Jaunā Gaita nr. 309. vasara 2022

L I T E R A T U R E

Selections of recent poetry are by Velta Kaltiņa, Laima Martinskis, Džonatans Melgalvis, Aija Rozena, and Evelīna Šneidere.
Prose compositions are by Guntis Berelis, Viktors Kalniņš (pen name Viks), Rūta Mežavilka, and Dāvids Rubens.

 

V I S U A L    A R T

Art historian Dace Lamberga, curator of exhibits at the Latvian National Museum of Art, writes about the life and career of artist Leo Svemps (1897-1975), a member of the Riga Group of Artists. His paintings are displayed throughout this issue, including the cover.

 

H I S T O R Y

Historian Valdis Klišāns, author of many textbooks and chair of the Association of History Teachers in Rīga, explains how Ukraine, Russia and Belarus took shape from the Middle Ages to our times.

 

A B O U T    B O O K S

Sanita Dāboliņa looks at an ongoing literary renaissance of the short prose genre as exemplified in two books by Edvards Treimanis-Zvārgulis: 150 epitafu jeb kapuzrakstu (150 Epitaphs or Gravestone Inscriptions) and Sarkanā paradīze (Red Paradise).

Dāboliņa also reviews Valdis Rūmnieks’ biographical novel Sudrabiņš, the life and times of poet Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894-1975).

Kristīne Ilziņa declares that Inga Žolūde’s biography of writer and poet Jānis Poruks (1871-1911), titled Vendenes lotospuķe (Lotus Blossom of Wenden), written in the idiom of Poruks’ time, is a masterpiece.

Lāsma Gaitniece reviews Maija Migla-Streiča’s Nenopietni nopietnie TV aizkadri (Serious Fun Behind the Scenes on TV), a collection of brief stories and anecdotes about TV broadcasting in Latvia.

Līva Alksne recommends Par piemiņu. Minnas Freimanes ceļa apraksti. (Remembrance. Minna Freimane’s travelogues). Minna Freimane lived in the 19th century, travelling widely and expressing herself freely when it was not the norm for women to do so.

Anda Ogriņa reviews Osvald’s Zebris’ collection of short stories Šaubas (Doubt).

Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe reviews two books featuring combined text and graphics: Latvija – tik un tā (It’s Latvia – Anyway) by Petra Derkins and Aivars Eipurs, and Bonifacijs Tiknuss fotografē pirms pusgadsimta. (Bonifacijs Tiknuss Takes Pictures Half a Century Ago) by Andrejs Tiknuss, Ēriks Hānbergs, Voldemārs Hermanis.

Daukste-Silasproģe also shares a fragment from her soon-to-be-published monograph about Gunars Janovskis (1916-2000), a popular novelist in the Latvian exile community.

 

I N    M E M O R I A M

Guntis Berelis delivers a “Farewell Fantasy” for novelist Zigmunds Skujiņš (1926-2022).

L.U. Professor Emeritus Viesturs Vecgrāvis pays last respects to Doctor of Philology Dace Lūse (1949-2021), lecturer and researcher at the University of Latvia.

Historian Uldis Neiburgs briefly sums up the important contributions by Andrievs Ezergailis (1930-2022) to our understanding of the historical record of World War II.

We mourn the passing of a pillar of our editorial staff, poet and artist Voldemārs Avens (1924-2022).