Jaunā Gaita nr. 233, jūnijs 2003
JG 233
Benita Veisberga continues her literary musings on man's attachment to the land. Her thoughts, provoked by watching the week-long removal of a eucalyptus tree, drift away from her present life in California. In an unending flow of sensations and memories, the author considers the fates of Latvians and Chechens, recalls birch trees and the comfort of a well-tended family graveyard, then returns to be present at this final farewell to a tree.
Ingrīda Bulmane interviews Māris Sirmais, conductor of Kamēr, a Latvian choral group, well-known all over Europe, where they have received 51 international prizes. In 2002, they participated in the XI Latvian Song Festival in Chicago.
Gundars Pļavkalns contributes an in-depth review of Anatols Imermanis' (1914-1998) eccentric autobiographical book Five Arrests and Five Bare Lassies, published after the author's death. Born into a secular Jewish family, he joined the Communist Party, was jailed by Ulmanis' regime, fought in the Soviet Army in World War II, and gained some popularity as a writer in Latvia under the Soviets. However, by 1985 he was already calling for an independent Latvian state.
Rolfs Ekmanis surveys the development of comparative literature in Latvian scholarship since the Russian takeover in 1940, devoting a large part of his article to the latest contribution in this field - Dr. Arno Jundze's Finnish Literature in Latvia, 1885-2001 (2002).
Maruta Voitkus-Lūkina compares the imagery and customs of the Australian aborigines to the folkways depicted in traditional Latvian folksongs, while Ilona Salceviča continues her survey of Latgallian literature, concentrating on the postmodernist period.
Juris Žagariņš has compiled the results of an internet debate about the wisdom of Latvia's official support of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which was done, allegedly, to disarm Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction.
The poetry in this issue is by Uldis Bērziņš, Marta Landmane, Māris Melgalvs, and Edmunds Rusovs. The latter's rhymed survey of literary works by Latvian exiles contributes a unique touch to the book review section, which looks at seven recent publications. Inta Ezergaile (Cornell University) evaluates Valdemārs Avens' I Shall Call You the Day After Tomorrow, notable for its wit and irony, as well as for the author's own illustrations. Juris Silenieks (Carnegie-Mellon U.) reviews Indra Gubiņa's novel Duty is Not Love, set in the Latvian community in Toronto, while Astra Roze considers Aina Zemdega's serious novel, Inheritance, which focuses on problems, both psychological and practical, facing former exiles returning to live in Latvia. Juris Silenieks discusses Sven Birkerts' autobiographical English-language collection My Sky Blue Trades. Birkerts, an internationally recognized literary/cultural critic in his younger years rejected his Latvian heritage and middle class values in general and had a very tense relationship with his father Gunars Birkerts, a highly acclaimed architect. The Baltics: A New Perspective, edited by Jānis Krēsliņš, jun. et al (2002) published in Latvian and, recently, in Swedish as well, will shortly appear also in English. It is a major work according to Gundars Ķeniņš-King (Pacific Lutheran U.), dealing with military, political, and economic aspects of this region. Rolfs Ekmanis, likewise, highly recommends the varied essays in the last issue of Letonica, edited by Elita Grosmane and published under the auspices of the University of Latvia's Institute of Literature, Folklore and the Arts. Finally, Juris Neimanis (Niagara U.) is quite positive concerning Gundars Ķeniņš-King's Hand in Hand - Faster, Higher, Stronger! (2002) dealing with business theory and management, and intended largely for new entrepreneurs in Latvia.
Laimonis Mieriņš writes about the brutally hypnotic Aztec art exhibit at the Royal Academy in London, while Sarma Muižniece-Liepiņa surveys the iron-and-steel welded constructions by Gints Grīnbergs. Vilnis Auziņš, Head of Latvia's Photography Museum in Riga, describes the work of two outstanding Latvian-born art photographers, Helēna Hofmane and Dace Marga. Art photography is also represented by Gunārs Janaitis. The color reproductions are by two Latvian artists, Lidija Dombrovska-Larsen and Vitauts Sīmanis. The cover design is also by Sīmanis.
Juris Zommers
