Stratis Haviaras facts for kids
Stratis Haviaras (born June 28, 1935 – died March 3, 2020) was a talented writer who wrote books in both English and Greek. In the United States, he became well-known for his novels When the Tree Sings and The Heroic Age. When the Tree Sings was even considered for a big award called the National Book Award. His books were praised by critics and translated into many languages. Stratis Haviaras also started and edited several literary magazines, including Arion’s Dolphin, Erato, and Harvard Review.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Stratis Haviaras's parents were refugees who moved to a new town called Nea Kios in Greece. When he was a child, he lived through the difficult times of World War II. His father, Christos, died fighting for freedom when Stratis was nine years old. His mother, Georgia Hatzikyriakos, was held in a camp in Germany. Their family home was also destroyed during the war.
After finishing elementary school, Stratis Haviaras started working in construction. Even though he faced challenges like dyslexia, he loved to write. He began writing poems and plays when he was just 13 years old.
A big moment in his writing journey happened in 1957. He met Kimon Friar, a famous translator who brought Greek books into English. Friar saw Stratis's passion for literature. He invited Stratis to the United States to help him translate a book by Nikos Kazantzakis. While in the U.S., Stratis also met famous people like Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe, and Tennessee Williams. He studied mechanical drawing and machine design in New York and Virginia. In Virginia, he even met the famous writer William Faulkner.
Writing Career and Achievements
First Greek Publications
Stratis Haviaras first shared his writing in Greece with a play called "The Rusty Nail" in 1959. This play was later performed in New York. When he returned to Greece in 1961, he worked at a U.S. Airbase. That same year, he met another writer, Katerina Plassara, and they traveled around Europe, writing plays.
In 1963, he published his first collection of poems, Η κυρία με την πυξίδα (Lady with a Compass). For a few years, he worked as an engineer helping to build a dam. His second poetry book, Βερολίνο (Berlin), came out in 1965.
During a time of political trouble in Greece, when the military took control in 1967, Stratis Haviaras joined protests for democracy. His next poetry book, Η νύχτα του ξυλοπόδαρου (Night of the Stiltwalker), showed his strong feelings against unfair rule. The police even took his book from stores. In 1966, he met and married Gail Flynn, an architect. They moved to the United States in 1967.
Life and Work at Harvard University
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Stratis Haviaras started working at Harvard University's Widener Library. He also joined a group that wanted to bring democracy back to Greece. He became an editor and speaker for a radio show called "The Voice of Greece." This show spoke out against the military government in Greece.
Later, he joined a group that worked secretly to restore democracy in Greece. He traveled to Germany to represent this group at an international meeting. While working at Harvard, Stratis also took classes in literature and history. He earned his college degree and then a master's degree in creative writing. During his studies, he met many writers, including Raymond Carver and John Irving. He also started his first poetry magazine, Arion's Dolphin.
In 1973, Stratis Haviaras began writing in English. Many of his poems appeared in different literary magazines. In 1976, his first English poetry book, Crossing the River Twice, was published.
At Harvard, he was promoted to important roles. In 1974, he became the Curator of the Woodberry Poetry Room and the Henry Weston Farnsworth Room. These were special collections of poetry at Harvard Library. In 1976, he began living with Heather Cole, another librarian, and they married in 1990.
His famous novels, When the Tree Sings and The Heroic Age, were published in 1979 and 1984.
As Curator of the Poetry Rooms, Stratis Haviaras chose new poetry books. He also made recordings of poets reading their own works. He organized weekly events, book presentations, and poetry readings. From 1984, he taught a popular novel-writing class at Harvard's summer program for 24 years. He also helped publish recordings of famous poets and edited the literary magazine ERATO. In 1992, he launched Harvard Review, which is still a major literary magazine today.
After working at Harvard for 40 years, a special fund was created. This fund helps pay for an annual poetry lecture to honor Stratis Haviaras.
Return to Greece and Greek Writing
Stratis Haviaras retired from Harvard Library in 2000. He continued teaching at the Summer Program until 2008, completing 40 years of service. Then, he moved back to Athens, Greece, permanently.
As a writer, he started writing in Greek again. He published a novel called AXNA in 2014. He also taught creative writing at the European Center for the Translation of Literature, where he was President in 2000. He served as Vice President of the Greek Authors Society from 2011 to 2013. From 2015, he led a creative writing workshop for Harvard University in Greece. He also published poems and short stories in Greek magazines.
Stratis Haviaras translated the works of Greek poet C.P. Cavafy into English. He also helped translate books by famous poets like Seamus Heaney and Charles Simic into Greek.
Major Works
Poetry Collections
- Η κυρία με την πυξίδα (Lady with a Compass), 1963
- Βερολίνο (Berlin), 1965
- Η νύχτα του Ξυλοπόδαρου (Night of the Stiltwalker), 1967
- Crossing the River Twice, 1976
Novels
- When the Tree Sings, 1979
- The Heroic Age, 1984
- Πορφυρό και μαύρο νήμα (The Telling), 2007
- Άχνα (Ahna), 2014
Translations and Collaborations
- Translated C.P. Cavafy's The Canon into English.
- Helped translate works by Seamus Heaney and Charles Simic into Greek.
Edited Journals and Publications
- Arion’s Dolphin, 1971–1976
- ERATO, 1986–1991
- Harvard Review, 1991-2000
Awards and Recognition
- When the Tree Sings was shortlisted for the U.S. National Book Award.
- Both When the Tree Sings and The Heroic Age were named "Notable Books" by the American Library Association.
- The newspaper Guardian chose When the Tree Sings as one of the 10 most important political novels of the 20th century.
- He received an award from PEN New England for his help to other poets at Harvard.
- A fund was created by filmmaker Robert Gardner to support annual lectures in his honor at Harvard.
