Nova Istra
Eurozine
Nova Istra
2006-01-23
Summary for Nova Istra 4/2005
Apart from the new fiction by young Croatian writer Ivana Sojat, we present the high-quality translation section as usual. This time it contains the allegorical-parodic fiction "Eternal Gide" by Aleksander Wat, the famous Polish writer, somehow neglected today, and creator of futurism in his country's literature; fragments from the novel Todo el amor en sus ojos by Diego Muņoz Valenzuela, a Chilean middle-generation author; a selection of poetry by Leons Briedis, a well-established poet in Latvian literature; and stories by young Danish author Naja Marie Aidt, who is already recognized internationally.
The literary essay deals with the phenomenon of the funny and comical in Croatian dialectological chakavian poetry, referring to the bard of this type of poetry, Zoran Kompanjet.
The section with philosophical contents includes "Angel and demon" (The necessary angel), a study written by Massimo Cacciari, the famous Italian author and engaged intellectual; and a comprehensive study on Hugo Ball, the German writer and intellectual, who is better known as an avant-garde poet than a religious writer, as he is presented in this issue. After being published in English ("Overcoming the West? -- The errors of Occidentalism") as well as translated into other languages, Prevladavanje Zapada? -- zablude okcidentalizma by Zarko Paic, a young Croatian philosopher, is now published in Croatian for the first time.
Some 60 years have passed since the terrible destruction caused by the bombing of Pula during and at the end of the Second World War -- upon the capitulation of fascist Italy, the town, having been an extremely important strategic point, arsenal, and port, was governed by the German Nazis. This comprehensive study also includes some documentary photos dating from that period and kept in the holdings of the Istrian Historical Museum of Pula.
The native region section brings a very inspiring text about some facts, still scientifically unconfirmed, which take into account the first centuries of the Slavic settling (mostly the Croats) in the regions that are currently the most western Slavic regions in Europe. The text is signed by a young historian from Pula and based on the document known as Rizanski placit (804).
In this issue, the literary reviews consider contemporary Croatian literature in addition to the more recent Croatian translations of the following authors: Mircea Eliade, Robertson Davies, Pawel Huelle, Rui Nuņes, Pedro Juan Gutierrez, Frederic Beigbeder, Kveta Legatova, Mikael Niemi, Monika Ali, etc.
The photos taken by Predrag Jankovic from Podgorica (Montenegro) are displayed in the Journal Exhibition this time.
Translation: R.S.