Donna Gelagotis Lee, a poet who received some of her early inspiration and support from the Plainsboro Literary Group, returns to the area Saturday, December 2, to read from her award winning collection of poems, “On the Alter of Greece.
A former Plainsboro resident, Gelagotis Lee based her collection of poems on her years of living on the outskirts of Athens and the coastal areas of Greece, and drew her creative inspiration from living in Greece and observing the daily lives of its citizens.
The book was submitted for the National Book Award and nominated for Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Poetry, as well as winning the prestigious Gival Press Poetry Award in 2005.
All of the poems contained in the volume are set in Greece and were formed by the author’s experiences while living there for a 10-year period. They strive to capture the essence of ancient Greece and the scene of modern-day Athens as well as the ruins and the mystery of the land.
Joining Gelagotis Lee at the reading, at the Princeton University Store, will be Dean Kostos, author of “Last Supper of the Senses,” “The Sentence That Ends with a Comma,” and “Celestial Rust.” Kostos studied at Antioch and currently works as a display designer and lives in New York and New Jersey.
Don Berger, judge of the 2005 Gival award and poet laureate of Takoma Park, Maryland, says “Gelagotis Lee’s ‘On the Alter of Greece’ actually does place its reader before, or on, an elevated place where the ceremony of everyday sublime life in Greece plays out.”
Women’s issues, including their rights in the workplace and homes, are often at the forefront of Gelagotis Lee’s work. “The women in Greece were focused on work in the home and their power lies in the home, she says. “The husband’s power is more focused outside of the house, at his job, with his friends, but at home the women rule. “ She is quick to point out the cultural differences in Greece. “The work around the house was constant,” she says. “And they are always looking out to make sure that everyone in the family is well cared for, that their needs are met. These women are always busy because they are the center of the home.”
“Deciding Not to Wear Glasses” is the manuscript she is now circulating. “It deals with how you look at things at a point in our lives where there was still an option to wear or not wear glasses, a metaphor for how you view things in life, the choices we make,” says Gelagotis Lee, who now lives in Hillsborough with her husband, Dennis, a data administrator who is also a poet.
Gelagotis Lee was raised in Hamilton and Lawrence townships and earned her bachelors degree at Sweet Briar College in 1978, where she studied English and creative writing. “That was the first place I ever wrote poetry,” she says.
Gelagotis Lee’s prior experience was writing for and editing her school newspapers in junior and high school. She says that for a number of years after college, she didn’t do much writing of poetry. “I concentrated on doing research and wrote for a magazine in New York called ‘Classic’ magazine.”
It was not until she returned from Greece that Gelagotis Lee devoted herself to writing poetry. She spent time doing education editing, being a freelance medical editor, and even did legal editing. But these days the poet has taken time off to concentrate on writing poetry.
When asked what tips she would have for those looking to write, especially poetry, Gelagotis Lee says that “the first thing is to read a lot. And study other writers’ work. Be persistent if you want to get published and be ready for lots of rejection, even after you have been published. And, finally, join writers group to get opinions and support from other writers.”
She was one of original members of the Plainsboro Literary Group, which met at the Plainsboro public library. “Ginny Baeckler, the head of the library, has been incredibly supportive by having the group meet in the library to discuss their work. The literary group got started in early 1990s in a schoolhouse and later moved to the library” she says. “It is still ongoing and I go back annually for the reunion read.” She will read there when the group meets for the reunion, which is usually held in July.
“It’s a fabulous group, with very nice people, and provides a very supportive atmosphere,” says Gelagotis Lee. “Besides, that’s where I met my husband.”
Donna Gelagotis-Lee and Dean Kostos, Princeton University Store, 36 University Place, 609-921-8500. www.pustore.com. Saturday, December 2, 2 p.m.
