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The Literature of the Romanian Exile

Course Code: MR512 • Study year: II • Academic Year: 2022-2023
Domain: Philology - Masters • Field of study: Romanian literature and culture in European context
Type of course: Compulsory
Language of instruction: Romanian
Erasmus Language of instruction: English, French
Name of lecturer: Maria Georgeta Orian
Seminar tutor: Maria Georgeta Orian
Form of education Full-time
Form of instruction: Lecture
Number of teaching hours per semester: 56
Number of teaching hours per week: 4
Semester: Autumn
Form of receiving a credit for a course: Grade
Number of ECTS credits allocated 7

Course aims:

to include the most important moments of the Romanian literary exile, in chronological evolution, within European culture into a coherent structure
to practice close reading
to write a synthesis essay on the most important Romanian writers in Exile

Course Entry Requirements:

It is preferable for the student to have attended the courses of the six semesters of Romanian Literature, Culture and Civilization (Bachelor's degree)

Course contents:

1. General overview of The Romanian Exile after World War II: problems regarding the terminology; special cases boundaries. Fundamental problems of literary exile: cultural identity, adapting problems (changing languages, literary productivity, aesthetic strategy, the type of reader, the ethical significance in the literature).

2. „Waves” of exile (periodization); regions; "Exile groups". Associations, magazines, publishing houses, cultural communication in exile. General overview of Romanian press in exile.

3. „Exile before exile”: Dora d’Istria, Ana de Noailles, Martha Bibescu, Elena Văcărescu, Iulia Hasdeu. A "case" difficult to classify: Panait Istrati. A Romanian writer in the American literary space: Peter Neagoe. A Romanian writer in South America: Grigore Cugler-Apunake.

4. Political Exile – the „Old Generation”: Mircea Eliade, Eugen Ionescu, Emil Cioran, Vintilă Horia, C. V. Gheorghiu, Ştefan Baciu, Aron Cotruş, Pamfil Şeicaru, Al. Busuioceanu, Al. Ciorănescu.

5. The Exile during the Ceauşescu period (the ’60s-’70s): Petru Popescu, Matei Călinescu, Virgil Nemoianu, I. P. Culianu, Sanda Golopenţia, Constantin Eretescu; Sanda Stolojan, Virgil Ierunca, Monica Lovinescu, Paul Goma, Dumitru Ţepeneag, Virgil Tănase, Alexandru Vona; I. Negoiţescu, S. Damian, Gelu Ionescu, Sorin Alexandrescu, Gabriela Melinescu, Emil Hurezeanu.

6. The Exile during Ceausescu's communist regime (the ’80s): Ion Caraion, Nicolae Balotă, Norman Manea, Bujor Nedelcovici, Dorin Tudoran, Mircea Iorgulescu, Matei Vişniec.

7 Artistic exile: A Workshop. The Cultural Diaspora: Ionel Jianu, Pavel Chihaia, Ion Vlad, George Apostu, Horia Damian, Camilian Demetrescu etc.

Teaching methods:

Cooperative Learning, Lecture, Student-Centered / Constructivist Approach

Learning outcomes:

A synthesis essay regarding the recovery of the literature from exile after 1989: assessment and values, "signifiers" of the literary exile; cultural policy controversies related to the concept of "exile" and current research.

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

• Conversation; free exposition – 25% • Applications; essay writing; portfolio, project – 25% • Written paper, quiz; test - 50%

Recommended reading:

Ștefan Baghiu/ Ovio Olaru/ Andrei Terian (eds.), Beyond the Iron Curtain Revisiting the Literary System of Communist Romania, Peter Lang, Berlin, 2021, 9-42.
Mircea Martin, Christian Moraru, and Andrei Terian (eds.), Romanian Literature as World Literature, Bloomsbury, New York:, 2018, 111-350.
Georgeta Orian, La religion, une « politique » du salut en exil: le cas de l’ecrivain roumain Vintila Horia, „Balcanica Posnaniensia. Acta et studia”, nr. XVII, Poznan, 2010, 259-270.