The Observer, in short

Lead article Ovidiu Simonca discusses Cristian Mungiu’s 4 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days. The film had its Romanian premier last week. Politics Bedros Horasangian comments on Romania’s international relations. Ciprian Ciucu contends that after destroying former Minister of Education Andrei Marga’s plan for reform, the Social Democratic Party has no moral right to propose educational reforms of its own. Latest Vasile Banescu looks into a possible renewal of the Romanian Orthodox Church as a result of Metropolitan Daniel’s election as Patriarch. Book reviews Paul Cernat comments on O. Nimigean’s nicolina blues, a volume of livresque poetry (Bucharest: Cartea romaneasca, 2007). Adina Dinitoiu presents Constantin Toiu’s Vrajeli (de buzunar) ((Pocket)Talk, Bucharest: Art, 2007). Doina Ioanid discusses John Kennedy Toole’s Biblia de neon (The Neon Bible, Iasi: Polirom, 2006, translated by Cristian Neagoe), a novel about the impossibility of changing things. Bogdan-Alexandru Stanescu comments on Julian Barnes’ Arthur & George (Bucharest: Nemira, 2007, translated by Virgil Stanciu), a fictionalized biography. Supplement The Observer goes on with last week’s discussion of the Bucharest Public Art project, initiated on September 15. In the framework of the larger exercise, Mircea Cantor, Nicoleta Esinencu, H.arta Group, Daniel Knorr, Dan and Lia Perjovschi launched six separate […]