Athena Melliar

What was your favorite book as a child?

Homer’s Iliad is one of the world’s greatest war stories; when I first read this epic poem at around 12, I was mesmerized. Homer’s portrayal of women in Iliad is as significant as the portrayal of the male characters. From Andromache and Briseis to Helen and Hecuba, Homer’s poem tells of the inability of women to determine the course of their own lives, the depth of their emotions, their objectification, their pains of being unheard and unseen, the passive roles they are forced to play, all unfolding against the backdrop of the Trojan War. In Iliad men treat women as prizes of war and prizes are meant to be seen and examined, though Homer keeps his main female characters “invisible” to the male contestants and unveils the intensity and depths of their personalities to the readers. For Homer it is men who determine the course of women’s lives and it is us who truly see them.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

As a child, my favorite toy was my yellow typewriter. I used to carry it under my arm everywhere, and I typed. I always knew what I’m going to be when I grow up, there was never any hesitation or doubt.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

I am a huge theatrophile; I am very fond of plays and the theatre. As an Athenian, of course, I am quite privileged since there are more than 70 theatre halls in my city. On Friday, December 9, 2022 I experienced theatrical transcendence for the first time during a monologue. Though a monologue, the actress, Ms. Chrysa Papa, was playing multiple roles and she is magnificently talented. I think the artistic act possesses inherently transcending proportions as transcendence assumes immanent artistic possibilities. Momentarily, I felt transcendence from the auditorium as an audience member and fragmentation as an individual coherent into the presentation of the monologue.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I have been meditating on Gnossiennes (1890) by Erik Satie, when I read/write. The word gnossienne in French derives from Knossos, an ancient Cretan city in Greece. I don’t think Satie’s titular choice was arbitrary; I believe he explored the intrinsic dimensions of the word gnossienne and even experimented with them. Knossos (or Gnossos) etymologically means a place quite unstable and out of reach that always moves (Knossos/Greek Κνωσσός derives from the Greek verb σεύω), this place scratches the itch (Knossos derives from the Greek verb κνῶ) to learn (Gnossos/Greek Γνωσσός derives from the Greek verb γνῶ). So, Gnossiennes for Satie is the quest for knowledge through art, in particular music, and alludes to ancient Greek traditions. I love the almost lethargic melancholy as well as the oriental elements of Gnossiennes being en vogue at that time.