miercuri, 31 decembrie 2014

INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES


CLH – A MEGALITHIC PROJECT BETWEEN TODAY AND TOMORROW

by Daniel Dragomirescu
General editor of CLH

  As always, in these special times, we are thinking of you, our dear friends, with gratitude. By your presence, solidarity and active participation, our editorial team was able, this year, to continue its important and complex task in better conditions and to have better results. In the main, 2014 meant for CLH: 6 new issues (from no. 39 to 44); new contributors and readers from all over the world; the 4th “Intercultural Spring”, an annual literary, artistic and editorial event, organized by CLH in Bucharest since 2010; and a closer relationship between the journal and the University of Bucharest, as represented by Prof. Lidia Vianu and her MTCN, on the one hand, and by Monica Manolachi and her colleagues, students and translators, on the other hand. An important achievement of the year now ending was starting the project “Bibliotheca Universalis”, a collection of bilingual and multilingual books (poetry, prose, essays) by authors and contributors from all over the world of our international journal. In “Aula Magna” and “Ex Aequo”, the two series of “Bibliotheca Universalis”, are included over 50 poets, novelists and essayists: Neil Leadbeater, Douglas Lipton, Martin Bates, Katherine Gallagher, Mike Bannister, Paul Sutherland, Sally Evans, Morelle Smith, Peter Thabit Jones (United Kingdom), Alex Kudera, Burt Rashbaum, Peggy Landsman, Donald Riggs, John Tischer, Stephanie Branson (United States), Donald Adamson (Finland), Sonia Kilvington (Cyprus), Raymond Walden (Germany), Luís Ángel Marín Ibáñez, Maria Isabel Guerra García, Antonio Arroyo Silva, Aquiles García Brito, Felix Martin Arencibia, Juana Castillo Escobar, Anna Rossell, Rocio Espinosa Herrera, Rosario Valcárcel (Spain), Edith Lomovasky (Israel), Calogero Restivo, Ettore Fobo, Claudio Sottocornola (Italy), Jean Taillabresse (France), Natalia Canais Nuno (Portugal), Peter de Rijk, Albert Hagenaars (The Netherlands), Marina Centeno (Mexico), Luis Benitez, Martin Sosa Cameron (Argentina), Andrés Morales, Theodoro Elssaca, Astrid Fugellie, Carmen Troncoso (Chile), Dante Gatto, Oziella Inocêncio, Gilvaldo Quinzeiro (Brazil), Masud Khan (Bangladesh-Canada), Abiola Olatunde (Nigeria), Chokri Omri (Tunisia), Mihai Cantuniari (Romania), Traianus Vasilcău (Moldova Republic), and others. About 20 of these authors are already published in the series, or are ready to be published soon. In United Kingdom, Spain, Finland or Uruguay, these bilingual books were received with interest and consideration. If the goal of mediaeval scholar, Conrad Gessner, initiator and author of a “Bibliotheca Universalis” (1545 – 1549), was an alphabetical bibliography “that listed all the known books printed in Latin, Greek or Hebrew” (cf. Wikipedia), our project is more comprehensive from all points of view.    
  In 2015, the editorial team of CLH will continue to grow, and to add new and positive achievements to its intercultural reputation. It was not easy, in 2008-2009, to start from scratch such a megalithic work, and it is not easy even now, but with the solidarity of our contributors and friends, and constantly directed by our belief that what we have to do together is a good and useful contribution to local and global contemporary culture, we have a real chance always to be more valuable and more appreciated for what we have done - as well as for what we will do. In this New Year, we want to offer to our readers new and better issues of CLH.  We will continue to promote interesting authors from different countries of the world in order to reconfirm and to sustain our goal regarding a cultural unity in diversity. Our multilingual versions will be more accurate. Similarly, the editorial and the graphic layout of the journal will be better. In April 2015, there will be a new “Intercultural Spring”, organized by CLH in collaboration with the National Museum of Romanian Literature in Bucharest. If this goes to plan, it will be a good opportunity to present a number of books from “Bibliotheca Universalis” with the direct participation of some of the authors. Doubtless there are valuable books and talented writers, who must become better known by our public, our cultural institutions and publishing houses.
  We cannot conclude this short presentation, without expressing once again our gratitude to our contributors and friends from the EU, US, Latin America, India, and Africa - these brave promoters of our intercultural project. Special thanks to our translators from the University of Bucharest and from all over the world! From editorial reasons, their names are not mentioned here, but will be all included, in alphabetical order, in CLH 6 (44)/ 2014, in a place of honour. For all our friends, contributors, authors and readers, we have this cordial and very special greeting: Happy New Intercultural Year 2015! Together we are a force able to bring the entire world together in a journal, in a library, in a global intercultural project.

  Bucharest, 2014          
Proofreaders: John Tischer (Mexico),
Douglas Lipton (UK), Adela Catană (Romania)

miercuri, 17 decembrie 2014

INTERCULTURAL DEBUTS: MARIA LINDSTROM (FINLAND-SWEDEN-SWITZERLAND)


BALANCING

balancing
balancing between self improvement and self acceptance
searching peace by trying to belittle the ego
going from achievement to achievement,
but realizing it's as fragile as a tower of lego.

the darkness never leaves -it's always near
and it's a pulling kind, with promises of bliss within
it is seducing, urging me to jump and dive in
assuring it will bring an end to my fear.

balancing
to stay in the light
the darkness grows towards the night
in the morning hours it's at its strongest
and those morning hours are the longest.

off the alarm clock goes
I wish it'd rather decompose
but it's an angel in disguise
a life saving device
it's a new day -and the balancing act shall recommence.

BALANSERAR

balanserar
strävar till självförbättring och mänsklig galans
men vore nöjd med enbart en smula självaktning
söker istället själsbalans
med krympt ego, i buddhistisk tappning.

åtnjuter framgång bland eliten
men succén känns färdigt utsliten
och stärker endast min känsla av
att återigen måsta höja mina krav.

mörkret försvinner aldrig -det är alltid nära, ivrigt
det är sugande i sin presens, med löften om sällhet nu och för evigt
mörkret lockar mig, uppmanar mig att dyka in
lovar göra slut på min rädsla och vardagens pin.

balanserar
vill stanna kvar i ljuset
mörkret växer an efter som natten lider
uppslukar sovrummet, snart hela huset
under morgonnattens timmar varje vakna själ kvider.

väckarklockans ljud
gör slut på dygnets plågsammaste del
räddad av en ängel -eller  Lucia i vit skrud
mörkret fick denna gång ingen själ
väckarklockan överröstar dess avgrundsvrål
en ny dag gryr -och balansakten fortgår.

CUlTURAL PROFILE

  Maria Lindström is a Swedish speaking Finn, born in 1969, Helsinki. She has lived in Switzerland for 15 years. She holds an MA in Pharmacy and made her career in drug development. Maria has written short stories and poems ever since she was 5-years old, and now, 40 years later, she is inspired to continue expressing her artistic talents. She has decided to follow her passion, rather than a financially secure corporate path.
  CLH warmly recommends her to his readers.  

PROFIL CULTURAL

  Maria Lindstrom este o finlandeză vorbitoare de suedeză, născută la Helsinki în anul 1969. Este stabilită în Eleveţia de 15 ani. Este licenţiată în farmaceutică. A început să scrie povestiri şi poezii din copilărie, iar întâlnirea cu CLH a determinat-o să îşi exprime în continuare talentul literar. A decis să-şi urmeze pasiunea pentru scris mai degrabă decât să aibă o situaţie financiară asigurată ca funcţionară într-o corporaţie.
  Revista noastră o recomandă în mod călduros pe această autoare pasionată de literatură şi artă cititorilor săi.

vineri, 5 decembrie 2014

CLH 6 (44) / NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014


CONTENTS

EDITORIAL 
Daniel Dragomirescu, CLH, a Mergalithic Project  between Today and Tomorrow

ORIZONTURI POETICE
Marina Centeno (Mexic)
Sally Evans (Scoţia)
Neil Leadbeater (Scoţia)
Katherine Gallagher (Anglia-Australia)
Sonia Kilvington (Cipru)
Carla Delmiglio (Italia)
Michela Zanarella (Italia)
Ettore Fobo (Italia)
Jean Taillabresse (Franţa)
José Kozer (Cuba - Statele Unite)
Alina Velazco (Mexic)
Ricardo José Aburto Ramirez (Chile)
Anna Francisca Rodas Iglesias (Columbia)
Masud Khan (Canada-Bangladesh)

DEBUTURI INTERCULTURALE
Felix Nicolau (România)
Maria Lindstrom (Elveţia-Finlanda)
Aleisa Ribalta (Cuba - Suedia)

ORIZONTURI ALE PROZEI
Alex Kudera (Statele Unite),  A Poor Man’s Christmas
Vasile S. Popa (România), Noiembrie de moarte
Alsira Monforte (Spania), Eterno
Manuel Ameneiros (Mexic), Noche
Ronnie Smith (Scoţia-România), Bus Stop

INTERVIURI INTERCULTURALE
Daniel Dragomirescu (Uniunea Europeană) - John Tischer (Mexic-Statele Unite)
Adela Catană (Uniunea Europeană) – Azade Seihan (Statele Unite)
Horia Roman Patapievici, O idee care suceşte minţile

ORIZONTURI CRITICE
Raymond Walden (Germania), Carpe diem
Ludvig Holmdahl (Suedia), Some Thoughts
Alan Gomes (Brazilia), A Mulher negra brasileira
Tatiana Rădulescu (România), Sculptorul Constantin Sinescu
Ştefan Ciobanu (România), Translating Eminescu
Gilvaldo Quinzeiro (Brazilia), Os Sonhos e os desertos

INDEX 2014

TRADUCERI
Mădălina Bănucu, Elena Nistor,  Ioana Săbău, Felix Nicolau, Raluca Tănăsescu, Chris Tănăsescu, Ileana Oancea, Cristina-Alexandra  Drăgoi, Izabela-Elvira Vaţe, Maria Lindstrom (Elevţia-Finlanda), Adela Catană, Tatiana Rădulescu, Monica Manolachi, Monica Dragomirescu, Radu-Andrei-Radu Bîrsan


CLH – A JOURNAL
FOR VALUABLE READERS
HLC – UNA REVISTA
PARA LECTORES DE VALOR

luni, 1 decembrie 2014

INTERCULTURAL HORIZONS: KATHERINE GALLAGHER (AUSTRALIA - UNITED KINGDOM)


THE YEAR OF THE TREE

I carried a tree
through the Underground.

It was hard. At first,
people scarcely noticed me

and the oak I was lugging
along the platforms –

heavier than a suitcase
and difficult to balance.

We threaded through corridors,
changing lines: up and down stairs,

escalators, and for a moment
I imagined everyone on the planet

taking turns
to carry a tree as daily rite.

A few people asked
Why a tree?

I said it was for my own
edification –

a tree always
has something to teach.


ANUL COPACULUI

Purtam un copac
prin staţii de metrou.

Era destul de greu. La început,
lumea nu prea ne-a observat, pe mine

şi stejarul pe care îl târam
de-a lungul, pe peroane –

mai greu decât valiza
şi fără echilibru.

Treceam cu greu pe coridoare,
ca să schimbăm traseul: în sus şi-n jos,

pe scări rulante, şi pentru-o clipă
am crezut că toţi de pe planetă

făceau cu rândul
să plimbe un copac, ca ritual de fiecare zi.

Unii m-au întrebat
De ce un copac?

Le-am spus că pentru propria-mi
izbăvire –

întotdeauna de la un copac
avem ceva de învăţat.

(din volumul Anul copacului, în pregătire
pentru colecţia “Biblioteca universală”)

(from the book The Year of the Tree, "Bibliotheca Universalis")

CULTURAL PROFILE
  Katherine Gallagher was born in Maldon, Victoria (Australia), graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1963 and taught in Melbourne for five years before moving to Europe, living first in London and then in Paris for nine years. In 1979 she moved back to London, working as a secondary teacher and after 1990, as a poetry tutor for the Open College of the Arts, Jackson's Lane, Barnet College and Torriano, London. During this time she co-edited Poetry London as well as working extensively with primary school children. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Writing in Education.
  In 1978, she was awarded a Writer's Fellowship from the Literature Board, Australia Council, and in 1981, she won the Brisbane Warana Poetry Prize. Her book Passengers to the City (Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1985) was shortlisted for the John Bray National Poetry Award. She also writes children's poetry and many of her children's poems have appeared in anthologies. In 1994, her translation from French of Jean-Jacques Celly's poems, The Sleepwalker with Eyes of Clay introduced by Peter Florence, was published by Forest Books, London. In 2000, she was awarded a Royal Literary Fund Award.
  From 2002-8, she was Education Officer for Writers Inc. and was Writer in Residence at Railway Fields Nature Reserve, Harringay, London, July-October, 2002.
  Widely-published, London-based Katherine Gallagher has five full collections of poetry, including Tigers on the Silk Road (Arc Publications, 2000), Circus-Apprentice (Arc Publications, 2006) and Carnival Edge:New & Selected Poems (Arc Publications, 2010)
  Katherine Gallagher is a honorary contributor of CLH since 2009.

PROFIL CULTURAL
  Katherine Gallagher (născută în oraşul Maldon din Australia) este licenţiată a Universităţii din Melbourne (1963) şi a fost profesoară timp de cinci ani în acest oraş, înainte de a veni în Europa, mai întâi la Londra, apoi la Paris, unde a rămas timp de nouă ani. În 1979 a revenit la Londra, activând ca profesor secundar, iar după 1990, ca îndrumător de creaţie poetică pentru Open College of the Arts, Jackson's Lane, Barnet College şi Torriano. În acest timp, a fost şi redactor adjunct al revistei “Poetry London”, în paralel cu activitatea didactică. În prezent este membră a Consiliului Editorial pentru Scrierile Educative.
  În 1978 a fost premiată cu Writer's Fellowship din partea Comitetului pentru Literatură al Australia Council, iar în 1981 a obţinut Brisbane Warana Poetry Prize (Premiul pentru Poezie Warana din Brisbane). Cartea sa Passengers to the City (Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1985) a fost nominalizată la John Bray National Poetry Award (Premiul Naţional de Poezie “John Bray”). Scrie de asemenea poezie pentru cei mici şi multe dintre aceste poezii i s-au publicat în antologii. În 1994 a tradus din limba franceză cartea lui Jean-Jacques Celly, The Sleepwalker with Eyes of Clay (versuri), cu o introducere de Peter Florence, cartea fiind publicată la Editura Forest Books din Londra. În anul 2000 a fost distinsă cu Royal Literary Fund Award (Premiul Fondului Literar Regal).      
  Publicată pe larg, Katherine Gallagher este autoarea volumelor de versuri Tigers on the Silk Road (Arc Publications, 2000), Circus-Apprentice (Arc Publications, 2006) and Carnival Edge:New & Selected Poems (Arc Publications, 2010).
  Katherine Gallagher este colaboratoare onorifică a revistei “Orizont literar contemporan” din anul 2009.

Traducere de Elena Nistor