Γουέλενα Μάρκη

The pseudonym closely resembles the real name of his wife, and through it, the author (N.Ch.M.), born in 1956 in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, expresses his boundless gratitude to Her. He is not captivated by metaphysics or religions, but by Logic, Literature, the Arts, and especially Music. He consents to Heraclitus' saying: "Dogs bark at what they do not understand"; as well as Spinoza’s: "Deus sive Natura – God or Nature." Living with Argos, a dog who bore the same name as Odysseus’ faithful companion, he came to understand Cynic philosophy, transitioned into the Epicurean concept of philotes (affection/bond), and learned to respect Life. He devoted his own life to the pursuits of Asclepius, stood—likely with reverence and frankness—by the suffering of fellow humans, trying to intuit the "secrets" hidden in the beats of their hearts. He now knows there are no real secrets; the path and its mistakes have always been shared. He never asks when the bell tolls. He feels deep sorrow when reflecting on his own great faults while simultaneously observing the incurable passions and the eternally recurring errors of humanity. He places his hope in Change—always the offspring of redemptive Knowledge, never of blind faith—and dreams, for the sake of all the world’s children, of the “Beautiful Nusquam,” of Eternal Peace.