The Legend of Andreas Karavis:
The Truth Behind the Myth of the Fisherman Poet
Excerpted from The Greek American, Volume 15, No. 64 - March 31 2001
by Minas Savvas

As David Solway puts it, the Karavis myth is amoebic. While various journalists, poets, critics and scholars contemplate Karavis, they add to his legend, introducing minor characters, new exploits and "hidden" secrets.

"It's mysterious, it's playful, it's fun," offers Solway.

"Karavis has to some extent become a caucus of identity -- it's not just me. Though I created Karavis, many have collaborated in his itinerary."

In an upcoming article slated to appear in Head magazine . . . Karavis will be uncovered as an opium smuggler, a twist introduced by the journalist writing the story.

"It's like we've become children again playing with plasticine.

We can do anything we want because Karavis is essentially there to sponsor and ignite the poetic imagination in all of us, but that so many allowed to slumber."

For our part, we've heard that Karavis might be the illegitimate half-brother of Giorgos Seferis, the product of a late-in-life affair between the poet laureate's diplomat father and an infamous Athnenian madam...