Facing Athens

"George Sarrinikolaou, a native Athenian who emigrated from Greece to America, strips Athens of its stereotypes to reveal a city straining under the passions and burdens of early-twenty-first-century life." "Modern Athens exists in the shadow of images from its ancient past: cradle of civilization, birthplace of democracy, inspiration for the Olympic Games. But as the city welcomes the 2004 Summer Olympics, it faces challenges quite unlike those depicted in mythology and epic poetry. As Sarrinikolaou explores Athens on foot, striving to face the settings of his childhood head-on, he…