The person who first introduced me to Greece is Christopher Bakken, co-founder of Writing Workshops in Greece and author of Honey, Olives, Octopus. He is a 5-star Grecophile* whose knowledge of the country, the islands, the people, and the food is unparalleled by any American I’ve met, and I aspire to follow in his footsteps. *assuming 5-star … Continue reading A Visit to an Ikarian Vineyard
Kalimera, fili mou! (Good morning, friends!) As I write from this taverna overlooking the ocean, on the northwest corner of the island of Ikaria, I am overcome with gratitude–not only for being here in this moment, but also for arriving to a place that felt immediately familiar even though it’s not my Thassian home; it’s not Archodissa, or … Continue reading Blog from a Taverna Patio
I have to explain something about me and birthdays. The first thing I want to say is that I love the idea of birthdays, of having one day a year where it’s your day, where friends and family and retail businesses acknowledge: “Hey, we’re glad you’re alive and with us. Here’s a discount code.” And obviously, it’s … Continue reading My Birthday on Thassos
For me, and–dare I say–for many others, 2016 was a year of change. I once saw something that appealed to the word nerd in me. It said, “You must go through challenge to find change.” Maybe some of us have already made it through the middle (or the “lle”) of our challenge, or maybe it’s … Continue reading Top 16 of 2016
I met Vasilis during my pre-workshop days at Archodissa. He is one of Tassos of Thassos’ best friends. They grew up in Theologos together, and he was the person who “bapticide” Tassos’ son, which means he was made the godfather. Vasilis’ voice is deep and rasps, almost as if he needs to clear his throat … Continue reading The Greek Table
Today my writing workshop will arrive to Thassos: seventeen participants and ten teachers/advisors. We will fill Archodissa with bustling activity, old friends reuniting and new friends meeting for the first time. The quiet mornings I have right now, where I sit alone on the patio typing while Dimitri sets up tables and Kyria Eva prepares … Continue reading My German Parea
They Call Me Fushilou 