OBSERVATOR CULTURAL - Spiritul critic in actiune

Politics
Ciprian Ciucu cautions Prime Minister Tariceanu: Brussels will be particularly careful with the funds the EU offers new members.
Ciprian Stanescu writes that history will judge former President Iliescu.
Bedros Horasangian discusses the imprisonment of Generals Victor Atanasie Stanculescu and Mihai Chitac.
Ioana Paverman comments on the world economic crisis.

Latest
The Observer goes to the Frankfurt Book Fair which ran from October 15 though October 19. Iulia Dondorici, Cristian Cercel, Gabriela Adamesteanu sign the contributions. Carmen Musat interviews Norman Manea who, along with Gabriela Adamesteanu, represented Romania at the book fair.
The Observer discusses the merits and deficiencies of this year’s Nobel laureate, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio. Arina Petrovici, Fanny Chartres and Cezar Gheorghe weigh in.

Iulia Popovici and Doru Mares go to the Romanian Theatre Festival in Timisoara, from October 4 through October 12.
Cezar Gheorghe visits the European Parliament as part of a program whose purpose is to familiarize European citizens with the functioning of the institution.
Catalin Sturza reports on the Astra Film Fest in Poznan, which took place between October 15 and October 19.
Elena Vladeareanu participated with poets Adela Greceanu, Dan Sociu, Claudiu Komartin, Ida Borjel, Kajsa Sundin, Kristofer Flensmark and Malte Persson in a mutual translation project sponsored by the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm. The translation project included a reading tour at the Goteborg Book Fair, the Uppsala International Poetry Festival, the Biskops-Arno College and RCI in Stockholm. The project ran from September 25 through October 7.

Book reviews
Luminita Marcu comments on two Spanish translations: Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, Fragmente de Apocalipsa (Fragments of Apocalypses, translated by Mihai Iacob, Bucharest: Curtea Veche 2008,) and Juan Manuel de Prada Pasarici (Cons, translated by Mihai Iacob Bucharest: RAO 2007).
Bianca Burta-Cernat reads Ioana Nicolaie’s O pasare pe sirma (Bird on a Wire, Iasi: Polirom, 2008).
Florin Irimia discusses three eminently successful British novelists: David Lodge (Deaf Sentence, Harvill Secker, 2008), Ian McEwan (For You (Libretto), Vintage Books, 2008) and Salman Rushdie (The Enchantress of Florence, New York: Random House, 2008).

Fragments from a Forthcoming Publication
The Observer publishes an excerpt from Ruxandra Ivancescu’s Maranon sau Adevarata istorie a descoperirii Lumii Noi (Maranon or the True Story of the Discovery of the New World), soon to be published by Cartea Romaneasca.

International
Madalina Diaconu goes to “Viennese Design Week,” from October 2 through October 12.
The Observer publishes an interview with Marguerite Yourcenar. Eva Nikolaidou conducts the interview. The text comes from Mia evlaviki anamnisi (A Pious Memory, translated by Claudiu Sfirschi-Laudat Athens: Ellinika Grammata)..  

Arts

Film
Valerian Sava interviews actress Vanina Vignal.

 

Visual arts
Cosmin Ungureanu visits From the Embodiment of the Logos to Man’s Becoming God. (Post)Byzantine Icons from Greece, at the National Art Museum. The exhibit is on view from October 6 through January 15, 2009.
Mihai Plamadeala goes to El papel de la fotografia: Afal, Nueva Lente y Photo Vision at the National Museum of Contemporary Art Museum. The exhibition is on view from October 16.
Maria-Magdalena Crisan goes to Roman Tolici’s painting show at the National Museum of Contemporary Art. The show is on view from September 18 through November 30.

Music
Anca Florea goes to three concerts at the Mihail Jora Radio Hall: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 on October 3, a Vivaldi / Puccini program on October 8 and an evening with featured cellist Ioana Meier-Ostafi on October 14.
Florian Baiculescu comments on two concerts: Ravel at Sala Radio on October 17 and Sibelius at the Cantcauzino Palace on October 21.

 

Focus
Robert Diculescu and uncristian interview speleologist Alin Totorean, who traveled through Atacama Desert.