'Critical Days in the United States' by Sophia Kouidou-Giles | The Blue Nib Today's America is a country occupied by hostile forces that have been bringing down our civil liberties. The protests…thebluenib.com Today’s America is a country occupied by hostile forces that have been bringing down our civil liberties. The protests that emerged following George Floyd’s senseless death reveal how authoritarian policing and falsified reports have been a cover up to the violence that poisons our fragile democracy. Videos by eyewitnesses capturing…

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES By Sophia Kouidou-Giles Searching for contact with the mighty, wise creature of the forest, the owl, Karina Ioannidou captures the spirit of our lockdown days in a tangle of myth and imagery. This is an ‘excursion’ from a world of isolation, where the wanderer craves connection. The yearning is expressed inventively and poignantly…

Relief and sunshine came pouring through on the morning of November 7, 2020, in contrast to the anxiety and distress people felt watching the election results delivered by the news networks in the United States. It turned out to be a day of victory for a new administration, a day…

Today’s America is a country occupied by hostile forces that have been bringing down our civil liberties. The protests that emerged following George Floyd’s senseless death reveal how authoritarian policing and falsified reports have been a cover up to the violence that poisons our fragile democracy. Videos by eyewitnesses capturing…

Come Along COME ALONG The days that ought to be the same felt different, and all that because the coronavirus lockdown is here. When the pandemic started, obsessively listening to news, radio and tv, and reading informative articles soon turned exhausting as I began attending to all recommended cautions. At…

TRAVEL IS A STATE OF MIND Translation by Sophia Kouidou-Giles Translator’s note: The words and thoughts of this monologue capture the anxieties surrounding us during this coronavirus pandemic. Imagine a man in sunny Greece, after days of being shut in, finally escaping to the port for a day of relaxation…

The Alchemy of Words By Sophia Kouidou-Giles At the end of the day, here is what we writers do: we make magic when we delve into plots, set the stage, draw scenes, choose words, linger in the past or visualize the future. We levitate, turning into alchemists of the soul…

GOODBYE, CLEOPATRA BY SOPHIA KOUIDOU-GILES All cats are graceful, careful, and independent, but none more than Cleopatra. Always dignified, my tuxedoed aristocrat…theravensperch.com All cats are graceful, careful, and independent, but none more than Cleopatra. Always dignified, my tuxedoed aristocrat often sat halfway up the open staircase in deep thought, undisturbed by any commotion, staring out the front door I kept ajar. She earned the respect not only of my friends and family…

Baking Bread During the Pandemic Baking Bread During The Pandemic | The Blue Nib Routines are shifting, and I have spare time during these coronavirus lockdown days. I find myself spending more hours…thebluenib.com