2018 Revival ARA Congress

ROMANIA AT THE GREATER UNION CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

 

Invited Speakers

Lucia Olaru Nenati

Writer, Poet, Journalist, and PhD in Literature, Botoșani, Romania

PRESENTATION: Consolidation through Culture of the Great Union

                           The Poet Mihai Eminescu and His Passion for Music

 

 

 

Lucia Olaru Nenati was born on 20 February, 1949 in Romania, and has lived her entire life in her home country.

 

Areas of Interest: Culture, museology, education, literature (poetry, prose, essays, children literature), literary history, literary criticism, translations, journalism, music.

 

Education: PhD in Romanian Literature, “Al. I. Cuza“ University, 2002; BA in Romanian and Latin, “Al. I. Cuza“ University; 1972, Graduate Certificate in Journalism, University of Chico, California, 1995.

 

Professional Experience: Member of the Professional Writers’ Union and of the Professional Journalists Union of Romania; former professor at the Teacher Training College of Botoșani of the “Al. I. Cuza“ University, Iași; former journalist and director of “Gazette of Botoșani“; former director of “Mihai Eminescu“ Drama Theater of Botoșani and coordinator of “Mihai Eminescu“ National Museum.

 

Literary Publications: Published 23 books of poetry, prose, essays, children literature, literary research, musical albums (1975-2008): Itineraries; The Never-ending Customs; The Shadow of Cassandra; Alone, My Self; The Apprenticeship of Gold and Red; Singing Shells, The Hidden Glass Case (online book, Equivalence Publishing House, Netherlands); The Ark of Leaves (poetry); Winding Roads; The Corridors between Clocks (prose); When a Lady Bird Falls Asleep; Little Boys – Little Bells, Little Girls – Little Lights (children literature); From the Music of Poetry to the Poetry of Music (essay) accompanied by the musical audiocassette The Songs of Eminescu (a first reconstruction of the songs sung by the national poet Mihai Eminescu more than a century ago); Longing for Eminescu (musical album); George Voevidca, life and creation; Septentrional Arcades, Publishing house of Romanian Academy (literary research).

 

More than 3,000 articles, literary pieces, studies, interviews, chronicles, published in Romania and abroad. More than 35 anthologies and collective books.

 

Summary of Critical Interpretation: Many literary critics and writers cited and commented on Lucia Olaru Nenati’s work in journals, dictionaries and books of literary history and criticism. Among the essential characteristics of her work, they emphasized the profoundness and harmony of her poetry, the balance between classic and modern expression, archetypal themes, the prosodic virtuosity of her poetry, and her prose ability of catching both the general human features and significant details, and of creating memorable characters and unforgettable situations, in a captivating style. Her children literature is appreciated for its beauty, ingenuity, and educative virtues, while her essays and literary criticism are praised for their novelty, and her musical album for her surprising voice.

 

Prizes and Awards: Over 50 prizes, awards, orders, medals, honors and excellence diplomas at literary national contests, literary salons, and other occasions among which: Prize II at the National Literary Contest, 1976; The Cultural Merit Order, 1984; The Memorial Medal “150 years anniversary since Mihai Eminescu’s birth“ through the Decree of the president of Romania for “outstanding contribution to the promotion of Eminescu’s work“, 2000; Premiul Uniunii Scriitorilor din Romania /Prize of the Writers’ Union of Romania, 2008; other honors and distinctions for several literary genders, for literary criticism of Eminescu’s work, for musical interpretation and for the promotion of the Romanian culture in the world.

Biographical reference in several dictionaries and publications such as Who’s Who of Cambridge: Dictionary of International Biography, 27-th edition, Outstanding People of Twentieth Century, edited by International Biographical Center, 1999.

Abstract of the talk:

 

Consolidation through Culture of the Great Union

 

Lucia Olaru Nenati

Writer, Poet, Journalist, and PhD in Literature,

Botoșani, Romania

londimitrie@yahoo.com

 

Abstract: As we are in the Centenary Year of the Great Union of 1918, the author seeks to bring into light the phenomena of the spiritual life of that hot and fast period of our national destiny as it took place in a corner of the country of less visibility. The presentation will bring forward an almost unknown set of information about how the intellectuals and writers from Northern Moldova contributed to the consolidation through culture to the Great Union of 1918. This manifested itself by the publishing of several cultural magazines, which appeared, some before the Union, such as Junimea literară (The Literary Youth) in Cernăuţi, others immediately after the Union, Junimea Moldovei de Nord (The Youth of North Moldavia) on January 5, 1919, followed by Revista Moldovei (The Moldavian Magazine), which appeared in Botoşani until 1927. All these were solid publications that had a great spread. Emphasize will be placed on the activity of culture people who propagated, right after the Great Union of 1918, a special energetic climate, a true cultural focus and national consciousness, animated by the ideal of consolidation through culture and spirituality of the territorial union. Gathering around them cultural forces from all over the united North of Romania, from the historic Bucovina and from Bessarabia, they maintained spiritual and communication ties with the cultural environment of the whole country, in a conscious synchronizing effort based on their strong belief that “what war conquered must defend the culture“.

 

Keywords: union through culture, Great Union of 1918, intellectuals of Northern Romania, “Junimea“, magazines, synchronization

 

 

 

Abstract of the talk:

 

The Poet Mihai Eminescu and His Passion for Music

 

Lucia Olaru Nenati

Writer, Poet, Journalist, and PhD in Literature,

Botoșani, Romania

londimitrie@yahoo.com

 

Abstract: Being a poet, a singer, a PhD in Philology, and a researcher of the national Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu’s work, Lucia Olaru Nenati demonstrates in her book “Eminescu. De la muzica poeziei la poezia muzicii“ (“Eminescu. From The Music Of The Poetry To The Poetry Of The Music“) as well as in this presentation, the deep and metaphysical relationship between the great poet and Romanian folklore. She reconstructs for the first time the poet’s facet as interpreter of ancient Romanian folk songs on her CD “Cântecele lui Eminescu“ (“Eminescu’s Songs“). In this book and on this album, Lucia Olaru Nenati reinforces the theme of a series of conferences she held in a tour through Canada, the United States, Germany, France and other countries. In these conferences-shows she performed live, singing the songs Eminescu himself made, thus proving the depth of the relationship between our great poet and the complexity of Romanian folklore.

 

Keywords: Lucia Olaru Nenati, Eminescu, music, poetry, Romanian folklore