Jaunā Gaita nr. 295. ziema 2018

JG 295

L I T E R A T U R E

In the realm of belles-lettres we offer short stories by Nora Ikstena, Vladis Spāre, Evita Hofmane, Patrīcija Kuzmina and Inguna Bauere; poetry by Tomas Venclova (translated from Lithuanian by Jānis Elsbergs), Ingmāra Balode and Elvīra Bloma.

 

V I S U A L   A R T

We feature the art of Imants Tillers, an Australian with Latvian roots, as seen in an exhibition titled “Journey to Nowhere” at the Latvian National Museum of Art in Rīga last summer. Art historian Elita Ansone, organizer of the exhibition, comments on the career and emerging global importance of Tillers. Many images of his work are displayed throughout this issue, including the cover.

Vilnis Auziņš, a practitioner and historian of the art of photography, comments on “Processes and Happenings” in recent exhibits and publications in Latvia.

Art historian Pēteris Korsaks shares a short piece by Latvian artist Osvalds Rožkalns (1910-1989) taken from a 1945 publication in a WWII POW camp. It tells of an encounter with the famous Rīga barefoot excentric pastel artist Voldemārs Irbe (1903-1941), better known as Irbīte.

 

M U S I C

Music editor Dace Aperāne interviews composer Andris Dzenītis about his symphonic composition Māra, which has recently been performed by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, Rīga and Liepāja, as well as by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston, all under the direction of Andris Nelsons.

 

A C T U A L I T I E S

Independent journalist Otto Ozols comments on the outcome of the October 6 parliamentary elections in Latvia. A systemic inability to form a strong coalition has been reasserted while experienced politicians have been ousted in favor of “new faces”.

 

H I S T O R Y

Juris Šlesers’ essay “Relentless Underminers” tells the story of the Baltic Appeal to the United Nations (BATUN), as described in Sirje Okas Ainso, The Story of BATUN. For 25 years (1966-1991) BATUN worked to undermine, in the eyes of the world community of nations, any claim to legitimacy for the 1940 Soviet occupation of the Baltic States.

Exerpts from a book by Andrejs Eglītis, A Man from Latvia, tell the story of one man's resourceful escape from arrest and deportation in the early days of the Soviet occupation of Latvia.

Valters Nollendorfs, one of the founders of JG 65 years ago and its first editor-in-chief, comments on his role in publishing emigré counter-culture writer Valdis Zeps’ novel Ķēves dēls Kurbads (1959), and shares some exerpts from an unpublished English translation, Hungerwhere, Son of Mare.

B O O K   R E V I E W S

Bārbala Simsone evaluates the results of a project initiated in 2011by writer Gundega Repše, for a series of historical novels set in the 20th century. The publisher Dienas Grāmata has now concluded the series. It contains 13 volumes by different authors, each with a unique point of view.

Sandra Ratniece reviews Idille (Idyll), the latest book of poetry from Uldis Bērziņš.

Lāsma Gaitniece reviews two books: Sievietes karā. Noklusētās vēstures liecības a Latvian translation of Svetlana Aleksievich’s  The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II and Otomārs Kalpiņš’ Sāļumā. Ragaciema jūras karaļa stāsts (In the Salt. The Story of the Sea King of Ragaciems), an autobiography.

B R I E F L Y   N O T E D

News shorts include In memoriam, awards, recent publications, cultural events and miscellaneous.