L I T E R A T U R E

Lienīte Medne-Spāre (1956-2023) was an invaluable writer and editor for Jaunā Gaita. A collection of her short stories, Dziedošās smiltis (Singing Sand) was published in 2020. We offer the first chapter of a novel she was working on, Pēdējās durvis (The Final Door), before she was cruelly taken from us by ALS.

We offer selections of recent poems by contemporary poets Dainis Deigelis, Elīna Līce, Inga Pizāne and Elīna Smoļaka. Compositions in prose are from Evita Hofmane, Ramona Indriksone, Līga Rimša-Eglīte and Viks (Viktors Kalniņš).

Our literature editor Sandra Ratniece, working with a group of writers called “Tekstūra” offers a special section titled “Dzejas detektīvi” (Detectives of poetry). Laimdota Ločmele, a docent at the Center for Applied Linguistics at the University of Latvia, and Rolanda Bula, a practicing lawyer as well as a writer of detective stories, each give an overview of the detective genre in Latvian and world literature. Samples of poetry in this genre are given by Dainis Deigelis, Džonatans Melgalvis, Evelīna Mūrniece, Sandra Ratniece, Elīna Smoļaka, Leons Jūlijs Strupītis, Kristaps Vecgrāvis, and Andris Zeibots.
 

V I S U A L   A R T

Baiba Eglīte, art historian at the Global Center for Latvian Art in Cēsis, Latvia, introduces painter Paulis Postažs (1976). Samples of his work are displayed throughout this Issue, as well as on the cover.

T H E A T E R

Philologist and theater critic Atis Rozentāls describes a festival of amateur drama “Laipa” (“Footbridge”) in San Francisco in October. He writes that this year’s festival demonstrated a wide range of techniques and methods of production and direction, of which the Latvian diaspora can be proud. Many photographs illustrate the festival in scenes on stage as well as behind the scenes.

B O O K   R E V I E W S

Agija Ābiķe-Kondrāte reviews two books of poetry published this year:

Jānis Elsbergs’ Bez variantiem (No variants), and Ilmārs Šlāpins’ never.

Four novels are reviewed:

Ingus Barovskis: Kristīne Ulberga’s Zem kupola (Under the Dome),
Guntis Berelis: Vija Laganovska’s Viltus saules (False Suns),
Sanita Dāboliņa: Jānis Grants’ Luijs ar grabarku (Louis with the grabarka), and
Lāsma Gaitniece: Zigmars Liepiņš’ Mūzaīka (Musaic).

B R I E F L Y   N O T E D

Linda Treija highlights some of the important Latvian cultural events that have taken place since our last issue.

I N   M E M O R I A M

Aivars Eipurs bids farewell to poet Amanda Aizpuriete (1956-2023), Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe pays tribute to historian of literature Dzidra Vārdaune (1928-2023), and Dagnija Dreika to publisher Māra Englante (1950-2023).