This anthology of contemporary Lithuanian poetry is a must-read for anyone interested in East European literature. The collection introduces six contemporary Lithuanian poets who mostly made their debuts after 1991 in the years of independence. It opens with Eugenijus Alisanka’s informed introduction on the development of Lithuanian literature from nineteenth century onwards. Here the editor offers a discussion of the importance of poetry in Lithuania which for a long time was seen ‘as having the potential to preserve the nation, the language and, ultimately, the truth’ (14). He observes, nonetheless, that the writers presented in the anthology, all born in the 1960s, question the traditional notion of poetry and move the emphasis from the collective to the individual experience. As such their works reflect a broader process of cultural changes that have taken place in Eastern Europe after the collapse of communism.
Aidas Marcenas’s poems, with which the collection opens, can be considered a bridge between the two traditions of writing. His oeuvre combines the personal voice, the common East European experience and the universal perspective. Similarly, the themes range from descriptions of contents of a writer’s drawer (‘Hell’s Drawer’), through the childhood in an apartment block estate (‘What Stays with You’) to the everyman’s explorations of death (‘Let’s Talk about Revenge’). The variety of perspectives and subjects makes the poem selection both an engaging and inspiring read.
Next in the anthology, Kestutis Navakas’s ‘From an Unknown Poet’s Diary’ is an interesting insight into the process of poetry writing. It combines an experimental and highly metaphoric prose with verse and, as such, questions the traditional aesthetics.
Sigitas Parulskis’s texts are perhaps the most captivating ones in the collection. It is the in-depth examination of problems of death that makes his poetry stand out. In this respect, he can be compared to the Polish poet of the same generation – Dariusz Suska.
The fourth part of the anthology is devoted to poems of Gintaras Grajauskas. In his work Grajauskas explores boundaries and restrictions of contemporary language. In ‘Sincerely’ he examines social codes and language conventions. Concurrently, he reveals reserves of scepticism and existential doubt.
Daiva Cepauskaite is the only poetess in the reviewed collection. Her outstanding free verse poems paint an individual’s search for love and intimacy. Their greatest asset, however, is the simple and understated imagery which enables a convincing representation of erotic complexity and passion.
The last part of the collection presents another skilled and versatile poet. Eugenijus Alisanka, the sixth contributor and the volume’s editor, asks important questions about the interdependence of culture, belonging and identity. In ‘Essays on Lithuanian Literature’, for example, the poet-persona distances from the Lithuanian literary tradition and questions his identity of a Lithuanian poet. Despite his focus on a singular experience, Alisanka touches upon broader issues such as the fixity of the category of nationality and the consequent difficulties in defining one’s sense of belonging.
The value of this work is indisputable. The collection stands out not only for the excellent selection of texts but also for the quality of its translations. Alongside other anthologies of world poetry published by Arc, the volume will certainly contribute to promoting contemporary European poetry among English-language readers.
Ewa Stanczyk