OBSERVATOR CULTURAL - Spiritul critic in actiune

Lead article

 

Carmen Musat declares that irresponsibility and immorality have become so natural, that to tell the truth out loud about corruption at the baccalaureate exams appears to be an unimaginable affront.

 

Politics

 

Bedros Horasangian remarks that Romania’s post-electoral “unification” resembles Hillary and Obama’s post-primary “reconciliation.”
Ciprian Ciucu writes that this country’s antiquated educational system doesn’t meet present necessities.
Ciprian Stanescu points out that our elected representatives represent the country all too well. One has only to look at the national character flaws.

 

Event

 

The Observer inaugurates a series of interactive interviews in which a free wheeling on-line dialogue with a noted writer transforms itself into a structured interview with multiple questioners. Petru Cimpoesu is the first victim. “un cristian” conducts the proceedings.

 

Latest

 

Michael Shafir takes aim at the senatorial proposition that we be fed news in a 50/50 ratio, half bitter, half sweet. 
Dragos Ioan draws attention to the fact that the 50/50 law runs the risk of becoming completely inoperable or a joke.

 

Book reviews

 

Serban Axinte reads Dan Lungu’s Proza cu amanuntul (Piecemeal Prose, Iasi: Polirom, 2008).
Cezar Gheorghe looks at Nora Iuga’s translation from Paul Celan’s Trandafirul numanui / Die Niemandrose (Nobody’s Rose, Bucharest: Est Publishing, 2007).
Beatrice Lapadat revists Mircea Cartarescu’s Orbitor. Aripa dreapta (Orbitor: Right Wing, Bucharest: Humanitas, 2007).
Bianca Burta-Cernat presents Mihai Sin’s Marea miza (The Great Bet, Bucharest: Nemira, 2008).

 

Translating Cioran

 

Magda Jeanrenaud publishes the 2nd part of an essay on the French translation of Cioran’s early texts (Pe culmile disperarii / Sur les cimes du desespoir) first

translated by Andre Vornic and revisted by Christiane Fremond.

 

Supplement

 

The Observer celebrates French playwright Jean-Pierre Sarrazac, who visited Cluj for the radio premiere of his play, Cununia mortilor (The Marriage of the Dead). Eugenia Anca Rotescu translates the play and interviews Sarrazac.

 

International

 

Radu Jorgensen welcomes the 4th of July by revisiting American icons.
Iulia Popovici writes about the Moldova Camping theatre event in Berlin on June 17 and 18.

 

Restitutio Benjamin Fondane

 

The Observer publishes a 2nd excerpt from Benjamin Fondane’s Baudelaire si experienta abisului. Luiza Palanciuc and Mihai Sora sign the selections, the notes and the translation, all from Benjamin Fondane, Baudelaire et l’experience du gouffre, Paris, Editions Seghers, Collection “L’archipel,” 1972, pp. 11-21. The volume is to be issued by Limes Publishing.

 

Arts

 

Doru Mares presents the 16th International “Atelier” Theatre Festival, which ran in Baia Mare from June 15 through June 22.

 

Mihai Plamadeala goes to four events: the Saints Peter and Paul fair at the National Village Museum (June 27-29), the opening of the “Food that Brings Us Together” Hall at the Romanian Peasant’s Museum (June 29), the vernissage of the The Aesthetic of the Nude exhibit at the Gallery of Romanian Modern Art (June 26) and the opening of Contemporary Magyar Art at the Cotroceni National Museum (June 25). 

 

Music

 

Florin Sia takes a retrospective look at the British band James.
Anca Florea presents June’s musical offerings: pianist Alexandra Costin (June 6) and violinist Sherban Lupu (June 11) played solo concerta at Sala Radio, the Buchurest Philharmonic Orchestra played Mahler’s 6th symphony at the Athenaeum (June 26-27), the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra played two Intermezzos by Enescu and a Divertissment by Bartok at the Athenaeum (June 29), and the Belcea Quartet played Shubert and Beethoven at the Athenaeum (June 23).
Florian Baiculescu reviews the 2007-2008 musical year, which opened and closed with works by Gustav Mahler.

 

Football

 

Alexandru Hancu celebrates Spain’s winning the 2008 European Championship.