Intellectual muse of NEIU Effie Mihopoulus passes away

Effie Mihopoulos, an artist, intellectual, people person and longtime member of the NEIU community passed away on Thursday, Jan. 14.

Mihopoulos was an eccentric character, with her crooked smile, her trademark long black hair tied back in lush ponytail, her ardent feminism, her steadfast devotion to her Greek heritage and her unique ability to cut through small talk to the heart of the matter.

Mihopoulos was a NEIU alumna who delighted in the fact that she could walk to our campus every day. She had no time for small talk or the hours involved with commuting. She once said she did not have time to write a novel - hence her dedication to poetry.

Mihopoulos received her Master's Degree in English Composition and Writing in 1974. She was so proud of her graduation from this university that she bequeathed a large perpetual scholarship known as "The Andrew Mihopoulos Scholarship" in her father's name.

Mihopoulos was a dynamic publisher and freelance writer for decades on all forms of the arts. Her company "Ommation Press" made history when she published Cornelius Eadie's second book "Victims of the Latest Dance Craze" in 1985, and it went onto recieve the Lamont Prize from the Academy of American Poets in New York.

This event was historic because never had such a prestigious award been given to a book published by such a small, independent press. In the 1990s, Mihopoulos coordinated a poetry performance arts series known as "Babel of Tongues" funded by grants from the Illinois Arts Council that included artists from diverse backgrounds performing poetry in their native languages.

Mihopoulos's published books of poetry include "The Moon Cycle," "Pastel Words" and "Languid Love Lyrics." Her poetry, fiction and art have been published in over 200 small press magazines in the U.S. and Europe. She was nominated five times for the Pushcart Prize. She was also a valuable contributor to the Women and Labor History Project.

Mihopoulos was a cultural commentator and DJ for NEIU's radio station, WZRD, 88.3 FM and interviewed many artists across the disciplines.

Mihopoulos worked as a performance art critic for a publication called "This Week BackStage" out of New York for many years. Her book "The Moon Cycle" (a book of poetry) was produced as a play and directed by Brian Gary Kirst.

This is just a tip of the iceberg about Mihopoulos. She leaves behind no surviving family, her parents having passed years before. She never married or had children, as she was so committed to her intellectual and artistic pursuits.