Louis MacNeice
( 1907 –63 ), Blind Fireworks, Poems, Letters from Iceland, The Earth Compels, Autumn Journal
Though MacNeice's precocious first book, Blind Fireworks ( 1929 ), attracted little attention, he emerged in the early 1930s as a bright, sharp, intelligent, and sophisticated poet. He was conventionally ranked with his Oxford contemporaries Auden , Day Lewis , and Spender —and indeed often continues to be so ranked—but it should now be possible to see him in better perspective, relating him more interestingly to his Northern Irish background and upbringing, for example. His father was a senior clergyman in the Church of Ireland, a strict and brooding presence over the son, who often seems to have felt more at home in the less puritanical south of the island. Nevertheless, one has to bear in mind MacNeice's inherited, if deflected, notions of account-books and duty. There is also the fact of his conventional English public-school and Oxford education, in which he was both the rebel and the dandy.
Poems ( 1935 ), MacNeice's contributions to Letters from Iceland (prose and verse, written with Auden, 1937 ), and The Earth Compels ( 1938 ) all contain attractive and memorable poems and lines. But it was Autumn Journal ( 1939 ), written during the Munich crisis, that most brilliantly captures the essence of the best of MacNeice, not in miniature but at length. He had already shown a gift for sensing the temper of the time in such poems as ‘An Eclogue for Christmas’ (‘I meet you in an evil time’) and ‘Bagpipe Music’ (‘It's no go the merrygoround, it's no go the rickshaw’). Autumn Journal discursively reacts to the events of the moment, to his own public and private responses, and catches them all in a colloquial, flexible, argumentative, and yet relaxed mode which (as John Press has remarked) reminds one of Byron's Don Juan .
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
into Haiti space of Art
Artibonite artists
The painters of the Artibonite region in central Haiti, where Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti is located, have developed their own style, which is quite recognizable.
The style began with Saincilus Ismaël, the recently deceased great master of the region, who was influenced by Byzantine art he had seen in books. Ismaël began to paint in 1956 after visiting the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince. His paintings are marked by exquisite detail. Every article of clothing, house, or tree is painted with a different intricate geometric pattern.
Délouis Jean-Louis grew up in Petite Rivière under the influence of Ismaël. Although he worked under Ismaël for 15 years, he never had formal painting lessons. He began painting to make money, but gradually began to paint carefully executed scenes from his imagination.
Alix Dorléus also learned to paint with Ismaël and Mrs. Mellon. He paints all day long and will paint anywhere he feels the spirit to motivate him. His best paintings are detailed depictions, like activity maps, of daily life in the Artibonite Valley.
Ernst Louizor is considered one of the best impressionist painters of Haiti. Louzor was born in Port-au-Prince on October 16, 1938. After high school (Lycee Toussaint L'Ouverture '57) he worked in the tax section of Customs. Louizor's painting career began in 1951 when at the age of 13 he joined the Centre d’Art and studied under Wilmino Domond. He later entered the Academie des Beaux-Arts shortly after its founding in 1959 and furthered his studies with George Ramponeau. Louzior has many disciples including his wife Gerda Louizor. He has exhibited in Europe and the U.S..
Haitian sculpture"Haitian Sculpture" Haitian sculpture is made of natural materials, traditional art mediums, and recycled materials.
"Haitian Steel Drum Sculpture" The community of master artisans of Croix des Bouquets are a miracle in the midst of extreme poverty in Haiti. They create beautiful art out of recycled oil drums and in doing so are at the precipice of building sustainable incomes for their families and the community.
Haitian flag-makingThe tradition of making flags to decorate Vodou places of worship is well established. Flags most most often commemorate specific sprits or saints, but the 2010 earthquake has become a common subject. The use of sequins in these flags became prevalent in the 1940's, and many of today's flags cover the entire flag in colored sequins and beads. These flags are traded as art by dealers around the world.
The painters of the Artibonite region in central Haiti, where Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti is located, have developed their own style, which is quite recognizable.
The style began with Saincilus Ismaël, the recently deceased great master of the region, who was influenced by Byzantine art he had seen in books. Ismaël began to paint in 1956 after visiting the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince. His paintings are marked by exquisite detail. Every article of clothing, house, or tree is painted with a different intricate geometric pattern.
Délouis Jean-Louis grew up in Petite Rivière under the influence of Ismaël. Although he worked under Ismaël for 15 years, he never had formal painting lessons. He began painting to make money, but gradually began to paint carefully executed scenes from his imagination.
Alix Dorléus also learned to paint with Ismaël and Mrs. Mellon. He paints all day long and will paint anywhere he feels the spirit to motivate him. His best paintings are detailed depictions, like activity maps, of daily life in the Artibonite Valley.
Ernst Louizor is considered one of the best impressionist painters of Haiti. Louzor was born in Port-au-Prince on October 16, 1938. After high school (Lycee Toussaint L'Ouverture '57) he worked in the tax section of Customs. Louizor's painting career began in 1951 when at the age of 13 he joined the Centre d’Art and studied under Wilmino Domond. He later entered the Academie des Beaux-Arts shortly after its founding in 1959 and furthered his studies with George Ramponeau. Louzior has many disciples including his wife Gerda Louizor. He has exhibited in Europe and the U.S..
Haitian sculpture"Haitian Sculpture" Haitian sculpture is made of natural materials, traditional art mediums, and recycled materials.
"Haitian Steel Drum Sculpture" The community of master artisans of Croix des Bouquets are a miracle in the midst of extreme poverty in Haiti. They create beautiful art out of recycled oil drums and in doing so are at the precipice of building sustainable incomes for their families and the community.
Haitian flag-makingThe tradition of making flags to decorate Vodou places of worship is well established. Flags most most often commemorate specific sprits or saints, but the 2010 earthquake has become a common subject. The use of sequins in these flags became prevalent in the 1940's, and many of today's flags cover the entire flag in colored sequins and beads. These flags are traded as art by dealers around the world.
Monday, July 18, 2011
To read the Sudanese
Sudanese Literature: North and South
Tayeb Salih
Recently, I’ve been trying to educate myself about literature from the Sudan(s). After all, her historic vote is just one small piece of the Sudan’s rich cultural history.
I imagine there are multiple Sudanese literatures: the Arabic-based literature (its most well-known practitioner being Tayeb Salih), as well as literatures in English (Leila Aboulela, Jamal Mahjoub) and local languages, such as Beja (known for its poetic traditions) and Dinka (perhaps Makwei Mabioor Deng will help spark a written tradition).
Certainly, if one had to name a Sudanese author in fewer than ten seconds, most of us would land on the great Tayeb Salih, who was on Denys Johnson-Davies well-known “Arabic Nobel shortlist” of 1988. Salih, who died in 2009, is celebrated in large part for his Season of Migration to the North, which was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Arab Literary Academy in Damascus.
Salih was also a big proponent of Arabic literature. From a 2005 interview with the Sudan Tribune:
If you find a publisher who believes in Arab literature and takes a risk on it, not just publishing a few thousand books, you will find readers for it.
The Arab novel has reached a very high standard which is comparable to any standard, anywhere in the world. The fact that this is not recognised abroad is a matter either of criteria … or it is a lack of enthusiasm for foreign products.
Other notable Sudanese authors who write in Arabic include Tarek al-Tayyeb, who was born in Cairo to Sudanese parents, and whose Cities Without Palms was translated by Kareem James Palmer-Zeid and published by AUC Press. It was a visually strong, although flawed, first novel, followed by The Palm House (reviewed here). Amir Tag el-Sir is another Sudanese author of note, on the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) shortlist for his novel The Hunter of the Chrysalises.
Tayeb Salih
Recently, I’ve been trying to educate myself about literature from the Sudan(s). After all, her historic vote is just one small piece of the Sudan’s rich cultural history.
I imagine there are multiple Sudanese literatures: the Arabic-based literature (its most well-known practitioner being Tayeb Salih), as well as literatures in English (Leila Aboulela, Jamal Mahjoub) and local languages, such as Beja (known for its poetic traditions) and Dinka (perhaps Makwei Mabioor Deng will help spark a written tradition).
Certainly, if one had to name a Sudanese author in fewer than ten seconds, most of us would land on the great Tayeb Salih, who was on Denys Johnson-Davies well-known “Arabic Nobel shortlist” of 1988. Salih, who died in 2009, is celebrated in large part for his Season of Migration to the North, which was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Arab Literary Academy in Damascus.
Salih was also a big proponent of Arabic literature. From a 2005 interview with the Sudan Tribune:
If you find a publisher who believes in Arab literature and takes a risk on it, not just publishing a few thousand books, you will find readers for it.
The Arab novel has reached a very high standard which is comparable to any standard, anywhere in the world. The fact that this is not recognised abroad is a matter either of criteria … or it is a lack of enthusiasm for foreign products.
Other notable Sudanese authors who write in Arabic include Tarek al-Tayyeb, who was born in Cairo to Sudanese parents, and whose Cities Without Palms was translated by Kareem James Palmer-Zeid and published by AUC Press. It was a visually strong, although flawed, first novel, followed by The Palm House (reviewed here). Amir Tag el-Sir is another Sudanese author of note, on the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) shortlist for his novel The Hunter of the Chrysalises.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Art, Light, Italy
The project for Milan’s new Museum of Contemporary Art is designed by Daniel Libeskind in cooperation with his Italian partner CityEdge. It features a vertical structure of five floors which twists from its square base and forms a circular terrace at the top. Its design references Da Vinci’s golden section, transforming in accordance to principles of self-evolution and spherical astronomy.
The most important design objective sought by city authorities and the designers was the greatest possible flexibility in order to respond to all of the, nowadays often unpredictable, needs of a space dedicated to contemporary art. This is why the five galleries of the new building are presented as stand-alone units, with a minimum height of 5.5m and equipped with complex lighting and air conditioning systems that make it possible to stage any type of exhibition while at the same time keeping the dominant line of the structure visible to the visitor, the square that becomes a circle, as it moves from the ground to the sky.
The building uses cutting-edge materials and building techniques with the objective of achieving the highest possible level of environmental compatibility. Enveloping the volume is a screen-like structure which visually speaking, enables the perception of the initial geometry of the building. The “screen” is formed by a series of bronze-colored varnished aluminium strips that also provide a great sense of lightness and luminosity.
e Volo
The most important design objective sought by city authorities and the designers was the greatest possible flexibility in order to respond to all of the, nowadays often unpredictable, needs of a space dedicated to contemporary art. This is why the five galleries of the new building are presented as stand-alone units, with a minimum height of 5.5m and equipped with complex lighting and air conditioning systems that make it possible to stage any type of exhibition while at the same time keeping the dominant line of the structure visible to the visitor, the square that becomes a circle, as it moves from the ground to the sky.
The building uses cutting-edge materials and building techniques with the objective of achieving the highest possible level of environmental compatibility. Enveloping the volume is a screen-like structure which visually speaking, enables the perception of the initial geometry of the building. The “screen” is formed by a series of bronze-colored varnished aluminium strips that also provide a great sense of lightness and luminosity.
e Volo
Saturday, July 16, 2011
House of the Birds
The National Museum was established by the King of Portugal Dom João VI (1769–1826) in 1818 with the name of Royal Museum, in an initiative to stimulate scientific research in Brazil, which until then was an immense and wild colony, practically unexplored by science. Initially the Museum sheltered botanical and animal specimens, especially birds, what caused the old building where it was located in center of Rio de Janeiro, to be known by the population as the "House of the Birds".
After that, with the marriage of D. João VI's son and Brazil's first Emperor, Dom Pedro I (1798–1834) with Princess Leopoldina of Austria, the Museum started to attract the greatest European naturalists of the 19th century, such as Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied (1782–1867), Johann Baptist von Spix (1781–1826) and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868). Other European researchers who explored the country, such as Augustin Saint-Hilaire (1799–1853) and the Baron von Langsdorff (1774–1891), contributed for the collections of the Royal Museum.
By the end the 19th century, reflecting the personal preferences of Emperor Dom Pedro II (1825–1891), the National Museum started to invest in the areas of the anthropology, paleontology and archaeology. The Emperor himself, who was an avid amateur scientist and enthusiastic supporter of all branches of science, contributed with several of the collections of the art of Ancient Egypt, botanical fossils, etc., which he acquired during many of his trips abroad. In this way, the National Museum was modernized and became the most important museum of Natural History and Human Sciences of South America.
D. Pedro II was well aware of the shortage of true scientists and naturalists in Brazil. He fixed this problem by inviting foreign scientists to come to work at the Museum. The first to come was Ludwig Riedel (1761–1861), a German botanist who had participated in Baron von Langsdorff's famed expedition to Mato Grosso from 1826 to 1828. Other scientists to come were: German chemist Theodor Peckolt and American geologist and paleontologist Charles Frederick Hartt (1840-1878). In the following years the Museum gradually became known so it continued to attract several foreign scientists who wished to achieve scientific stature with their work in Brazil, such as Fritz Müller (1821–1897), Hermann von Ihering (1850–1930), Carl August Wilhelm Schwacke (1848–1894), Orville Adalbert Derby (1851–1915), Émil August Goeldi (1859–1917), Louis Couty (1854–1884) and others, all fired by museum director Ladislau Netto when the emperor was deposed.
The National Museum at its first location in Campo de Sant'Anna, today's Praça da República, ca. 1870The Emperor was still a very popular figure when he was deposed by a military coup in 1889, so the republicans tried to erase the symbols of the Empire. One of these symbols, the Paço de São Cristóvão, the official residence of the emperors in the Quinta da Boa Vista, became vacant; therefore, in 1892, the National Museum, with all its collections, valuables and researchers, was transferred to this palace, where it stays until today.
In 1946, the Museum’s management was passed to the University of Brazil, currently the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The researchers and their offices and laboratories occupy a good part of the Palace and other buildings erected at Botanical Gardens (Horto Florestal), in the Quinta da Boa Vista park. There, one can find one of the largest scientific libraries of Rio. Currently, the National Museum offers graduate courses in the following areas: Anthropology and Sociology, Botany, Geology and Paleontology, and Zoology.
The Museum shelters one of the largest exhibits of the Americas, consisting of animals, insects, minerals, aboriginal collections of utensils, Egyptians mummies and South American archaeological artifacts, meteorites, fossils and many other findings.
After that, with the marriage of D. João VI's son and Brazil's first Emperor, Dom Pedro I (1798–1834) with Princess Leopoldina of Austria, the Museum started to attract the greatest European naturalists of the 19th century, such as Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied (1782–1867), Johann Baptist von Spix (1781–1826) and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868). Other European researchers who explored the country, such as Augustin Saint-Hilaire (1799–1853) and the Baron von Langsdorff (1774–1891), contributed for the collections of the Royal Museum.
By the end the 19th century, reflecting the personal preferences of Emperor Dom Pedro II (1825–1891), the National Museum started to invest in the areas of the anthropology, paleontology and archaeology. The Emperor himself, who was an avid amateur scientist and enthusiastic supporter of all branches of science, contributed with several of the collections of the art of Ancient Egypt, botanical fossils, etc., which he acquired during many of his trips abroad. In this way, the National Museum was modernized and became the most important museum of Natural History and Human Sciences of South America.
D. Pedro II was well aware of the shortage of true scientists and naturalists in Brazil. He fixed this problem by inviting foreign scientists to come to work at the Museum. The first to come was Ludwig Riedel (1761–1861), a German botanist who had participated in Baron von Langsdorff's famed expedition to Mato Grosso from 1826 to 1828. Other scientists to come were: German chemist Theodor Peckolt and American geologist and paleontologist Charles Frederick Hartt (1840-1878). In the following years the Museum gradually became known so it continued to attract several foreign scientists who wished to achieve scientific stature with their work in Brazil, such as Fritz Müller (1821–1897), Hermann von Ihering (1850–1930), Carl August Wilhelm Schwacke (1848–1894), Orville Adalbert Derby (1851–1915), Émil August Goeldi (1859–1917), Louis Couty (1854–1884) and others, all fired by museum director Ladislau Netto when the emperor was deposed.
The National Museum at its first location in Campo de Sant'Anna, today's Praça da República, ca. 1870The Emperor was still a very popular figure when he was deposed by a military coup in 1889, so the republicans tried to erase the symbols of the Empire. One of these symbols, the Paço de São Cristóvão, the official residence of the emperors in the Quinta da Boa Vista, became vacant; therefore, in 1892, the National Museum, with all its collections, valuables and researchers, was transferred to this palace, where it stays until today.
In 1946, the Museum’s management was passed to the University of Brazil, currently the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The researchers and their offices and laboratories occupy a good part of the Palace and other buildings erected at Botanical Gardens (Horto Florestal), in the Quinta da Boa Vista park. There, one can find one of the largest scientific libraries of Rio. Currently, the National Museum offers graduate courses in the following areas: Anthropology and Sociology, Botany, Geology and Paleontology, and Zoology.
The Museum shelters one of the largest exhibits of the Americas, consisting of animals, insects, minerals, aboriginal collections of utensils, Egyptians mummies and South American archaeological artifacts, meteorites, fossils and many other findings.
Friday, July 15, 2011
a Madagascar's Museum
University of Madagascar's Museum of Art and Archaeology is a museum in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is operated by the University of Madagascar and was established on January 27, 1970.
The museum aims to contribute to the teaching of Madagascar's art, archaeology and ancient civilization and stores ethnographic objects from all across the island. The repository contains around 7,000 objects and all regions and tribes are represented in the collection.
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/
The museum aims to contribute to the teaching of Madagascar's art, archaeology and ancient civilization and stores ethnographic objects from all across the island. The repository contains around 7,000 objects and all regions and tribes are represented in the collection.
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Marek's Way of Life
Marek Hłasko (14 January 1934 in Warsaw – 14 June 1969 in Wiesbaden, Germany) – a writer and a famous figure in post-war Polish literature.
Hłasko’s biography is highly mythologized, and many of the legends about his life he spread himself. Marek was born in Warsaw, as the only son of Maciej Hłasko and Maria Łucja, née Rosiak . At first he lived with his parents in Złotokłos; later they moved to Warsaw. In the Hłasko family, children were baptised relatively late, hence the writer-to-be was baptized on 26 December 1935 in the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Warsaw [2]. It is said that during the baptism ceremony when asked if he renounces the evil spirits Marek answered "No". Later, these words were reported as the evidence of Marek’s strong character.
Hłasko was three years old when his parents divorced in 1937. Maciej remarried a year later. He died on 13 September 1939, when his only son was five. The war left its stamp on Marek’s psyche: later he wrote "it is obvious to me that I am a product of war times, starvation and terror; it is the reason for the intellectual poverty of my short stories. Simply, I cannot think up a story that does not end in death, catastrophe, suicide or imprisonment. Some people accuse me of pretending to be a strong man. They are wrong." At the outbreak of World War II, Hłasko’s mother was working in the management secretariat of the City Power Station in Warsaw. During the occupation she was fired and ran a food stall till the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising. As a result, the family's financial situation worsened. At this time Marek started his education; however, all documents that might provide information about his education were destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising. Among the schools that he attended was one near the St. Kazimierz Factory on Tamka Street. During the Warsaw Uprising, Marek stayed with his mother in Warsaw, and when it ended they moved to Częstochowa to the house of a friend. In March 1945, Maria and her son moved to Chorzów and two months later to Białystok, where she settled with Kaziemierz Gryczkiewicz. In early 1946, Gryczkiewicz, Maria Hłasko and Marek moved to Wrocław.
In the summer of 1946, Marek Hłasko joined the Bolesław Chrobry First Wrocław Scout Troops. In order to become a member of the troop, Marek with his family’s consent, gave 1933 as the year of his birth. Later he was dismissed from the scouts because of the poor attendance at the meetings. Marek worked as a messenger at the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace, held in August 1948 in Wrocław.
From September to November 1948, he studied at the Chamber of Commerce’ of the Secondary School of Business and Administration in Wrocław, and from March until June 1949 in the Labour Association of Children Friends’ School in Legnica (at that time he lived in a dormitory). Later, from December 1949 to January 1950, he attended the Technical and Drama High School in Warsaw, yet, in the end of December 1949 and early January 1950, he was expelled for "a notorious disrespect to school regulations, criminal violations, and wielding a corrupting influence on his colleagues".
Writing became a chance to get out of this mind-numbing activity. His literary career started in 1951 when he wrote Baza Sokołowska, his first set of short stories. Hłasko became a correspondent for Trybuna Ludowa (a popular Polish daily) when he was working for "Metrobudowa". At the end of 1952 he decided to show extracts of his book to Bohdan Czeszko. His reply letter written on 3 December of the same year included a criticism of Hłasko’s literary attempts, but also drew attention to the young author’s talent. Moreover, also in 1952, Hłasko followed Stefan Łoś’s advice and established contact with the Polish Literary Association and Igor Newerly, who was the protector of young writers. Hłasko introduced himself, to both Czeszko and Newerly, as "an uneducated driver who tries to describe his life in his free time after work".
He gained publicity and popularity thanks to his original working style as well as his unconventional behaviour and clothing. He was a legendary figure of the young generation, a symbol of non-conformism. He was well-built; however, the physical appearance concealed over-sensitivity and uncertainty. He was prone to depression and could not adapt to everyday reality. Marek’s inclination to rows contrasted with his friends’ positive opinions of him.
In 1958, he went to Paris. The press there called him an Eastern European James Dean, as Hłasko strikingly resembled him. Marek really identified himself with this role: he vandalized pubs and restaurants. At this time, he gained worldwide publicity. Nonetheless, he liked the life of a vagrant, so he left Paris and went to Germany and then to Italy.
The anticommunist edition of Cmentarze in Parisian paper Kultura launched a press campaign against him. When Marek was refused a renewal of his passport, he asked for political asylum in the Western Germany. After three months, he changed his mind and tried to return to Poland. However, while waiting for an answer from the Polish government, he decided to go to Israel in 1959. He could not live without Poland but at the same time he could not return to his homeland. As he did not have a talent for languages, he found it difficult to adjust to the reality of life abroad. He led a life of a vagrant, but he did not have to work while his publications provided him with a steady income. He performed manual labour, but he did so out of curiosity rather than need. Since 1960, he had lived in Germany with his beautiful wife, a German actress, Sonja Ziemann.
In 1963, he spent a month in prison for his feuds with the police. In 1964 he twice attempted to commit suicide. Between 1963 and 1965, he spent a total of 242 days in psychiatric clinics. In 1965, he divorced his wife and in 1966, with some help of Roman Polanski, he went to Los Angeles. He was supposed to write screenplays but it did not work out. He had an affair with Betty, a wife of Nicholas Ray, the author of Rebel Without a Cause, and thereby ended his career as a screenwriter. He got a pilot’s licence instead.
In 1969, during one of his parties, he fell out with Krzysztof Komeda. As a result of this accident, Komeda got a brain hematoma and died few days later. Hłasko was to say: "If Krzysztof dies, I'll go along" (Jeśli Krzysio umrze, to i ja pójdę). In 1969, he came back to Germany.
He died in Wiesbaden at the age of 35. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. One hypothesis is that he mixed alcohol with sedative drugs. However, those who knew him maintain that suicide was out of the question in his case.
In 1975, his ashes were brought to Poland and buried at Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. Jan Himilsbach, a stonecutter who worked at the cemetery, was an initiator of bringing Hłasko’s body back to Poland. Himilsbach carved inscriptions on Hłasko’s grave. The notice was suggested by Hłasko’s mother and it says: "His life was short, and everybody turned their backs on him".
Hłasko’s biography is highly mythologized, and many of the legends about his life he spread himself. Marek was born in Warsaw, as the only son of Maciej Hłasko and Maria Łucja, née Rosiak . At first he lived with his parents in Złotokłos; later they moved to Warsaw. In the Hłasko family, children were baptised relatively late, hence the writer-to-be was baptized on 26 December 1935 in the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Warsaw [2]. It is said that during the baptism ceremony when asked if he renounces the evil spirits Marek answered "No". Later, these words were reported as the evidence of Marek’s strong character.
Hłasko was three years old when his parents divorced in 1937. Maciej remarried a year later. He died on 13 September 1939, when his only son was five. The war left its stamp on Marek’s psyche: later he wrote "it is obvious to me that I am a product of war times, starvation and terror; it is the reason for the intellectual poverty of my short stories. Simply, I cannot think up a story that does not end in death, catastrophe, suicide or imprisonment. Some people accuse me of pretending to be a strong man. They are wrong." At the outbreak of World War II, Hłasko’s mother was working in the management secretariat of the City Power Station in Warsaw. During the occupation she was fired and ran a food stall till the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising. As a result, the family's financial situation worsened. At this time Marek started his education; however, all documents that might provide information about his education were destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising. Among the schools that he attended was one near the St. Kazimierz Factory on Tamka Street. During the Warsaw Uprising, Marek stayed with his mother in Warsaw, and when it ended they moved to Częstochowa to the house of a friend. In March 1945, Maria and her son moved to Chorzów and two months later to Białystok, where she settled with Kaziemierz Gryczkiewicz. In early 1946, Gryczkiewicz, Maria Hłasko and Marek moved to Wrocław.
In the summer of 1946, Marek Hłasko joined the Bolesław Chrobry First Wrocław Scout Troops. In order to become a member of the troop, Marek with his family’s consent, gave 1933 as the year of his birth. Later he was dismissed from the scouts because of the poor attendance at the meetings. Marek worked as a messenger at the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace, held in August 1948 in Wrocław.
From September to November 1948, he studied at the Chamber of Commerce’ of the Secondary School of Business and Administration in Wrocław, and from March until June 1949 in the Labour Association of Children Friends’ School in Legnica (at that time he lived in a dormitory). Later, from December 1949 to January 1950, he attended the Technical and Drama High School in Warsaw, yet, in the end of December 1949 and early January 1950, he was expelled for "a notorious disrespect to school regulations, criminal violations, and wielding a corrupting influence on his colleagues".
Writing became a chance to get out of this mind-numbing activity. His literary career started in 1951 when he wrote Baza Sokołowska, his first set of short stories. Hłasko became a correspondent for Trybuna Ludowa (a popular Polish daily) when he was working for "Metrobudowa". At the end of 1952 he decided to show extracts of his book to Bohdan Czeszko. His reply letter written on 3 December of the same year included a criticism of Hłasko’s literary attempts, but also drew attention to the young author’s talent. Moreover, also in 1952, Hłasko followed Stefan Łoś’s advice and established contact with the Polish Literary Association and Igor Newerly, who was the protector of young writers. Hłasko introduced himself, to both Czeszko and Newerly, as "an uneducated driver who tries to describe his life in his free time after work".
He gained publicity and popularity thanks to his original working style as well as his unconventional behaviour and clothing. He was a legendary figure of the young generation, a symbol of non-conformism. He was well-built; however, the physical appearance concealed over-sensitivity and uncertainty. He was prone to depression and could not adapt to everyday reality. Marek’s inclination to rows contrasted with his friends’ positive opinions of him.
In 1958, he went to Paris. The press there called him an Eastern European James Dean, as Hłasko strikingly resembled him. Marek really identified himself with this role: he vandalized pubs and restaurants. At this time, he gained worldwide publicity. Nonetheless, he liked the life of a vagrant, so he left Paris and went to Germany and then to Italy.
The anticommunist edition of Cmentarze in Parisian paper Kultura launched a press campaign against him. When Marek was refused a renewal of his passport, he asked for political asylum in the Western Germany. After three months, he changed his mind and tried to return to Poland. However, while waiting for an answer from the Polish government, he decided to go to Israel in 1959. He could not live without Poland but at the same time he could not return to his homeland. As he did not have a talent for languages, he found it difficult to adjust to the reality of life abroad. He led a life of a vagrant, but he did not have to work while his publications provided him with a steady income. He performed manual labour, but he did so out of curiosity rather than need. Since 1960, he had lived in Germany with his beautiful wife, a German actress, Sonja Ziemann.
In 1963, he spent a month in prison for his feuds with the police. In 1964 he twice attempted to commit suicide. Between 1963 and 1965, he spent a total of 242 days in psychiatric clinics. In 1965, he divorced his wife and in 1966, with some help of Roman Polanski, he went to Los Angeles. He was supposed to write screenplays but it did not work out. He had an affair with Betty, a wife of Nicholas Ray, the author of Rebel Without a Cause, and thereby ended his career as a screenwriter. He got a pilot’s licence instead.
In 1969, during one of his parties, he fell out with Krzysztof Komeda. As a result of this accident, Komeda got a brain hematoma and died few days later. Hłasko was to say: "If Krzysztof dies, I'll go along" (Jeśli Krzysio umrze, to i ja pójdę). In 1969, he came back to Germany.
He died in Wiesbaden at the age of 35. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. One hypothesis is that he mixed alcohol with sedative drugs. However, those who knew him maintain that suicide was out of the question in his case.
In 1975, his ashes were brought to Poland and buried at Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. Jan Himilsbach, a stonecutter who worked at the cemetery, was an initiator of bringing Hłasko’s body back to Poland. Himilsbach carved inscriptions on Hłasko’s grave. The notice was suggested by Hłasko’s mother and it says: "His life was short, and everybody turned their backs on him".
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
White Eternity
Greenland's culture began with settlement in the second millennium B.C. by the Dorset Inuits, shortly after the end of the ice age.
In the tenth century, Norwegian Vikings settled in the southern part of the island, while the Thule Inuit culture was introduced in the north of the island and expanded southward. The culture clash between two peoples is attested by the discovery of a fragment of chain mail Viking at high latitude of the island, while a figurine carved from walrus ivory Inuit clear assignment was found in Bergen, Norway. Both objects must be understood as a clear testimony of the trade between the two peoples.
Inuit culture dominated the island from the end of the Middle Ages to the recolonisation in the early eighteenth century, where European culture was reintroduced.
Today Greenlandic culture is a blending of traditional Inuit (Kalaallit) and Scandinavian culture. Inuit, or Kalaallit, culture has a strong artistic tradition, dating back thousands of years. The Kalaallit are known for an art form of figures called tupilaq or an "evil spirit object." Traditional art-making practices thrive in the Ammassalik.Sperm whale ivory remains a valued medium for carving.
Greenland also has a successful, albeit small, music culture. Some popular Greenlandic bands and artists include Chilly Friday (rock), Siissisoq (rock), Nuuk Posse (hip hop) and Rasmus Lyberth, who performed in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, perfoming in Greenlandic. The music culture of Greenland also includes traditional Inuit music, largely based around singing and drums.
In the tenth century, Norwegian Vikings settled in the southern part of the island, while the Thule Inuit culture was introduced in the north of the island and expanded southward. The culture clash between two peoples is attested by the discovery of a fragment of chain mail Viking at high latitude of the island, while a figurine carved from walrus ivory Inuit clear assignment was found in Bergen, Norway. Both objects must be understood as a clear testimony of the trade between the two peoples.
Inuit culture dominated the island from the end of the Middle Ages to the recolonisation in the early eighteenth century, where European culture was reintroduced.
Today Greenlandic culture is a blending of traditional Inuit (Kalaallit) and Scandinavian culture. Inuit, or Kalaallit, culture has a strong artistic tradition, dating back thousands of years. The Kalaallit are known for an art form of figures called tupilaq or an "evil spirit object." Traditional art-making practices thrive in the Ammassalik.Sperm whale ivory remains a valued medium for carving.
Greenland also has a successful, albeit small, music culture. Some popular Greenlandic bands and artists include Chilly Friday (rock), Siissisoq (rock), Nuuk Posse (hip hop) and Rasmus Lyberth, who performed in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, perfoming in Greenlandic. The music culture of Greenland also includes traditional Inuit music, largely based around singing and drums.
Finland in Digitalkoot
The National Library of Finland is the oldest and largest scholarly library in Finland as well as one of the largest independent institutes at the University of Helsinki. It is responsible for the collection, description, preservation and accessibility of Finland’s printed national heritage and the unique collections under its care. The National Library also serves as a national service and development centre for the library sector and promotes national and international cooperation in the field.
Online gaming experience combines entertainment and volunteer work for conserving Finnish cultural heritage
The National Library of Finland has launched a national e-programme for the digitisation of Finland’s historical documents and material. The first of its kind in Europe, the e-programme Digitalkoot (Digital Volunteers) harnesses the power of crowdsourcing to mobilize people to help digitise millions of pages of archive material.
The e-programme technology provider is Microtask, whose automated platform splits dull repetitive tasks into tiny microtasks and distributes them over the internet. Once carried out by interested microworkers around Finland or around the world, Microtask puts the results back together into a completed assignment.
The online gaming experience provides both entertainment and the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of Finland’s cultural heritage.
– We have millions and millions of pages of historically and culturally valuable magazines, newspapers and journals online. The challenge is that the optical character recognition often contains errors and omissions, which hamper for example searches, says Kai Ekholm, Director of the National Library of Finland. – Manual correction is needed to weed out these mistakes so that the texts become machine readable, enabling scholars and archivists to search the material for the information they need.
– Microtask loves the work you hate. With our technology, repetitive work can be split into smaller components and allocated to numerous people, says Microtask Managing Director Harri Holopainen. – In the Digitalkoot program, participants can do as much, or as little, work they want, where they want and when they want. We help turn routine work into fun, almost a parlor game.
The National Library of Finland aims to enhance the visibility, accessibility and usability of the Library’s unique collections. Digital collections facilitate the use of cultural heritage materials in virtual environments.
To date, four million pages of different types of texts from the 18th to 20th centuries have been digitised, but there still remain huge bulks of cultural heritage archived only in paper files. The e-programme enables anyone to contribute converting portions of Finnish cultural heritage into a lasting format. The aim is to crowdsource thousands of volunteers to participate online utilising modern technology developed in Finland.
Online gaming experience combines entertainment and volunteer work for conserving Finnish cultural heritage
The National Library of Finland has launched a national e-programme for the digitisation of Finland’s historical documents and material. The first of its kind in Europe, the e-programme Digitalkoot (Digital Volunteers) harnesses the power of crowdsourcing to mobilize people to help digitise millions of pages of archive material.
The e-programme technology provider is Microtask, whose automated platform splits dull repetitive tasks into tiny microtasks and distributes them over the internet. Once carried out by interested microworkers around Finland or around the world, Microtask puts the results back together into a completed assignment.
The online gaming experience provides both entertainment and the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of Finland’s cultural heritage.
– We have millions and millions of pages of historically and culturally valuable magazines, newspapers and journals online. The challenge is that the optical character recognition often contains errors and omissions, which hamper for example searches, says Kai Ekholm, Director of the National Library of Finland. – Manual correction is needed to weed out these mistakes so that the texts become machine readable, enabling scholars and archivists to search the material for the information they need.
– Microtask loves the work you hate. With our technology, repetitive work can be split into smaller components and allocated to numerous people, says Microtask Managing Director Harri Holopainen. – In the Digitalkoot program, participants can do as much, or as little, work they want, where they want and when they want. We help turn routine work into fun, almost a parlor game.
The National Library of Finland aims to enhance the visibility, accessibility and usability of the Library’s unique collections. Digital collections facilitate the use of cultural heritage materials in virtual environments.
To date, four million pages of different types of texts from the 18th to 20th centuries have been digitised, but there still remain huge bulks of cultural heritage archived only in paper files. The e-programme enables anyone to contribute converting portions of Finnish cultural heritage into a lasting format. The aim is to crowdsource thousands of volunteers to participate online utilising modern technology developed in Finland.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Majestic Indian Art
The National Museum, New Delhi as we see it today in the majestic building on the corner of Janpath and Maulana Azad Road is the prime museum in the country. The blue-print for establishing the National Museum in Delhi had been prepared by the Gwyer Committee set up by the Government of India in 1946. When an Exhibition of Indian Art consisting of selected artefacts from various museums of India, sponsored by the Royal Academy (London) with the co-operation of the Government of India and Britain, was on display in the galleries of Burlington House, London during the winter months of 1947-48, it was decided to display the same collection under a single roof in Delhi before the return of exhibits to their respective museums.
Accordingly, the exibition was held in the state rooms of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi in 1949, and it turned out to be a great success. In turn, the event proved responsible for the creation of National Museum. On the auspicious day of the 15th August, 1949, the National Museum was formally inaugurated by the Governor-General of India, Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, and it was announced that till a permanent building for housing the National Musuem was constructed, the Museum would continue to function in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Government also felt to retain the exhibits on show to form the holdings of the National Museum and the plan was sent to all the participants of London exhibition. It continued to be looked after well by the Director General of Archaeology until the Ministry of Education, the Government of India declared it a separate institution to grow in its collections that were sought painstakingly. It received several gifts but artefacts were collected mainly through its Art Purchase Committee. In the meanwhile, the foundation of the present building was laid by Pt. J.L. Nehru, Prime Minister of India, in the 12th May, 1955 and the new building where works of art were displayed elegantly on scientific lines, was handed over to Museum authorities in June, 1960.
The Museum was formally thrown open to the public on December 18, 1960. And it is now within the administrative control and fully financed by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The Museum has in its possession approximately 2,00,000 works of exquisite art of diverse nature, both Indian and foreign and its holdings cover a time span of more than five thousand years of our cultural heritage. While the splendid chronological display of selected art objects in the various galleries, screening of educational films related to art and culture, guided tours, gallery talks by the experts, special lectures and training programmes, facilities for photography and access to the reserve collection and library for the study, and advice on identification of art objects have brought immense laurels to the Museum. The conservation laboratory had made its existence felt even in other countries.
http://www.nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/history.html
Accordingly, the exibition was held in the state rooms of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi in 1949, and it turned out to be a great success. In turn, the event proved responsible for the creation of National Museum. On the auspicious day of the 15th August, 1949, the National Museum was formally inaugurated by the Governor-General of India, Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, and it was announced that till a permanent building for housing the National Musuem was constructed, the Museum would continue to function in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Government also felt to retain the exhibits on show to form the holdings of the National Museum and the plan was sent to all the participants of London exhibition. It continued to be looked after well by the Director General of Archaeology until the Ministry of Education, the Government of India declared it a separate institution to grow in its collections that were sought painstakingly. It received several gifts but artefacts were collected mainly through its Art Purchase Committee. In the meanwhile, the foundation of the present building was laid by Pt. J.L. Nehru, Prime Minister of India, in the 12th May, 1955 and the new building where works of art were displayed elegantly on scientific lines, was handed over to Museum authorities in June, 1960.
The Museum was formally thrown open to the public on December 18, 1960. And it is now within the administrative control and fully financed by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The Museum has in its possession approximately 2,00,000 works of exquisite art of diverse nature, both Indian and foreign and its holdings cover a time span of more than five thousand years of our cultural heritage. While the splendid chronological display of selected art objects in the various galleries, screening of educational films related to art and culture, guided tours, gallery talks by the experts, special lectures and training programmes, facilities for photography and access to the reserve collection and library for the study, and advice on identification of art objects have brought immense laurels to the Museum. The conservation laboratory had made its existence felt even in other countries.
http://www.nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/history.html
a Total Memory, a Great Sea
The Drowned World is a 1962 science fiction novel by J. G. Ballard. In contrast to much post-apocalyptic fiction, the novel features a central character who, rather than being disturbed by the end of the old world, is enraptured by the chaotic reality that has come to replace it. The novel is an expansion of a novella with the same title published in Science Fiction Adventures magazine in January 1962, Vol 4 No. 24. (Nova Publications.) This novella as referred to above is now out of print.
The Drowned World opens within the conventions of a hard science fiction novel, as the catastrophe responsible for the apocalypse is explained scientifically – solar radiation has caused the polar ice-caps to melt and worldwide temperature to soar, leaving the cities of northern Europe and America submerged in beautiful and haunting tropical lagoons. Yet Ballard’s novel is thematically more complex than is immediately apparent. Ballard uses the post-apocalyptic world of the story to mirror the collective unconscious desires of the main characters. A theme throughout Ballard’s writing is the idea that human beings construct their surroundings to reflect their unconscious drives. In The Drowned World, however, a natural catastrophe causes the real world to transform itself into a dream landscape, causing the central characters to regress mentally.
Just as psychoanalysis reconstructs the original traumatic situation in order to release the repressed material, so we are now being plunged back into the archaeopsychic past, uncovering the ancient taboos and drives that have been dormant for epochs…
Each one of us is as old as the entire biological kingdom, and our bloodstreams are tributaries of the great sea of its total memory.
The Drowned World, J.G. Ballard, Millennium 1999, p. 41.
The Drowned World opens within the conventions of a hard science fiction novel, as the catastrophe responsible for the apocalypse is explained scientifically – solar radiation has caused the polar ice-caps to melt and worldwide temperature to soar, leaving the cities of northern Europe and America submerged in beautiful and haunting tropical lagoons. Yet Ballard’s novel is thematically more complex than is immediately apparent. Ballard uses the post-apocalyptic world of the story to mirror the collective unconscious desires of the main characters. A theme throughout Ballard’s writing is the idea that human beings construct their surroundings to reflect their unconscious drives. In The Drowned World, however, a natural catastrophe causes the real world to transform itself into a dream landscape, causing the central characters to regress mentally.
Just as psychoanalysis reconstructs the original traumatic situation in order to release the repressed material, so we are now being plunged back into the archaeopsychic past, uncovering the ancient taboos and drives that have been dormant for epochs…
Each one of us is as old as the entire biological kingdom, and our bloodstreams are tributaries of the great sea of its total memory.
The Drowned World, J.G. Ballard, Millennium 1999, p. 41.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Kvæði...
Die Färöische Literatur entstand Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts mit den ersten schriftlichen Aufzeichnungen färöischer Balladen (kvæði), die während der Jahrhunderte zuvor mündlich überliefert wurden und von unbekannten Autoren stammten.
William Heinesen und Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen 1918Durch die Schaffenskraft verschiedener färöischer Schriftsteller Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts konnte sich die kleinste germanische Sprache im färöischen Sprachstreit bis 1938 als anerkannte Bildungssprache durchsetzen.
Heute erscheinen auf den Färöern jährlich mehr Bücher pro Kopf, als in jedem anderen Land der Erde. Gemessen an der kleinen Population von weniger als 50.000 Menschen, ist das allgemeine Interesse an muttersprachlicher Literatur außergewöhnlich. Die Landesbibliothek der Färöer wies in ihrer Ausleihstatistik 2000 nach, dass das meist gefragte Buch eine färöische Literaturgeschichte (Band 2: 1876-1939) war. Erst auf Platz zwei folgte ein dänischsprachiges Buch zur Berufsberatung.
William Heinesen und Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen 1918Durch die Schaffenskraft verschiedener färöischer Schriftsteller Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts konnte sich die kleinste germanische Sprache im färöischen Sprachstreit bis 1938 als anerkannte Bildungssprache durchsetzen.
Heute erscheinen auf den Färöern jährlich mehr Bücher pro Kopf, als in jedem anderen Land der Erde. Gemessen an der kleinen Population von weniger als 50.000 Menschen, ist das allgemeine Interesse an muttersprachlicher Literatur außergewöhnlich. Die Landesbibliothek der Färöer wies in ihrer Ausleihstatistik 2000 nach, dass das meist gefragte Buch eine färöische Literaturgeschichte (Band 2: 1876-1939) war. Erst auf Platz zwei folgte ein dänischsprachiges Buch zur Berufsberatung.
Εκείνες τις Σιωπές...
Eugenio Montale: I Limoni
Ascoltami, i poeti laureati
si muovono soltanto fra le piante
dai nomi poco usati: bossi ligustri o acanti.
lo, per me, amo le strade che riescono agli erbosi
fossi dove in pozzanghere
mezzo seccate agguantanoi ragazzi
qualche sparuta anguilla:
le viuzze che seguono i ciglioni,
discendono tra i ciuffi delle canne
e mettono negli orti, tra gli alberi dei limoni.
Meglio se le gazzarre degli uccelli
si spengono inghiottite dall'azzurro:
più chiaro si ascolta il susurro
dei rami amici nell'aria che quasi non si muove,
e i sensi di quest'odore
che non sa staccarsi da terra
e piove in petto una dolcezza inquieta.
Qui delle divertite passioni
per miracolo tace la guerra,
qui tocca anche a noi poveri la nostra parte di ricchezza
ed è l'odore dei limoni.
Vedi, in questi silenzi in cui le cose
s'abbandonano e sembrano vicine
a tradire il loro ultimo segreto,
talora ci si aspetta
di scoprire uno sbaglio di Natura,
il punto morto del mondo, l'anello che non tiene,
il filo da disbrogliare che finalmente ci metta
nel mezzo di una verità.
Lo sguardo fruga d'intorno,
la mente indaga accorda disunisce
nel profumo che dilaga
quando il giorno piú languisce.
Sono i silenzi in cui si vede
in ogni ombra umana che si allontana
qualche disturbata Divinità.
Ma l'illusione manca e ci riporta il tempo
nelle città rurnorose dove l'azzurro si mostra
soltanto a pezzi, in alto, tra le cimase.
La pioggia stanca la terra, di poi; s'affolta
il tedio dell'inverno sulle case,
la luce si fa avara - amara l'anima.
Quando un giorno da un malchiuso portone
tra gli alberi di una corte
ci si mostrano i gialli dei limoni;
e il gelo dei cuore si sfa,
e in petto ci scrosciano
le loro canzoni
le trombe d'oro della solarità.
Eugenio Montale
Eugenio Montale, poeta genovese del "Male di Vivere", fu insignito del premio Nobel per la Letteratura nel 1975. In questa lirica, inclusa nella raccolta del 1925 Ossi di Seppia, l'immagine semplice e carica di simbolismo del limone, viene a dipanare una realtà cruda, aspra e nuda dai toni, tuttavia, vivaci e colorati.
Eugenio Montale (Genova 1896 - Milano 1981)
Di salute malferma e carattere schivo, Montale fin da giovane coltiva la sua passione per la letteratura, la poesia e il canto. Dopo la guerra del 1917 stringe rapporti con gli scrittori che frequentano il Caffè Diana di Genova e anche con il gruppo torinese di Piero Gobetti, che negli anni Venti, si pone in opposizione al Futurismo, al Dannunzianesimo e in generale alla cultura del fascismo. Nel 1925 pubblica, proprio per le edizioni di Gobetti, il suo primo libro di poesie, Ossi di seppia, firma il manifesto antifascista di Croce e pubblica sulla rivista milanese "L'esame" l'articolo omaggio a Italo Svevo. L'anno successivo conosce Umberto Saba e il poeta americano Ezra Pound e da allora comincia ad allargare i suoi interessi verso la letteratura anglosassone e poi europea.
Ascoltami, i poeti laureati
si muovono soltanto fra le piante
dai nomi poco usati: bossi ligustri o acanti.
lo, per me, amo le strade che riescono agli erbosi
fossi dove in pozzanghere
mezzo seccate agguantanoi ragazzi
qualche sparuta anguilla:
le viuzze che seguono i ciglioni,
discendono tra i ciuffi delle canne
e mettono negli orti, tra gli alberi dei limoni.
Meglio se le gazzarre degli uccelli
si spengono inghiottite dall'azzurro:
più chiaro si ascolta il susurro
dei rami amici nell'aria che quasi non si muove,
e i sensi di quest'odore
che non sa staccarsi da terra
e piove in petto una dolcezza inquieta.
Qui delle divertite passioni
per miracolo tace la guerra,
qui tocca anche a noi poveri la nostra parte di ricchezza
ed è l'odore dei limoni.
Vedi, in questi silenzi in cui le cose
s'abbandonano e sembrano vicine
a tradire il loro ultimo segreto,
talora ci si aspetta
di scoprire uno sbaglio di Natura,
il punto morto del mondo, l'anello che non tiene,
il filo da disbrogliare che finalmente ci metta
nel mezzo di una verità.
Lo sguardo fruga d'intorno,
la mente indaga accorda disunisce
nel profumo che dilaga
quando il giorno piú languisce.
Sono i silenzi in cui si vede
in ogni ombra umana che si allontana
qualche disturbata Divinità.
Ma l'illusione manca e ci riporta il tempo
nelle città rurnorose dove l'azzurro si mostra
soltanto a pezzi, in alto, tra le cimase.
La pioggia stanca la terra, di poi; s'affolta
il tedio dell'inverno sulle case,
la luce si fa avara - amara l'anima.
Quando un giorno da un malchiuso portone
tra gli alberi di una corte
ci si mostrano i gialli dei limoni;
e il gelo dei cuore si sfa,
e in petto ci scrosciano
le loro canzoni
le trombe d'oro della solarità.
Eugenio Montale
Eugenio Montale, poeta genovese del "Male di Vivere", fu insignito del premio Nobel per la Letteratura nel 1975. In questa lirica, inclusa nella raccolta del 1925 Ossi di Seppia, l'immagine semplice e carica di simbolismo del limone, viene a dipanare una realtà cruda, aspra e nuda dai toni, tuttavia, vivaci e colorati.
Eugenio Montale (Genova 1896 - Milano 1981)
Di salute malferma e carattere schivo, Montale fin da giovane coltiva la sua passione per la letteratura, la poesia e il canto. Dopo la guerra del 1917 stringe rapporti con gli scrittori che frequentano il Caffè Diana di Genova e anche con il gruppo torinese di Piero Gobetti, che negli anni Venti, si pone in opposizione al Futurismo, al Dannunzianesimo e in generale alla cultura del fascismo. Nel 1925 pubblica, proprio per le edizioni di Gobetti, il suo primo libro di poesie, Ossi di seppia, firma il manifesto antifascista di Croce e pubblica sulla rivista milanese "L'esame" l'articolo omaggio a Italo Svevo. L'anno successivo conosce Umberto Saba e il poeta americano Ezra Pound e da allora comincia ad allargare i suoi interessi verso la letteratura anglosassone e poi europea.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
it is Dark, it is Heart, it is written
Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Before its 1902 publication, it appeared as a three-part series (1899) in Blackwood's Magazine. It is widely regarded as a significant work of English literature and part of the Western canon.
The story centres on Charles Marlow, who narrates most of the book. He is an Englishman who takes a foreign assignment from a Belgian trading company as a ferry-boat captain in Africa. Heart of Darkness exposes the dark side of European colonization while exploring the three levels of darkness that the protagonist, Marlow, encounters: the darkness of the Congo wilderness, the darkness of the Europeans' cruel treatment of the natives, and the unfathomable darkness within every human being for committing heinous acts of evil.
Although Conrad does not give the name of the river, at the time of writing the Congo Free State, the location of the large and important Congo River, was a private colony of Belgium's King Leopold II. In the story, Marlow is employed to transport ivory downriver. However, his more pressing assignment is to return Kurtz, another ivory trader, to civilization, in a cover-up. Kurtz has a reputation throughout the region.
This symbolic story is a story within a story or frame narrative. It follows Marlow as he recounts from dusk through to late night, to a group of men aboard a ship anchored in the Thames Estuary, his Congolese adventure. The passage of time and the darkening sky during the fictitious narrative-within-the-narrative parallel the atmosphere of the story.
The story centres on Charles Marlow, who narrates most of the book. He is an Englishman who takes a foreign assignment from a Belgian trading company as a ferry-boat captain in Africa. Heart of Darkness exposes the dark side of European colonization while exploring the three levels of darkness that the protagonist, Marlow, encounters: the darkness of the Congo wilderness, the darkness of the Europeans' cruel treatment of the natives, and the unfathomable darkness within every human being for committing heinous acts of evil.
Although Conrad does not give the name of the river, at the time of writing the Congo Free State, the location of the large and important Congo River, was a private colony of Belgium's King Leopold II. In the story, Marlow is employed to transport ivory downriver. However, his more pressing assignment is to return Kurtz, another ivory trader, to civilization, in a cover-up. Kurtz has a reputation throughout the region.
This symbolic story is a story within a story or frame narrative. It follows Marlow as he recounts from dusk through to late night, to a group of men aboard a ship anchored in the Thames Estuary, his Congolese adventure. The passage of time and the darkening sky during the fictitious narrative-within-the-narrative parallel the atmosphere of the story.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Brautigan in a Fishing Boat...
Trout Fishing in America is a novella written by Richard Brautigan and published in 1967. It is technically Brautigan's first novel; he wrote it in 1961 before A Confederate General From Big Sur which was published first.
Trout Fishing In America is an abstract book without a clear central storyline. Instead, the book contains a series of anecdotes broken into chapters, with the same characters often reappearing from story to story. The settings of most of the chapters occur in three locales: Brautigan's childhood in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.; his day-to-day adult life in San Francisco; and a camping trip in Idaho with his wife and infant daughter during the summer of 1961. Most of the chapters were written during this trip.
The phrase "Trout Fishing in America" is used in multiple ways: it is the title of the book, a character, a hotel, the act of fishing itself, a modifier (one character is named "Trout Fishing in America Shorty"), etc. Brautigan uses the theme of trout fishing as a point of departure for thinly veiled and often comical critiques of mainstream American society and culture. Several symbolic objects, such as a mayonnaise jar, a Ben Franklin statue in San Francisco's Washington Square, trout, etc. reappear throughout the book.
The cover of the book is a photograph of Richard Brautigan and a friend identified as Michaela Le Grand, whom he referred to as his "Muse." The photo was taken in San Francisco's Washington Square Park in front of the Benjamin Franklin statue. The first chapter of the book is an extended and fanciful description of this photo.
Arion Press published a deluxe edition of Trout Fishing in America in 2003, with a preface by Ron Loewinsohn, and a color lithograph in half the edition by Wayne Thiebaud.
Cultural influenceW. P. Kinsella cited the book as a major influence on his 1985 book, The Alligator Report.There is a folk rock band called Trout Fishing in America.
Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt named a crater explored in the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the moon "Shorty", after the character in the book.
In March 1994, a teenager named Peter Eastman Jr. from Carpinteria, California legally changed his name to "Trout Fishing in America", and now teaches English in Japan.At around the same time, National Public Radio reported on a young couple who had named their baby "Trout Fishing in America".
Trout Fishing In America is an abstract book without a clear central storyline. Instead, the book contains a series of anecdotes broken into chapters, with the same characters often reappearing from story to story. The settings of most of the chapters occur in three locales: Brautigan's childhood in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.; his day-to-day adult life in San Francisco; and a camping trip in Idaho with his wife and infant daughter during the summer of 1961. Most of the chapters were written during this trip.
The phrase "Trout Fishing in America" is used in multiple ways: it is the title of the book, a character, a hotel, the act of fishing itself, a modifier (one character is named "Trout Fishing in America Shorty"), etc. Brautigan uses the theme of trout fishing as a point of departure for thinly veiled and often comical critiques of mainstream American society and culture. Several symbolic objects, such as a mayonnaise jar, a Ben Franklin statue in San Francisco's Washington Square, trout, etc. reappear throughout the book.
The cover of the book is a photograph of Richard Brautigan and a friend identified as Michaela Le Grand, whom he referred to as his "Muse." The photo was taken in San Francisco's Washington Square Park in front of the Benjamin Franklin statue. The first chapter of the book is an extended and fanciful description of this photo.
Arion Press published a deluxe edition of Trout Fishing in America in 2003, with a preface by Ron Loewinsohn, and a color lithograph in half the edition by Wayne Thiebaud.
Cultural influenceW. P. Kinsella cited the book as a major influence on his 1985 book, The Alligator Report.There is a folk rock band called Trout Fishing in America.
Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt named a crater explored in the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the moon "Shorty", after the character in the book.
In March 1994, a teenager named Peter Eastman Jr. from Carpinteria, California legally changed his name to "Trout Fishing in America", and now teaches English in Japan.At around the same time, National Public Radio reported on a young couple who had named their baby "Trout Fishing in America".
Friday, July 8, 2011
Τα Φοβερά Επεισόδια της Οδού Μερουλάνα
Roma, marzo 1927. Durante i primi anni del fascismo, il commissario della Squadra Mobile di Polizia Francesco "Don Ciccio" Ingravallo è incaricato di indagare su un furto di gioielli ai danni di un'anziana donna di origini venete, la vedova Menegazzi. In seguito viene uccisa, nello stesso palazzo che era stato teatro della rapina, la moglie di un uomo piuttosto ricco, la signora Liliana Balducci. Il luogo del furto e dell'omicidio è un tetro palazzo di via Merulana 219, noto come "Palazzo degli Ori", situato poco distante dal Colosseo.
La narrazione parte con la descrizione dell'ambiente attorno alla signora Balducci e si allarga ai Castelli Romani da dove provengono le domestiche della signora e le "nipoti", ragazze che accoglieva come figlie per compensare solitudine e mancata maternità. Intorno una folla di comparse: la svenevole e avvizzita contessa Menegazzi, vittima del furto, il commendator Angeloni "prosciuttofilo", i brigadieri della questura, i carabinieri di Marino a caccia di indizi nella campagna, le figure sfocate delle domestiche e nipoti.
FinaleIl giallo non ha soluzione e non si chiude con la scoperta del colpevole; secondo la sua concezione, la realtà è troppo complessa e caleidoscopica per essere spiegata e ricondotta ad una logica razionalità, la vita è un caos disordinato, un "pasticciaccio" di cose, persone e linguaggi.
Genesi e pubblicazioneIl romanzo, ideato a partire dal 1945, venne scritto in prima stesura durante il soggiorno fiorentino di Gadda, sotto l'impulso liberatorio e compositivo seguente la fine della guerra, e la caduta del regime fascista.
La prima pubblicazione, avvenuta a puntate sulla rivista Letteratura nel 1946, ebbe una diffusione molto limitata. Dopo il trasferimento a Roma di Gadda come giornalista RAI, l'editore Livio Garzanti gli propose la pubblicazione in volume, pubblicata nel 1957 con un immediato successo: l'autore, fino ad allora conosciuto e stimato da una ristretta cerchia di critici, divenne quindi noto al grande pubblico.
Analisi del testoTra la prima versione del romanzo e quella definitiva in volume vi sono alcune differenze, come varianti nel testo e una diversa articolazione dei capitoli (da sei a dieci), finalizzata all'aumentare la tensione narrativa del racconto.
La prima parte del romanzo è incentrata sulla scoperta dei delitti e sulle indagini tra gli esponenti della borghesia romana, mentre la seconda sulle indagini all'interno del proletariato della periferia della città.
Il romanzo è privo di un vero e proprio protagonista, o di un punto di vista che rifletta quello dell'autore, se non a tratti il personaggio di Ingravallo, che cerca di imporre ordine in una situazione caotica.
La mescolanza tra le situazioni, i personaggi, e il loro linguaggio, dà luogo ad un plurilinguismo ed uno intreccio tra spaccato popolare e borghese.
CriticaRappresenta probabilmente, con La cognizione del dolore, la migliore opera dello scrittore; nel romanzo, infatti, il virtuosismo linguistico e sintattico, il "barocchismo" e l'uso di più livelli di scrittura (dal dialetto popolare alla descrizione con echi manzoniani) rappresentano la complessità della realtà ed insieme la sua essenza fatta di "percezioni": l'affascinante "buccia delle cose". Detto "pasticciaccio", secondo l'occhio disilluso di Gadda, riflette inoltre l'agglomerato di linguaggi e comportamenti, orrori e stupidità, della società italiana.
La narrazione parte con la descrizione dell'ambiente attorno alla signora Balducci e si allarga ai Castelli Romani da dove provengono le domestiche della signora e le "nipoti", ragazze che accoglieva come figlie per compensare solitudine e mancata maternità. Intorno una folla di comparse: la svenevole e avvizzita contessa Menegazzi, vittima del furto, il commendator Angeloni "prosciuttofilo", i brigadieri della questura, i carabinieri di Marino a caccia di indizi nella campagna, le figure sfocate delle domestiche e nipoti.
FinaleIl giallo non ha soluzione e non si chiude con la scoperta del colpevole; secondo la sua concezione, la realtà è troppo complessa e caleidoscopica per essere spiegata e ricondotta ad una logica razionalità, la vita è un caos disordinato, un "pasticciaccio" di cose, persone e linguaggi.
Genesi e pubblicazioneIl romanzo, ideato a partire dal 1945, venne scritto in prima stesura durante il soggiorno fiorentino di Gadda, sotto l'impulso liberatorio e compositivo seguente la fine della guerra, e la caduta del regime fascista.
La prima pubblicazione, avvenuta a puntate sulla rivista Letteratura nel 1946, ebbe una diffusione molto limitata. Dopo il trasferimento a Roma di Gadda come giornalista RAI, l'editore Livio Garzanti gli propose la pubblicazione in volume, pubblicata nel 1957 con un immediato successo: l'autore, fino ad allora conosciuto e stimato da una ristretta cerchia di critici, divenne quindi noto al grande pubblico.
Analisi del testoTra la prima versione del romanzo e quella definitiva in volume vi sono alcune differenze, come varianti nel testo e una diversa articolazione dei capitoli (da sei a dieci), finalizzata all'aumentare la tensione narrativa del racconto.
La prima parte del romanzo è incentrata sulla scoperta dei delitti e sulle indagini tra gli esponenti della borghesia romana, mentre la seconda sulle indagini all'interno del proletariato della periferia della città.
Il romanzo è privo di un vero e proprio protagonista, o di un punto di vista che rifletta quello dell'autore, se non a tratti il personaggio di Ingravallo, che cerca di imporre ordine in una situazione caotica.
La mescolanza tra le situazioni, i personaggi, e il loro linguaggio, dà luogo ad un plurilinguismo ed uno intreccio tra spaccato popolare e borghese.
CriticaRappresenta probabilmente, con La cognizione del dolore, la migliore opera dello scrittore; nel romanzo, infatti, il virtuosismo linguistico e sintattico, il "barocchismo" e l'uso di più livelli di scrittura (dal dialetto popolare alla descrizione con echi manzoniani) rappresentano la complessità della realtà ed insieme la sua essenza fatta di "percezioni": l'affascinante "buccia delle cose". Detto "pasticciaccio", secondo l'occhio disilluso di Gadda, riflette inoltre l'agglomerato di linguaggi e comportamenti, orrori e stupidità, della società italiana.
Culture in Bangkok
Σε αναγνώριση των προγραμμάτων προώθησης του βιβλίου και του διαβάσματος.
Η Οργάνωση του ΟΗΕ για την Εκπαίδευση, την Επιστήμη και τον Πολιτισμό (UNESCO) υπέδειξε την Μπανγκόκ για Παγκόσμια Πρωτεύουσα Βιβλίου για το 2013 σε αναγνώριση των προγραμμάτων προώθησης του βιβλίου και του διαβάσματος, αναφέρουν σημερινά δημοσιεύματα. Η επιλογή έγινε μερικές ημέρες μετά την ανακοίνωση της Ταϊλάνδης ότι προτίθεται να αποχωρήσει από την Επιτροπή Παγκόσμιας Κληρονομιάς της UNESCO εξαιτίας διαφωνιών που αφορούν ένα καμποτζιανό ναό κοντά σε διαφιλονικούμενη μεθοριακή περιοχή.
Ο ναός Πρεάχ Βιχεάρ, ο οποίος βρίσκεται οριακά σε καμποτζιανό έδαφος, χαρακτηρίστηκε Μνημείο Παγκόσμιας Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς από την επιτροπή της UNESCO το 2008 παρά τις αντιρρήσεις των Ταϊλανδών.
Η πρωτεύουσα της Ταϊλάνδης διαθέτει ενεργό βιομηχανία βιβλίου και πολλά βιβλιοπωλεία, αλλά λίγες μόνο δημόσιες βιβλιοθήκες για έναν πληθυσμό που εκτιμάται ότι ανέρχεται σε δέκα εκατομμύρια κατοίκους.
Από το 2001 η UNESCO απονέμει τον τίτλο της Παγκόσμιας Πρωτεύουσας Βιβλίου σε πόλεις που είναι αφοσιωμένες στην προώθηση του βιβλίου και του διαβάσματος.
«Η ανακήρυξη της υποψηφιότητας δεν περιλαμβάνει κάποιο χρηματικό έπαθλο», αναφέρει σε ανακοίνωσή της η UNESCO.
Στο παρελθόν τον τίτλο έχουν κερδίσει πόλεις όπως η Μαδρίτη, η Αλεξάνδρεια, το Νέο Δελχί, η Αμβέρσα, το Μόντρεαλ, το Τορίνο, η Μπογκοτά, το Άμστερνταμ, η Βηρυτός, η Λουμπλιάνα, το Μπουένος Άιρες (2011) και το Ερεβάν (2012).
http://www.kathimerini.gr/ με πληροφορίες από ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Η Οργάνωση του ΟΗΕ για την Εκπαίδευση, την Επιστήμη και τον Πολιτισμό (UNESCO) υπέδειξε την Μπανγκόκ για Παγκόσμια Πρωτεύουσα Βιβλίου για το 2013 σε αναγνώριση των προγραμμάτων προώθησης του βιβλίου και του διαβάσματος, αναφέρουν σημερινά δημοσιεύματα. Η επιλογή έγινε μερικές ημέρες μετά την ανακοίνωση της Ταϊλάνδης ότι προτίθεται να αποχωρήσει από την Επιτροπή Παγκόσμιας Κληρονομιάς της UNESCO εξαιτίας διαφωνιών που αφορούν ένα καμποτζιανό ναό κοντά σε διαφιλονικούμενη μεθοριακή περιοχή.
Ο ναός Πρεάχ Βιχεάρ, ο οποίος βρίσκεται οριακά σε καμποτζιανό έδαφος, χαρακτηρίστηκε Μνημείο Παγκόσμιας Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς από την επιτροπή της UNESCO το 2008 παρά τις αντιρρήσεις των Ταϊλανδών.
Η πρωτεύουσα της Ταϊλάνδης διαθέτει ενεργό βιομηχανία βιβλίου και πολλά βιβλιοπωλεία, αλλά λίγες μόνο δημόσιες βιβλιοθήκες για έναν πληθυσμό που εκτιμάται ότι ανέρχεται σε δέκα εκατομμύρια κατοίκους.
Από το 2001 η UNESCO απονέμει τον τίτλο της Παγκόσμιας Πρωτεύουσας Βιβλίου σε πόλεις που είναι αφοσιωμένες στην προώθηση του βιβλίου και του διαβάσματος.
«Η ανακήρυξη της υποψηφιότητας δεν περιλαμβάνει κάποιο χρηματικό έπαθλο», αναφέρει σε ανακοίνωσή της η UNESCO.
Στο παρελθόν τον τίτλο έχουν κερδίσει πόλεις όπως η Μαδρίτη, η Αλεξάνδρεια, το Νέο Δελχί, η Αμβέρσα, το Μόντρεαλ, το Τορίνο, η Μπογκοτά, το Άμστερνταμ, η Βηρυτός, η Λουμπλιάνα, το Μπουένος Άιρες (2011) και το Ερεβάν (2012).
http://www.kathimerini.gr/ με πληροφορίες από ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Brera Gallery
Having decided on a visit to view Leonardo's Last Supper, be sure also to visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan's largest art gallery and one of the most important in Italy. The gallery is housed in the Palazzo Brera, once a Jesuit college; the Brera district itself is one of the most chic and fashionable in this most fashion-driven city.
The collection grew out of that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts (housed in the same building and founded in 1776), and it's most famous works were acquired successively, with fine collections of Venetian and Lombard paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Latterly two important collections of modern art have been added to the already impressive catalogue.
The gallery is spread across more than 30 rooms on the first floor of the building (works are ordered chronologically and geographically), and amongst the masterpieces on show perhaps the most sought-after are:
The San Luca Altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna, 1453
Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio, 1606
Holy Conversation, by Piero della Francesca, ?1472-1474
Wedding of the Virgin by Raphael, 1504
Finding of the body of St Mark by Tintoretto, 1548
The Kiss by Francesco Hayez, 1859
The collection grew out of that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts (housed in the same building and founded in 1776), and it's most famous works were acquired successively, with fine collections of Venetian and Lombard paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Latterly two important collections of modern art have been added to the already impressive catalogue.
The gallery is spread across more than 30 rooms on the first floor of the building (works are ordered chronologically and geographically), and amongst the masterpieces on show perhaps the most sought-after are:
The San Luca Altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna, 1453
Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio, 1606
Holy Conversation, by Piero della Francesca, ?1472-1474
Wedding of the Virgin by Raphael, 1504
Finding of the body of St Mark by Tintoretto, 1548
The Kiss by Francesco Hayez, 1859
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What`s Ida...in NHM
The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo is Norway’s most comprehensible natural history collection. For almost 200 years, preserved plant specimens, animal specimens, rocks, minerals and fossils have been collected, studied and preserved here.
A selection of specimens are on display for the general public, in the Geological Museum and the Zoological Museum. Both are to be found in the beautiful Botanical Garden. Located at Tøyen in the east of Oslo city centre, the garden is not only popular for recreation, but is a scientific collection in itself.
Ida is the world’s oldest complete primate skeleton, and the most valuable object exhibited at The Natural History Museum of Oslo. She was bought by the museum in 2007, and presented to the world in 2009.
Ida fascinates us in several ways:
•The dramatic story about the unfortunate little girl, still with her milk teeth, who had a broken wrist, was poisoned, fell in the water, and drowned.
•The superb state of preservation of the fossil
•What the fossil can tell us about the evolutionary history of mankind
•The secrecy surrounding the fossil from the time it was found in 1983 until it became publicly known
•The meticulously planned launch, with a book, a made-for-TV documentary, a website, huge press conferences and correspondingly great media coverage
•The ensuing debate around the popularization of research
Through the summer of 2010, Ida can be seen as part of the exhibition ”Can We Forgive Darwin?” After that, she will be included in the museum’s permanent exhibitions....
A selection of specimens are on display for the general public, in the Geological Museum and the Zoological Museum. Both are to be found in the beautiful Botanical Garden. Located at Tøyen in the east of Oslo city centre, the garden is not only popular for recreation, but is a scientific collection in itself.
Ida is the world’s oldest complete primate skeleton, and the most valuable object exhibited at The Natural History Museum of Oslo. She was bought by the museum in 2007, and presented to the world in 2009.
Ida fascinates us in several ways:
•The dramatic story about the unfortunate little girl, still with her milk teeth, who had a broken wrist, was poisoned, fell in the water, and drowned.
•The superb state of preservation of the fossil
•What the fossil can tell us about the evolutionary history of mankind
•The secrecy surrounding the fossil from the time it was found in 1983 until it became publicly known
•The meticulously planned launch, with a book, a made-for-TV documentary, a website, huge press conferences and correspondingly great media coverage
•The ensuing debate around the popularization of research
Through the summer of 2010, Ida can be seen as part of the exhibition ”Can We Forgive Darwin?” After that, she will be included in the museum’s permanent exhibitions....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
into Portuguese Minds
Portuguese literature
Luís Vaz de Camões
The poet Luís Vaz de Camões or Luís Vaz Camoens (1524 - June 10, 1580) was the author of the epic poem The Lusiad. (In the Victorian era, he was both sufficiently admired and sufficiently obscure for Elizabeth Barrett Browning to disguise her work by entitling it Sonnets from the Portuguese, a reference to Camões).
The Portuguese national holiday, "Portugal's Day" or "Dia de Portugal, das Comunidades Portuguesas e de Camões" (Portugal's, Portuguese Communities' and Camoens' Day), is celebrated on June 10, the anniversary of Camões' death. It is a day of national pride similar to the "Independence Day" celebrated in other countries.
Eça de Queiroz
Eça de Queiroz (1845–1900) is a Portuguese novelist. Born in Póvoa de Varzim, near Oporto, he traveled throughout the world as a consul. He accepted an assignment to the consulate of Paris in 1888 and remained there until his death on August 16, 1900. The books he wrote in Paris are critical of Portuguese society. His most famous works include Os Maias (The Maias) (1878) , O Crime do Padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) (1876) and O Primo Bazilio (Cousin Basílio) (1878). Nicknamed the "Portuguese Zola," Eça was the founder of Portuguese Naturalism.
In 2002, the Mexican director Carlos Carrera made a motion picture, "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" ("The Crime of Father Amaro"), adapted from Queirós' novel. One of the most successful Mexican films in history, it was also controversial because of its depiction of Catholic priesthood.
Fernando Pessoa
Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) was a Portuguese poet. He used heteronyms, where he wrote in different styles as if he were more than one poet. One of his most famous works was an adaptation of the Lusiad called The Message (A Mensagem).
The Message discusses the Sebastianism and Portuguese prophecies, that were created and prophesized during the time of Camoes. The Portuguese await the return of the dead king on a foggy day - the return of National Me (Eu Nacional) that will take Portugal, once more, to govern the Fifth Empire.
Luís Vaz de Camões
The poet Luís Vaz de Camões or Luís Vaz Camoens (1524 - June 10, 1580) was the author of the epic poem The Lusiad. (In the Victorian era, he was both sufficiently admired and sufficiently obscure for Elizabeth Barrett Browning to disguise her work by entitling it Sonnets from the Portuguese, a reference to Camões).
The Portuguese national holiday, "Portugal's Day" or "Dia de Portugal, das Comunidades Portuguesas e de Camões" (Portugal's, Portuguese Communities' and Camoens' Day), is celebrated on June 10, the anniversary of Camões' death. It is a day of national pride similar to the "Independence Day" celebrated in other countries.
Eça de Queiroz
Eça de Queiroz (1845–1900) is a Portuguese novelist. Born in Póvoa de Varzim, near Oporto, he traveled throughout the world as a consul. He accepted an assignment to the consulate of Paris in 1888 and remained there until his death on August 16, 1900. The books he wrote in Paris are critical of Portuguese society. His most famous works include Os Maias (The Maias) (1878) , O Crime do Padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) (1876) and O Primo Bazilio (Cousin Basílio) (1878). Nicknamed the "Portuguese Zola," Eça was the founder of Portuguese Naturalism.
In 2002, the Mexican director Carlos Carrera made a motion picture, "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" ("The Crime of Father Amaro"), adapted from Queirós' novel. One of the most successful Mexican films in history, it was also controversial because of its depiction of Catholic priesthood.
Fernando Pessoa
Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) was a Portuguese poet. He used heteronyms, where he wrote in different styles as if he were more than one poet. One of his most famous works was an adaptation of the Lusiad called The Message (A Mensagem).
The Message discusses the Sebastianism and Portuguese prophecies, that were created and prophesized during the time of Camoes. The Portuguese await the return of the dead king on a foggy day - the return of National Me (Eu Nacional) that will take Portugal, once more, to govern the Fifth Empire.
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