I have read most of
Denander’s poetry and this is probably my favourite collection because it
combines his poetry with his beautiful watercolour sketches. The Swedish writer
and painter lives in Stockholm but has spent the last dozen or so summers on
the Greek Island of Hydra.
The title poem ‘The
Loulaki Bar’ recalls an incident in 1988 when Leonard Cohen was in the small
Hydra bar sitting with his girlfriend at the next table.
The poetry is largely
anecdotal and centred on Denander’s every day experiences on the island:
obtaining a post office box with the help of a friend, his wife’s fascination
with insecticides, his reflections on Greek priests & on a sleeping man
while waiting to catch a ferry in Hydra, how his neighbour Barba Yannis helps
him with his garden, how his family is befriending the neighbouring cats, his
dealings with the local tradesmen, his thoughts on retirement and the like. The
writing is simple, minimalistic, self-deprecatory & creates a vibrant sense
of what it is like for Denander to live with his family & friends within the Hydra
community.
In the Foreword, the
great American poet Gerald Locklin presciently writes, “I now consider any
product of his creativity in any form to qualify as an instant collector’s
item. In terms of The Loulaki Bar
this is certain as the collection appears to be now out of print.
Resources:
Poet Hound includes
the poems ‘Cipporo’, ‘The Flood’ and ‘Basic Philosophy’ from the collection
here: http://poethound.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/henry-denanders-loulaki-bar.html
The poem ‘Medicine’ appeared in Dyehard
Press here: http://dyehard-press.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/loulaki-bar-and-other-poems-from-hydra.html
