Nicolae COANDE

Nicolae COANDE Poems

Nicolae COANDE Biography

Nicolae Coande, b. September 23rd 1962, Osica de Sus, Olt county. Is a Romanian poet and essayist. He lives in Craiova in South Romania where he regularly hosts widely covered literary readings and poetry events that help keep the taste for literature and friendship's flavor alive in the city. His debut occurred with the On the Edge booklet (Ramuri publishing,1995) , which was subsequently awarded by the Romanian Writers' Union. For that same book he had also received the " Nichita Stanescu" Festival Award in Turnu Severin, by a panel of jurors presided by prominent poet Cezar Ivanescu. He has been a member of the Romanian Writers' Union since 1996, and a member of PEN Club Romania since 2016. He has an MA in Sociology and Philosophy from the University of Craiova. Since 2008 he has been a dramaturge at the National Theater " Marin Sorescu" of Craiova, and an editor-founder of the theater's cultural magazine, SpectActor, since 2006. Coande has been producing and hosting (2010-present) the SpectActor meetings at the National Theater of Craiova. He was also the coordinator of " Sundays of Poetry in the Theater" (2010-2016) , " The Artist in His Times" (2015) , which are dedicated to singular artists from Craiova. Currently, he coordinates the " Playwrights' Club" events which aim to promote reading shows, and the " Poets' and SpecActors' Gatherings of Craiova" which aims to periodically reunite poets from Craiova and from around the country to discuss and debates on themes and subjects of poetry. From 2010 until 2014 he produced and hosted encounters between the public and Romanian and foreign writers within a project called " Writers at Tradem" . In November 2012 he was a guest of the Berlin Goethe Institut at the reunion of theater experts from South-Eastern Europe, which focused on the subject of documentary-theater. He has participated in some poetry festivals from Austria, Serbia, Romania, is featured in several international poetry anthologies, and has benefited from several literary scholarships in Germany, Austria Switzerland, Spain. Poetry On the Edge (În margine) , poetry (Ramuri Publishing, Craiova,1995) ; Fincler, poetry (Ramuri Publishing, Craiova,1997) ; The Dead-End Road Named Homer (fundatura homer) , poetry (Dacia Publishing,2002) ; Folfa, poetry (Vinea Publishing, Bucharest,2003) ; Wind, Tobacco and Alcohol (Vânt, tutun? i alcool) , poetry (Brumar Publishing, Timi? oara,2008) ; The Woman that I Write About (Femeia despre care scriu) , poetry (Maiastra Publishing, Tg. Jiu,2010) ; VorbaIago, poetry anthology, afterword by Al. Cistelecan (Maiastra Publishing, Tîrgu Jiu,2012; Persona, poetry anthology, afterword by Mircea A. Diaconu (Maiastra Publishing, Tîrgu Jiu,2013) ; They Just Wouldn't Let Me Run the World (Nu m-au lasat sa conduc lumea) , poetry (Max Blecher Publishing, Bucharest,2015) ; Plagiator.1962, poetry (Maiastra Publishing, Tîrgu Jiu,2017) , A dead's Man memory is my memory (Memoria unui mort este memoria mea) , poetry (Max Blecher Publishing, Bucharest,2019) ; I'm not the Beast (Nu sunt eu bestia) , poetry (Max Blecher Publishing, Bucharest,2022) ; 33 Songs for Didgeridoo (33 de cântece pentru Didgeridoo) poetry, Tracus Arte Edition,2023. Other works The Window from the Roof. A Season in Westphalia (Fereastra din acoperi? . Un anotimp în Westfalia) , travel notes (Funda? ia Scrisul Românesc Publishing, Craiova,2005) ; The Other End (Celalalt capat) , interviews (Curtea Veche Publishing, Bucharest,2006) ; The Rematch of Countenances (Revan? a chipurilor) , editorials (Maiastra Publishing, Tg. Jiu,2009) ; The Romanian Intellectuals and the King's Court (Intelectualii români? i Curtea regelui) , editorials (Tracus Arte Publishing, Bucharest,2011) ; God, Poet and Protector of the World (Dumnezeu poet? i protector al lumii) , essays (Tracus Arte Publishing, Bucharest,2016) ; Attic Europe (Mansarda Europa) , travel notes (Paralela 45 Publishing, Bucharest,2019) ; The poets Hunter (Vânatorul de poe? i) , literary criticism (Hoffman Publishing, Caracal,2021) . Poetry anthologies Gefärliche Serpentinen Rumanische Lyrik der Gegenwart, Galrev Verlag Berlin,1998, volume coordinated by Dieter Schlesak; Jahreszeiten, Tagesanbrüche. Literatur und Kunst im Heinrich-Böll-Haus Langenbroich. Hrsg. von der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. Berlin 2006; The most beautiful 100 poems of Romanians about Themselves and Their Country (Cele mai frumoase 100 de poezii ale românilor despre ei în? i? i? i? ara lor) , anthology selected by Petru Romo? an, Compania,2001; A Critical Panorama of Romanian Poetry in the 20th Century (O panorama critica a poeziei române? ti din secolul XX) , Pontica Publishing,2007, Marin Mincu; Writers on the Royal Path (Scriitori pe calea regala) , Brumar Publishing,2008; The Most Beautiful Poems of 2010 (Cele mai frumoase poeme din 2010) , Tracus Arte Publishing,2011, selected by Claudiu Komartin? i Radu Vancu; The Anthology of the Literary Colony Cortanovci, The Society of Serbian Writers (SKD) Belgrade,2010; Of Gentle Wolwes, Calypso Edition, New York,2011, selected and translated by Martin Woodside; The New New Poetry. An Anthology of Romanian Postmodern Poetry (Noua poezie noua. O antologie a poeziei române postmoderne) selected by Dumitru Chioaru, Limes Publishing,2011; The Vanishing Point that Whistles: An Anthology of Contemporary Romanian Poetry, editors Paul Doru Mugur & Adam Sorkin & Claudia Serea, Talisman Houses, USA,2011; Moods & women & men & once again moods: an anthology of contemporary Romanian erotic poetry (TracusArte&Calypso Publishing,2015) ; Now we are the ancients (Cartier Publishing,2022) . Awards " Ramuri" Literary Magazine Award for Poetry,1988, Debut Award from the Romanian Writers' Union,1995, The Writers' of Craiova Association Award,1997, The Writers' Union of Romania Award,2002, The Petre Pandrea Poetry Award from " Mozaicul" Magazine,2004, The " Ramuri" Magazine Poetry Award,2006, The " Hyperion" Magazine Poetry Award,2012, The " Arge? " Magazine Essay Award,2012, The " Radu Enescu" Award for Essay and Poetry from the Familia Magazine,2017' The " Mihai Eminescu" Prize (Romanian Academy,2019 for poetru book Plagiarius.1962) . Literary residences Writer-in-residence in several countries: Stiftung ‘Heinrich Böll', Cologne, Germany (November 2003- February 2004) ; Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, NRW, Germany (July - August 2008) http: //www.stiftung-kuenstlerdorf.de/index.html; quartier21 (MQ Wien) , Vienna, Austria (December 2014 - January 2015) http: //www.quartier21.at/artists-in-residence/artists/; Chateau de Lavigny, Switzerland (August - September 2017) http: //www.chateaudelavigny.ch/readings/; Fundacion Valparaiso, Mojacar, Spain (september-october 2022) https: //www.fundacionvalparaiso.com)

The Best Poem Of Nicolae COANDE

The Poet Declines His Fame

He turned around and said - I have known everything
but I came too late.
Now in the age of iron, no message enlivens
my voices
the voices speak well because I speak in multiple voices
but in a single language
the language from which you all come like chicks destined
to be orphans
and the first abomination they see, they call mother.
I have known everything, they praised me like the Messiah
they sent succubi to convert me
to suck my Sefirot marrow.
They published me, made me famous, gave me drinks.
I wiped the floor with them. I came
too late.

Translated by Emil Sîrbuelscu

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