"I lived in Athens, at the intersection
of a prostitute and a saint." So
begins Storace's astonishing memoir of
her year in Greece. Mixing affection with
detachment, rapture with clarity, this
American poet perfectly evokes a country
delicately balanced between East and West.
Whether she is interpreting Hellenic
dream books, pop songs, and soap operas,
describing breathtakingly beautiful beaches
and archaic villages, or braving the crush
at a saint's tomb, Storace, winner of
the Whiting Award, rewards the reader
with informed and sensual insights into
Greece's soul. She sees how the country's
pride in its past coexists with profound
doubts about its place in the modern world.
She discovers a world in which past and
present engage in a passionate dialogue.
Stylish, funny, and erudite, Dinner
with Persephone is a journey into
the Greek landscape as well as its psyche,
mythology and history.
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