautiful poems that tell a narrative, and are moving to the ear and the eye.
Some of the poems are wildly sexual, and clever, about lust, and love and lost love, and longing, and memory, without being vulgar, or shocking, but actually quite elegant and beautiful. There is one sensational poem about a dog (the author's dog), which is moving, and written in rhymed couplets. There is another about rape, and another about a child's feelings of loneliness at Christmas, another about comparing fog to falling in love. All the poems are tightly written.
I read a few well-crafted sonnets, and much free verse--each poem seems to have its own visual and sonic structure that is meticulously crafted. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for clear and beautiful poems that tell a narrative, and are moving to the ear and the eye.
October 5, 2022
This is a very inspirational book of poetry. Beautifully written, clear poems, full of emotion, and incredible use of words and phrasing. I was surprised how much I got into the poems, which are sometimes so sad, but also funny, and sexual, and about the complexities of family. The poem 'The Apron' was my favorite, but I also loved this last poem "Linoleum" about his deceased mother, and the one about his dog, "Zeus", and a simple one called "The Trolley" which describes the emotions of a guy waiting for a trolley, who is completely lost in life.
All of these made poetry feel exhilarating to read, because I didn't struggle to understand the writing, but completely followed the ideas and words and sounds. Worth reading!
All of these made poetry feel exhilarating to read, because I didn't struggle to understand the writing, but completely followed the ideas and words and sounds. Worth reading!
October 26, 2022
I was not sure what to expect from a book that was billed to me as an "LGBTQ Book." That's not really my thing and I feared I am far too conservative to appreciate the content. However, Stelios did an outstanding job penning beautiful poetry. A former Classics major, many of the poems felt familiar but updated. They were written in a very accessible, but carefully crafted way. The subjects varied, but I truly believe this is the sort of collection anyone could pick up and appreciate if not a couple of poems, the collection in its entirety. Quite a feat.
October 6, 2022
I really liked the poetry. Going into it I didn’t know what to expect but I was really very beautiful and moving. I also looked up oculus before reading and I got that it was a round of eye like opening/design. I was curious after looking it up so I decided to give it a try, and the poems were beautiful and some even brought on the feelings for the poem almost as like it was my own experience. I will likely share with my friends too and I would definitely recommend this to other readers who are curious,
October 7, 2022
These works are raw and touching. I see them as applicable to anyone and not just members of the LGBTQ+ community. They are the human spirit and condition. The exposed vulnerability is done in a way that is enchanting while the passion is understated, but strong and prevalent. I look forward to additional readings from this new artist.
October 12, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect before I read this. It's been so long since I've indulged in such eloquent prose. I'm happy to say that enjoyed foray into a world I've been absent from.
The writing styles, a mixture of old and new, offer a refreshing view into the mind of the author. Exhibiting a love for classic styling and modern musings. It was a beautiful display of versatility and range.
The topics were exquisite in their ability to touch your soul. Reaching parts that connect to us all in some way. LGBTQ+ or not, there is something for everyone.
A lovely read that has reignited my passion for poetry.
The writing styles, a mixture of old and new, offer a refreshing view into the mind of the author. Exhibiting a love for classic styling and modern musings. It was a beautiful display of versatility and range.
The topics were exquisite in their ability to touch your soul. Reaching parts that connect to us all in some way. LGBTQ+ or not, there is something for everyone.
A lovely read that has reignited my passion for poetry.
January 1, 2023
This is my first book with the tag LGBTQ, so I was unsure what to expect. But, as I read the small and big poems, I was impressed with how the author conveyed the deep meaning in very soft, delicate, and heart-touching words, still making it a little obscure. It would be nice to have some of the poems a little easier to understand for those who are just getting into the poetry. Overall, I will recommend everyone to read this excellent book once.
January 3, 2023
i thought the vocabulary used was so touching! i could feel what the author meant throughout his poems and that insane passion they had for that partner. it was an easy read and think this book is way more than an lgtbqia+ book.
October 3, 2022
I have read through about a dozen pages so far and am pleased with the variety of subjects/styles so far. I wouldn't say that I loved every poem but quite a few touched me. I should mention that I am a straight white male and as such, not the target audience, however I think this collection is much more than singularly focused LGBTQ material. The poems evoke feelings that are present in all of us human beings. I would also like to note that I did not find any overtly offensive material and what vulgarity was used, was appropriate for the work. Overall, well written, expressive, and enjoyable.
October 5, 2022
This was a very cool book of poems. Amazing writing, words, clarity. Deep and masculine, I think, but heartfelt. Poems about love and sex and relationships. If you like Billy Collins, you may like this author. Some of the poems seem inspired by Sharon Olds or Louise Gluck, I know these are gifted poets, but this author writes in an easy-to-understand style that is still deep. Hope to read more from him.
October 18, 2022
I am not sure what it was that I read or how it has to do with the LGBTQ community, I may not have understood what the writer was saying or meaning to say but honestly it wasn't my cup of tea.
October 18, 2022
I loved the descriptive language in this anthology. Everything was so incredibly well written and capable of both capturing and holding my attention.
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December 31, 2022I was curious about LGBTQ literature, and this book of poetry was suggested. Although I've read only excerpts, my first impression was of Greenwich Village basement coffee house readings, the word paintings, ee cummings poetry of the 1960s.
You have to read it aloud to get the full experience, as the sentences run on and take you with them. So it really came down to enjoyable, evocative free verse.
It isn't easy reading, but it is worth a try.
You have to read it aloud to get the full experience, as the sentences run on and take you with them. So it really came down to enjoyable, evocative free verse.
It isn't easy reading, but it is worth a try.
January 2, 2023
This is a beautifully written book of poems! I think this book reaches more than just the LGBTQ+ community because even though I’m not apart of it, I am a supporter of many friends and family who are!
October 14, 2022
Well put together and unique poetry.
October 5, 2022
Great read. Each poem is so different it is a delight to go from page to page and enter a whole new style each time. I really enjoyed the poems. They are all so beautifully written, emotional and touching. Even as a non LGBT person, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
October 12, 2022
This collection of poetry pulls you in with everyday, normal moments of human experience.
October 22, 2022
Interesting poems! I didn't realize how much I would benefit from having this book as a part of my daily life. Very grateful I came across this book. If you're looking for inspiring self love poetry, this is a great book to start from.
December 29, 2022
I found myself moved by so many of the different poems in the book. I liked how the poems were presented and that none of the works were very long. Which made it easy for me to move through. Powerful verses, Deals with LGBTQIA subject matter, but I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this book of poems.
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October 3, 2022the poems were good. I honestly did not understand sound what them but more words were i found funny frequently. will read them again.
October 10, 2022
intriguing and compelling a nice quick easy read.. would recommend
October 21, 2022
This was very captivating and interesting. It left me in deep though about love and love. Great pick me up.
December 27, 2022
To be honest, I'm not a fan of poetry because I never feel like I understand what the poet really means. I am a reader of LGBTQ literature, and didn't really find them to be overtly of that nature. I read several poems and found them to be enjoyable. They were quite descriptive and I was able to visualize them in my mind. If you enjoy poetry it is definitely worth a look.
October 29, 2022
Very beautifully written with amazing imagery and raw emotion on every line.
September 30, 2022
This book contains a wonderful collection of poems. They are so well written and thought out. I can't recommend this book enough!
December 26, 2022
I wasn’t sure what to expect, given that it was billed as an LBGTQ book. It’s been years since I have read poetry (or much of anything besides tax law) but with each one, I anticipated the next. Very raw and powerful poems. Definitely worth the read.
December 20, 2022
Normally, I enjoy poetry and the images some phrases can evoke, but this one left me confused about the point instead of seeing the story in my mind's eye. I am not sure what it was that I read. To me, the majority of the poems felt like word soup, things just thrown together for the sake of filling space. I was completely unable to connect with what the writer was saying or meaning to say. Honestly, it wasn't my cup of tea and left me with more of a headache than anything else.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews