Guest Writer : a few Moldovan writers by Ala Rosca and her students.

Romanian Writers

Emil Cioran (8 April 1911 – 20 June 1995) was a Romanian philosopher and essayist, who published works in both Romanian and French. His work has been noted for its pervasive philosophical pessimism, style, and aphorisms, frequently engaged with issues of decay, and nihilism. His works often depict an atmosphere of torment, a state that Cioran himself experienced, and came to be dominated by lyricism and, often, the expression of intense and even violent feelings. The books he wrote in Romanian especially display this latter characteristic. Preoccupied with the problems of death and suffering, he was attracted to the idea of suicide, believing it to be an idea that could help one go on living, an idea which he fully explored in On the Heights of Despair. He revisits suicide in depth in The New Gods, which contains a section of aphorisms devoted to the subject. The theme of human alienation, the most prominent existentialist theme, presented by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, is thus formulated, in 1932, by young Cioran: "Is it possible that existence is our exile and nothingness our home?" in On the Heights of Despair (an internationally acclaimed book). Other works of his include:

Cartea amăgirilor ("The Book of Delusions")

Schimbarea la față a României ("The Transfiguration of Romania")

Lacrimi și Sfinți ("Tears and Saints")

Îndreptar pătimaș ("The Passionate Handbook")

Ion Druţă, generally spelled "Ion Drutse" in English, (born September 3, 1928, Horodişte, Republic of Moldova) is a writer, poet, playwright, and literary historian, honorary member of the Romanian Academy, his works being centered around the village life. Some of his (literally translated) novels are:

Frunze de dor (“Longing Leaves”)

Povara bunătății noastre (“The Burden Of Our Goodness”)

Clopotnița (“The Belltower”)

Întoarcerea țărânii în pământ (“The Return Of The Dust To The Earth”)

Biserica Alba (“The White Church”)

Păsările tinereții noastre (“The Birds Of Our Youth”)

Lucian Blaga (9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator, and novelist. He was heavily inspired by Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Goethe, Plato, and his works are philosophical, fitting expressionism and modernism. Some of his most notable works are:

Poems of Light (Poemele luminii)

The Prophet's Footsteps (Pașii profetului)

In the Great Passage (În marea trecere)

In Praise of Sleep (Laudă somnului)

At the Watershed (La cumpăna apelor)

At the Courtyard of Yearning (La curțile dorului)

Unsuspected Steps (Nebănuitele trepte)

Mihai Eminescu (born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, and an active member of the Junimea literary society. Eminescu is considered the godfather of the modern Romanian language, in the same way that Shakespeare is seen to have directly influenced the English language. He is unanimously celebrated as the greatest and most representative Romanian poet.

His poems span a large range of themes, from nature and love to hate and social commentary. His childhood years were evoked in his later poetry with deep nostalgia.

Eminescu's poems have been translated into over 60 languages. His life, work, and poetry strongly influenced the Romanian culture and his poems are widely studied in Romanian public schools. Some of his most notable poems are:                                                                                                                    

De-as avea (“If I Had”), the first poem of Mihai Eminescu                                                                        

Ce-ti doresc eu tie, dulce Românie (“What I Wish You, Sweet Romania”)                                                            

Somnoroase păsărele (“Sleepy birds”)

Pe lângă plopii fără soț (“Nearby The Unparalleled Poplars”)

Lacul (“The Lake”)

Luceafărul (“The Vesper”)

Floare albastră (“Blue Flower”)

Dorința (“Desire”)

Sara pe deal (“Evening on the Hill”)

O, rămai (“Oh, Linger On”)