Cafés and Comets After Midnight

by Nikos Engonopoulos, David Connolly (Translator )

Derided and maligned more than any other Greek artist for his innovative and, at the time, often incomprehensible modernist experiments, Engonopoulos is today justifiably regarded as one of the most original artists of his generation and as a unique figure in Greek letters. Though he considered himself first a painter and only afterwards a poet, his poetry is widely read and admired, with many critical studies of his work appearing in recent years and with a growing recognition of its value and of its creative use of the Greek tradition and language. He enriched post-war Greek poetry with a host of poetic expressions, figures and images that have come to constitute part of the Greek poetic consciousness. In both his painting and poetry, he created a peculiarly Greek surrealism, a blending of the Dionysian and Apollonian, though always in keeping with basic surrealist tenets and, as such, his work is an important and original contribution not only to Modern Greek art and poetry but also to modern art and poetry worldwide.

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2020

About the author

See also Νίκος Εγγονόπουλος.

Reviews

[Sarah Nasar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engonopoulos was a Surrealist artist and poet, and this collection is refreshingly imagistic. The way in which he inhabits language and ascribes it new forms is exhilarating. These poems are a consolation in this strange time.

[Em Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this one up in Athens. I bought a ring with some of Engonopoulos’ poetry inscribed on it and I love dual language books. I like how he interweaves Greek mythology, history, Judaism and Christianity into this poetry and mixes up the worlds. Some of the poems are unusual. I think it’s a book I will pick up and reread and glean different things from it at different points.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Greek surrealist poetry, in general, is characterized by what one of its exponents, Nanos Valaoritis, refers to as "hellenomageia" (Greek enchantment), consisting of things sensuous, intoxicating, legendary, commonplace, of flowers, birds, insects, angels, perfumes, place names, mythological heroes, of light and sun — a particularly Greek reality, where, it might be added, the irrationality inherent in surrealism is more a way of life than a neurosis.”

Bought this in Nafplio, Greece last year and finally read these gorgeous poems!!! Loved

[Jonathan Koven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptively simply-worded yet mystifying, colorful, surrealist poems. Diverse in form and content while all idiosyncratic and original to the poet's voice. Engonopoulos was foremost a painter (one of his works is the cover art of the edition I read), and I think his poems have a painterly quality to them-- the images he crafts are direct yet strange, conjuring realities of his own making. Definitely a fan and I hope more of his work is translated and published.

[Julia Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special collection of poems I picked up in Athens <3