“I write only what I love.” - Nikoletta Nousiopoulos
by Roger Zotti
New London-born poet Nikoletta Nousiopoulos says all the dead goats (Little Red Tree Publishing) “is about redemption. The speaker is in desperation over the loss of her familial relationships and their history.” It’s also “about a pilgrimage to Korifi, the ‘motherland’ the speaker witnesses in herself.”
Nikoletta wrote her book after her grandfather’s death because she believed it was her duty “to preserve his story…” And in writing about him, “I was dealing with my losses and emotions, and had to be cautious of sentimentality. Greece and Korifi have always been obsessions in my poetry. I had to write [my book] in order to move on to other projects.”
Yes, Nikoletta has a philosophy of writing: “It is a lifestyle that goes hand in hand with reading. In Frank O’Hara’s Personism he wrote, ‘Go on your nerve.’ I try to use that as my mantra and let my association and imagination lead me through the happening of a poem. I write what I love, so no matter what my subject is, it’s always an enjoyable process.” More, Nikoletta, who practices “organicism,” says, “I try to understand poetry and its relationship to the body.”
While Nikoletta contends that poetry must be challenging – and “a good poet should be accessible” – she suggests to the reader: “Take your time and appreciate the sounds of images. I read as a poet and try to appreciate interesting phrases, rather than dissect them for their ‘meaning.’ Many times I understand a poem through what it leads me to imagine and how it creates sensations.” She cautions that while reading a poem, the reader should be prudent when “making assumptions about what the poet means. Try reading the poem out loud. When we feel the poem in our mouth, it interacts more deeply with our senses.”
What Nikoletta learned from writing her book “was that there’s always time for forgiveness. I gained knowledge and insight into my family history and the struggles that lead to my existence.” What she hopes readers take away from her volume is “to be proud of where you came from and honor your family. My wish is that all the dead goats urges readers to reconnect with their past – and celebrate their heritage.”
In his Introduction to Nikoletta’s volume Michael Linnard, CEO, Little Red Tree, wrote: “…in each poem you will find that the ‘sacred resonance’ she speaks of is at the epicenter of her Greek heritage and language as she first walked in the footsteps of her ancestors in Korifi… the poems will draw you into a world of beauty and layered imagery… enhanced by the aesthetically innovative and subtly sculpted words on the page. The emotion is raw and her honesty palpable: one can ask no more of a poet.”
Nikoletta doesn’t want to be labeled as a poet who writes only about Greece or as “a family poet” and has many intellectual interests that she intends pursuing in her work. Her next project involves exploring, she said, “the dream world and use of persona.”
For more information about Nokoletta’s book and Red Tree Publishing, visit www.littleredtree.com.
