Tomas Venclova — a poet, literary critic, translator, and a professor at Yale University—occupies a paradoxical place in Lithuanian literature: he is a noticeably distant (both in time and in space) and an extremely influential poet at the same time. Several generations learned from Venclova’s precise poetics and his broad, concrete lexicon. Born in 1937, […]
Tomas Venclova: Intimate, Distant Poetry Read More »
The Process of Beatification About the last portion of her life, we know very little. Many witnesses were killed, others, perhaps the most important, died soon after the war. Besides, it was all kept quiet. Back then – a skating rink. Four children smuggled out in garbage dumpsters (there were two hundred in all). In
Sara Poisson is the pseudonym of the author of ten books of poetry, prose, and essays. She is, however, lingering in the margins of the prose field: her books do not make it to Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore vote for the most creative “twelve” and it was only once, in 2005, that her
Sara Poisson: A Rebel from the Province Read More »
The Beauty Machine And hearing the wind Rush rustling through these bushes, I pit its speech against infinite silence -Giacomo Leopardi A curled pink snout with two warmth- and life-signaling openings, blue eyes rimmed in a soft ring of eyelashes. Spoon-like ears that remind one of the fuzzy heads of
Aušra Kaziliūnaitė (b. 1987) is a name well known in Lithuanian literature. The poet, who is also a doctoral student of philosophy and a human rights activist, has so far published three books of poetry: Pirmoji lietuviška knyga (2007; The First Lithuanian Book), 20% koncentracijos stovykla (2009; 20% Concentration Camp), and Mėnulis yra tabletė (2014; The Moon Is a Pill). She
Esu aptrupėjusios sienos: About Landmarks, Paradoxes, and Expanses Read More »
VILNIUS—DOES IT EXIST? Inspired by “To Go to Lvov” by Adam Zagayewski When I walk the streets of Vilnius I search for daydreams for what’s no longer not for Proust’s madeleines but for my mother in her blue polka-dot dress making strawberry jam in the kitchen I’m tasting the pink foam from a spoon. Windows
My mother went to school in Vilnius in the 1950s and 1960s. Based on her memories and the stories she tells me, it was the happiest time of her life. Although early years were marked by post-war bleakness, in high school she wore indecently short skirts, swung her hips to the rolling rhythms of Paul
Multiple Unbelongings Read More »
Range The world’s largest living thing is a fungus. It lives in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. The Armillaria ostoyae specimen takes up over 2,000 acres. Most Baltic peoples cannot resist wild mushrooms with rye bread and butter. It is a nourishing staple, a fulfilling meal from the forest—a reward for hunting and gathering them. 1. We
Lina Ramona Vitkauskas Read More »
nine lives everybody has already died –César Vallejo they’re all alive. my neighbor Pranas is alive. he used to slaughter animals for us. he shared a horse with my parents. my father joked about how we
Vytautas Stankus is a contemporary Lithuanian poet who gives some of the most frequent readings and attracts some of the largest audiences at those readings. This poet and translator, who was also a school teacher for a while, works at Versus Aureus Publishers at present. His first poetry book Vaikščiojimas kita ledo puse (Walking on the Other
Trying to Throw a Paper Butterfly Across the River Read More »
