Interview # 8: Sofia Kioroglou

Sincerely Art: Interview Series

 

Sy Albright interviews Sofia Kioroglou --- poet/author/humanitarian

 

SA: I might have heard or read about you doing important charity work out in Egypt for the Greek church. How does that critical mission impact your devotion to writing? 

SK: Yes, it is true. As a pilgrim, I  traveled for the first time to Jerusalem in 2010 to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and embark on a journey of prayer and faith. I absolutely had no idea what was in store for me as on my visit to the Holy Sepulcher I was met with a slew of miraculous incidents which are actually the reason why I have written my second book " Mystagogy in the Holy Land" which is slated for publication in January. This book is a revelation and I never expected it would ever see the light of day. Now, Egypt came later and now there is Africa, where poverty abounds. All these spiritual experiences could not have been repressed so they found their way out through writing. I crave to share all the warmth and zest of the Holy Light through my writing. I never expected people from different denominations would find my work and poetry gripping and I am grateful to each and every one of them for being part my spiritual and literary journey.

 

SA: Your fingertips combing through my locks

so loving and sweet

like a light feather from a Cherub

on the East side of the Garden of Eden

These are lines from your poem “ On the East Side of the Garden of Eden” published in Ariel Chart during September 2017. Please give us a deeper meaning of these words. 

SK: When we were driven out of the Garden of Eden, on the East side of Eden were placed Cherubim. So I am kind of saying in the poem that this kind of love I am experiencing could actually make me feel like I am where I belong, no longer banished. 

SA: You reside in Greece and I must wonder between the rough economy and the recent fires how these hardships effect the environment and therefore the scope of the writer.

SK: Now you have touched a raw nerve... Especially the calamity that befell my country this summer has affected me deeply and saddened me no end. All these happenings have actually framed the content of my work and I think that Greece is a country that throughout the ages has undergone a lot of turmoil and hardship which provide a good seam for writing. Surely I feel that my writing reflects the grim realities of the Greek state. A fellow poet the other day told me that my writing is kind of gloomy and sad but this is our state of affairs right now. I cannot misrepresent facts through writing. This is what Sachtouris, Gatsos and so many other poets have done. 

SA: You were nominated for Best of the Net Award for Poetry this year. Congratulations. What does a nomination like this do for an active writer?             

SK: Thank you so very much! Such a nomination means a lot in that it validates my vision for writing. I never dumped down my poetry nor did I pander to the commercialized demands of the publishing world. I am happy that editors found my work worthy of such a nomination and I am truly grateful.

SA: Without trying to sound controversial it appears to me that there are more women writers out there doing excellent work than men. Is there something in poetry that connects more to the natural instincts of a woman than a man? 

SK: Honestly speaking, I have read some men writers' work that is truly amazing. It was actually the reason why I started writing. I don't think it is a matter of genre but a matter of how a person puts down his feelings on paper. In my personal view, the perspective does not change.

 

SA: Technology had altered the landscape of our lives for the good and the bad. Can you give me an example of each technology helping and hurting the modern artist? 

SK: The internet has opened up new opportunities for the budding artist who can now publish his work for the masses to read it. This development has brought to the fore new talent and this is remarkable. On the other hand, the internet is a powerful marketing tool which means that you can publicize the work of writers and artists whose work is far from what I would call of high caliber.

 

SA: What is your impression of poetry making a strong stand on the international level?

SK: Poetry is a powerful means of creative expression and it can have a transformational impact. There are poets out there who are really fighters and visionaries and their work actually has clout. I believe that our world is living  some apocalyptic times and poetry surely rises to the occasion.
 

SA: Please list your writing influences past and present. 

SK: I absolutely love the writings of Miltos Sachtouris, Konstantinos Kavafy, Nikos Gatsos and Tassos Leivaditis regarding Greek poets of the past and I absolutely adore Charles Bukowski and Christina Rossetti. My favorite poets of our times are Firestone Fienberg, Alan Walowitz, Donna Hilbert, Vincent Zepp to name but a few.