η γραφή διχάλα
τη νύχτα που όλοι οι ωκεανοί
του κόσμου είναι λάδι
τα πέρατα εκκρεμούν
σαν ειρηνικά κατοικίδια
στα πόδια μας.
Γιάννης Λειβαδάς, Οι κρεμαστοί στίχοι της Βαβυλώνας, εκδ. Μελάνι, Αθήνα, 2007, σ.34.
Yannis Livadas was born in Kalamata, Greece, in September 26, 1969. Done dozens of different works. He traveled around (India, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, France, Morocco...) and today he lives temporarily in Athens, Greece. A sum of his texts and poems have also appeared in american, french, indian, croatian and irish literary press.
In 2003 he proclaimed “the Greek jazz poet”. He is considered as a Beat offspring but his poetry is oriented toward more dexterous and unsafe forms.
His statement: “Jazz is pure art. And is not restricted to the music area. If we consider it as such then we ignore its greatest importance; the fact that above all Jazz is a way of life, an attribute of thinking and doing and, in my case as a poet, a way of writing, of getting into the heart of the poem. As for the poetic language I’m not interested in surrealism, the Beats, etc. I’m only interested in the voice of the Muse, the deep poem, the total. My poetry may derive, on the one hand, from the postmodern Americans and, on the other hand, from Cendrars, but it has its own system, its own risks… Anyway, when I write, I’m in play; I gamble.”
Bibliography of his poetry:
“Expressionistiki Anadrasi” [pamphlet] “Expressionistic Feedback”
(Athens, Akron 2000)
“Apodixi Lianikis Piisis” “Receipt of Retail Poetry”
(Athens, Akron 2002)
“Parartima Eukratis Siginisis” “Annex of Temperate Emotion”
(Athens, Indiktos 2003)
“Noemvrios Ston Kosmo” [bilingual pamphlet] “November in the World”
(Athens, Akron 2005)
“I Kremasti Stihi Tis Vavilonas” “The Hanging Verses Of Babylon”
(Athens, Melani 2007)
“John Coltrane kai 12 Piimata gia tin Jazz” “John Coltrane and 12 Poems for Jazz”
(Athens, Apopeira 2007)
“Apteros Nike/Biznes/Sphinx” “Apteral Nike/Business/Sphinx”
(Athens, Heridanos 2008)
“John Coltrane & 15 Poems for Jazz”
(San Francisco, C.C. Marimbo 2008)
"40a" [pamphlet]
(Athens, self-published 2009)
The Star Electric Space/An International Anthology Of Indie Writers [is included with 4 poems] (Graffiti Kolkata, India 2010)
The Margins Of A Central Man (Graffiti Kolkata, India 2010)
