Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Eva Palmer Sikelianos: A Life in Ruins
Eva Palmer Sikelianos: A Life in Ruins
Eva Palmer Sikelianos: A Life in Ruins
Ebook652 pages10 hours

Eva Palmer Sikelianos: A Life in Ruins

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The first biography of a visionary twentieth-century American performer who devoted her life to the revival of ancient Greek culture

This is the first biography to tell the fascinating story of Eva Palmer Sikelianos (1874–1952), an American actor, director, composer, and weaver best known for reviving the Delphic Festivals. Yet, as Artemis Leontis reveals, Palmer’s most spectacular performance was her daily revival of ancient Greek life. For almost half a century, dressed in handmade Greek tunics and sandals, she sought to make modern life freer and more beautiful through a creative engagement with the ancients. Along the way, she crossed paths with other seminal modern artists such as Natalie Clifford Barney, Renée Vivien, Isadora Duncan, Susan Glaspell, George Cram Cook, Richard Strauss, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Nikos Kazantzakis, George Seferis, Henry Miller, Paul Robeson, and Ted Shawn.

Brilliant and gorgeous, with floor-length auburn hair, Palmer was a wealthy New York debutante who studied Greek at Bryn Mawr College before turning her back on conventional society to live a lesbian life in Paris. She later followed Raymond Duncan (brother of Isadora) and his wife to Greece and married the Greek poet Angelos Sikelianos in 1907. With single-minded purpose, Palmer re-created ancient art forms, staging Greek tragedy with her own choreography, costumes, and even music. Having exhausted her inheritance, she returned to the United States in 1933, was blacklisted for criticizing American imperialism during the Cold War, and was barred from returning to Greece until just before her death.

Drawing on hundreds of newly discovered letters and featuring many previously unpublished photographs, this biography vividly re-creates the unforgettable story of a remarkable nonconformist whom one contemporary described as “the only ancient Greek I ever knew.”

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 5, 2019
ISBN9780691187907

Related to Eva Palmer Sikelianos

Related ebooks

Entertainers and the Rich & Famous For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Eva Palmer Sikelianos

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5

1 rating0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Eva Palmer Sikelianos - Artemis Leontis

    ?_book_preview_excerpt.htmlKW&Wz1(FM  b&"Djg~f.{DйR̦k9AO0̪L _2ι׮+UAYbٵ8s??s&M|2vye|g_|^7UYK/4RZxV[durʢQ?8:=8:;M>=zxqytMr~qxiO O_%g+A\Ul$?CY2Z%UV]SEv:kGWavgM~Y.^$M\3^$6J^sG'ge5 |(IݔRϳɊ'{WG_,ݥƮ {bV]'vՍ,~:FUZrȱprFyr.Fz}zO^gU$tQ:N&+fyv?,<~t4yv?y8J^6s>ynh[c.\:axX۟Yk9('8.xY$ۏ7ߖET| m /! n3awvNn'/ 5 KݐeL)7tUr&(LdErjҳ"[AқG<xím~+VTd dgq:/eOliӺ%oJU%$m)l:C-@;aN*9qry9{iEfg`"}tQ6ғYE i L* z9fNtm#y6:._d/ك"Wէ{=5Vl(ۅA&6.KSr~LiOQN*4Hy-`fH{? OR˴fGn*V-hFh*ҺnEUUçwGHKFxdrϜKeRi|\ȳ`X= /C@ D!X袿[l\ه[pSW9d=#!lV}=`5'gnqe٬hwO:ɡaUz򛲺NDoHS'C_7t_ݏȠUyK0 o<0_86Rτ^eRk" G:dSi>dѶž}4Lio{s7b!e#lV ۬be^#'KNfpA2NwmY_aGk1r܎riպUuuk( 8z찛`k3b|2o݅'DȴOӵ u.seuznٝ>ʠʥe Z?o;Շ[6$"4m<7--c^)?}Ѻ>5 2O'Y,Ҫҙ؇m),2̉|ɱjeu-v^ou Hg}*S0.dY.?޺=Y9::'=]`J6SM6-mK[xhqVEY ,Ḵasp-@iX50Ì3~ueiWl:d\7OVFp ɾWu dgMwW˃ÁJooF\7MNmp{C 6}EWP;1Du zT`C&1fUo '3 OnS;d[Lˇv?1@x_7"E U-b'mC9"E2q/.ҕ]3$,#ޏl'&\fg÷R(脹X.D=|u&o?OaVХ1~I{nڳ߲㥿0mFC5+ޜy+E9qiYDv,6ȃhq-xEnHzgCҗ&GG|T|[HowZ6b[TJe.V f) Jq*&d1s 'D,$>5oQDgIHoI}V> /}³sqYHHG>>USqlM7>zPL-7r:K^_a66=3 iDLgfE?Ûf<Lĸw/m\.Wl*|NtnK>_nX݌#[Ƒ. kTh..v6[U.3]PcVD C[$pRc}<͙;ɂћa!@$l !HD,FZ o3Ip8|?a .R.nVxNtf[^緶__ֹcr]ln\zn knUn姶hrDZD0H11vP9<ͧ&s(SD̦&b0:$4jKXBs99uӱ|sX0LEa>",l *B*4R'bT&g+Jq3wyz) @y!떋{ף72 X%a R0 VL]?ošI*JHK^P:E=,+Q`|"d673Ͱ+N\?K.W 8bŕhn#vyC8MlFOgc57oEh)dG-CO.jԦd$dn#\"!9JR t?źÑ͗p 2YJJ'7OaQy2I+ **.L m!8LB8%2 CNlx>mV7%^Hq8}cmXۙ9p3@sw⩤"MߦQ6b/ˑbeǫn{6h踯Ҝͬ|tn b?; &7.@,%}0aeǡiV;SR}t&goh# /Zn ,Q^3y5RKͳ2jQ54So!% >#N[[}n yЄ3y,X^t1YF9XA"8@͝ }m7b4Y]$+ x@CMu&HK7O@Ewm,M :+ȑmPid"}'t*S‡i&!$vI1&H =deĈouk(Pg'Mv(<xxXNIű<+y)u) *|#a?)R:uizߘк2M=O/~4:bB;<ELʊxY˥T"R$m1Jg@ ee,NA-VPh:kpeF,MQs"@O lm,D6(r-ܹ">q3^PH(YhM5 _XQٺUh-z)/Ei>9Af0zEԥЭ2Xl-ƝaW.Q9CKǬdW&K =(&b?G~ `Cd fxE'"ѐzX6H= Ty%w'F8`cyr=OqinF?ݗ>\=BSq{Osx|O*<5oޅ@=]}wrݤg3v 7@?m;h]g S IQIćѕ\,iu֖8c&rB3璋l GUX^2׹ ^Μ%hbwTٿmnNi1UM$fHk`[[v@S)E_{ذT0rX X\W!wD6Vx\ =x+ʌpY2> slTTeV0?MNnuSek%IB]Ql˾ NC =K] M'f2_j !yXNtxdT- uǗ,c폏փ9M{y͝wJCcmJ:U] ;˼H!h9$R 6C  PH[nW &Nly}3;e)"GDRFcI9y^Fb~YHLo浪+/xzQ1k3ʉ{sX-Xtc-S8SR8GvtM?ԯ9ŦS\(#S=xcؼe< 0 )艑dUHH@aԢqH[@ ?B͉ʂD!fq}A OHOCO'` }A.@e lAѥ"_C+􌻴K xO[XaFXBNbt4b\f,%߈ѼɵZEZFOabD&oKL(IBvVޒk_"RЮ \b+8OA{ g`)Πb2 b|֩+ǹI 9I?I.uPp\@duŸy:Hȧp,?zu@ (VWaIS~(d1*1 VBBg|dblB] }߰P$c,oh7\ZI6+;י9B!۾*Z,DTm0,XEIC@kvOT+Bٝh2 %m=^È%d@KY^Yk%c&N0MZ&9I`I  *nUoD;:↨$H W2ZiQˢ`cψ@9Usqx<[V>',A8#qn 2.cX6\Q]y@4SwUf,!xd닉%XQtOGXb(\_0RL\|#lMi_e+b ][9p? J@Z+U=S%[jޅPݢ xt5?T޳ ֗8κE|$36 -{{O<$ZgxA8N'H !& I_b` \ktq?/;*t>n@p?{!8)\2oi9W~a&J,ࢢ+Cu@k Sc&4P_7G+uβF"dw+ok E+[ТѩSW s"# (*5lTcGSFN9NKJš_67 t?ݤ.(~cA5,šܕvcwB;hYiTG>0C;8 0E#JĂ|[FĘb{L5N>/`M :YEފj2NjS!=8ȳ"řeS}3楻3Q+~NtӇf*!ٮG/"נatI⮩]nNol{ኟAԁ0S~Q"I0e'> Y&sIgCs?ҟ=\D#VVȂ+C6`ƐL}jdi?B7߇(BࠡɓCQI@wD{P̷dX"tXҢҘ**"k"F$;24$w;"gR6UD: v|0SC alp2]@t*p3n  0 +eCO2Ƅ2+#3( ՘G0;*MSJׁYftV0.\hk&ٴf:<#` A3ZHon YWNVT>D=(ub HJSB5mU N(-c8hyꦋ<ubl/u׻K MtTvuIx{jMeLse*.+(|ܴvF>5QȰzK+hQW>9=M۬1e}`GGJ6Ul,]D:D2ܘcϚƊ$7(K|=G)qQmqB|j8 ݨJ)&^:^Ţ_4 3:Z7J.@Cc>D{!EY;E0IѐD I5oXGC͖.vK *V#|36ӌ} S`eƤ K#)|04GFiZ ¥A5jUav֎@˺W/oj?Y1"#;(;ΞFm#gRd`u!+Тw^mAoQ^Ьa 39h )cUŻfj,%t %2p{y \> }4d<#7Qӱ~步 M-,=V`>Л8Q49$LZ25cnFC [lܮ NzHPI "CjM3wzl}I1r\0ō}R^1*7w%l.Ϸ@(EzC8,wd jE'"v,z4|jm3+#=LPܗ\0H.O|bl#{vUr|0ysqx.yss=Amv_9֘Q@׋WvzSO99L·'ɇW*9{t|vyv{n:'?#$k:I>H^U "ؒ3ޕRT^~ Ë.oxY!T -C7Pn8)*{V#ޕJ~ Lxv'v ldfxt=xux,`]gr%97+dU'눭 J@ط(fjQBBWu`(̪ ZŞK 5I"'\'go\/'қALt^=C<>]bCl]rvj;} ow\7uK|z ᜵3槹䮅$//>אw~촛VOlj[/}z]&gB[/$WoWϓGu|U0wyBh D} 3Dp BK AM5D"2k2d>C.F8?~=4Itt6]xaw(g 4H1S*[f G{V?kvqٕL|3Vk[c'=Xt,_^|s ?\/u]Ďѫ"0q35,l_}ι%P"##7bV^&/8}r|O"/ar+1b!:MvA z }F)ɩ7%xZ,9|)%PE9E<.iLuahm weT[ԇѫ<ԬhEw'b83B|tyXVxvF&bF1#Ej ~%^.lP/^1!L$5C8=E{/|. 0#iDՑUBV(KlRv95x# l3!ׄl#G{60+MVUvB]Z,DJlG_H?xTUPS=O,[V;j ϋPaIkfst~ Ad'([~∨1Z$[D.pf,ycW7ieBoCR-ݫњw_x}  [$,][͋wS7W^uTnBF|Adn. רCFÍ#6K(d0Jctb` m@7YRџ0:9\%nqu F_+,T[[ky`T-P{QT:AvHlf=-:V'52sA">]dHcQ,EOѤsqn M[(+ }D}_LC$~M?o??ǟߟ۟S Oom:LsZovo3C{X_y' B\wcHǷ.%Fu(x,8Ƭe,c끯EHQmEpw |!V+a"v}gEPqh`@_`$O(DTPe+no|x_9~A GщPt[e>mUz竨fK4‰v킘 aIt+7[7 u5y cmſB]=3>m"V+F-ú.SܘmZDv-`ϲt ҁr (zSVt{>֜[<2ę׍Wmܤ}mE+4srF1\XY!"B0 O}8̷"ذn@mipx0iO ]O <~d/cK"k*ar'TWnMC-P Q4H]>ᄚ6Ï?p$BoڡDS\\ⶲpey-G~pH.ahJGOL%IHTpk OYa-%biBleIGCg>S*}yA6@bֶYPK3.Y}yOY~ٖ2UhtUֵ9>E$Aj4"F#JHhCÓdҖ(e/;C+&;T4Sħݶ H.[[*sa2+\VPԹGUJKff:\7Bv9^y8id(W[{ i:ODhOP%ς,t?Q횬3@zF&vC+̮xP@"eZH_]h@9έ3VR@6n71=0fRٗetrowt^E*Xo( pAV L_=Chxx i&̈́Ȅ:,3bR{XFy G\}21?.]B^\$}sQ>nr|]wbv1 enHt7e9 hHdDpͯ] )&,mOu)*FU Je.oj o \fݪJR֧>{vUVm DܬǟLMzt'P@pdґQ`v#kT֙df+kfQub9#8x$$[\kpBS^o,:u$vJu<fѭ2WIg= ujEG&$քqg!U<7]cpǑI߻Ycx^a䜇lmЅtcZ`ͱdSHQ3x~&{¯BhE녯KU CDD:4LA3B.q Y TJ" XUTrWs˸%i t˨ڶ`_6X_cbT]d |oWE(@W@?'Bh;[E[G[V!œ[ÓQ?T4f4,RGe.aQH ;{,K.ܡې/u} 4 : Q&(2ݽ ܯoCm^I6]mq$ug8Q{,SxTqO3u𷁅dY ?c]L&5h|FMņ}m|khkOE>h5t5`z0, A膮 Y7KE=y U[#)d>A(-ag0oYSv=aQR(F&́/Ŝ6,jALZP+" 97qlu#麰W4lVrF’ d' -=)m&-o!{E_bCF:I^qHyitY*Bz}| i|SbHXWI0 ['_I *!r&H)eU;C"К+f";{T[E_ bVb!z{FӒƄvzvƀ'1G=3鈱0{}Zz>NSh 5vIL QTE'5"iu&n;: q츛E#~ h|)ЭD7)~_%yK@ӜYڣ!Ҷ`g7 !Sh D:`.8^JB/"#;IuݬX {]j/cRָ!j!To=>/U٤n o&" H Vom_ CFƅ0#D-u }BzõoS"ؔcjz X?Gt'"zT/w¦z#ZH|E@I*%iIcYGp!Yh kskٯ 5o!6PMt2No٘fBH=+24SVEx=y4R qiݑ%ƭrp1j9poHB쓳Uz׺li[`D8垆}tv/ ,F&(ȥHw|&#"HcPQZQ?NU訮d)0Bi&o19k3ﭓeB[Q_egpZ}J۞;ܙ)?4n)~ xл8tmZ1 + e݀;-`q@iR yyAJi$gl1 QhiIX|W~ K hÛĖ"ゆMMe>62^g.C4m79n7 b^5 hX>J}Kd*6l'U8_0r;F1]Hgľ3F󦿢X[A$͂PgǮ:WKE)ehuFou858z\;h;Sq4jt 4 (~L1-NY%.B-:T%\pL(+#klԫ4h0q촜Sd1O勁LEskJ?hTg9:<*mf{@Y%sgt!NZj?s1=tV¶Y %@uY..dbPםP`o}C§_ &+/=,m@hCz~219,骵n:左^yqߩWz=2ݍXC Ji i;_" >HCPsXG118ag G語ij<8䤒z9'NN"-#hFrGfn&k[1 ::?%e ` +?,uE)\X𽊹Crdf-}9 v"2d?5䰾)2w5 ?en]v}KEFU"~V.:[Ix;IqOEDgx.?K5ܨ oWYƛ;-ʶR24njTGPz7i@x]eAޅl=kaCce4/a|쒌Cq7'tmR|`^ [d5/U<XgئW^n~g ŋDb0O3:xV fS> (~ K6iTIWB6'f"M,g QC\4os( Z.gx* 1RߑŰlK'pM菵O>MZ0{żP RezAzBb @-h7Ήvh{-iN8) !ktFO NndK~ O7Sh{$[* z3V X?Y)кdǞ']}B"/4f"-x‰A(Ws =\I.H0N Ӧׁg P9 8g0E 2?_LF}FS#vpmw/]lğiwٟ@ObUYOWE"&m 2Dn߃i]XR*QkOt˝qY/ʥ8 w/tlMMSqkn# <g[7zA[-b6э ]٨v7"~ZrOl=O`qSJ|]%t^O<905`P!!*ԊS1T9\Kѵ(BH/#\ֿz.H:$З}cc-Za#REC[ӊYv0cm7ǰ 䀈PWpJ*a(^}DO Lahr:C"B4U݋L$Pkk}-IH}R)|y7yөۙwQTg/y}|:~am^lH^ӌp pXZ`AS;]\=.*'鲱ؔFqVw9yfD5?w+U{ެ,ώ=˵`9 rZgV`7rs}78N&lo(^V@Ȕsxb90[(B]0 ŵH/cja&wOoXsUx>sVFF>N jògJlYά<:P`1D 7ƁDL8UYtmG r}>%r&dagwog${C&cjA\Swcday_? 08G/kJ 4sA?bXJD ӖPeO`3j[꽶||EjB?ȋTD%0a_a[=TJ(b1+F+2«bQ4/תB_Gu `0*1az T=48>KAjv%gh/IVy8PΕtf@ ֕XlWYY@LVVefy@%ݠ!\4DJy[ _kd@N CɉUYePhZ_9W#8_[>I>hJ V}5 M0ozMX}0} eeuo[?2h. jvq]6B[JM)uRWJr.(,Ɛ5)bƐ/jZ7(sPvFy@WWV-klhw\&f 6$+Tc\7<ڠ 4T>'1 -냐´̯G1`q.8 AU.Yb=VV[FY?e^خ}0P99>$,Z6碓(Zr~Kc/C_\F?0Xʊ8ji3C fX ߕY7s"lKײݎ)YmERStm8=jeԺT|ms }%e+JIC2%Lvhcidct7ic Y%!+XuvO*t3mM˰c-ζRKxvqg=Mn
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1