NTB Conferences

Sunday February 26th, at 11:00, at the National Theatre's Black Box, Lucian Boia will hold a conference on the theme The intellectual elite of the 30's. A new perspective Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei. About the conference ‘We would assume that the intellectual is most of all, a free man. That does not mean that he actually is. He is submitted, like everybody else, to the historical conjunctures and the ideological pressures. In a way or another, his career is independent of the ruling Power (even more in an authoritarian regime and, without a doubt, in a totalitarian one). Not few intellectuals, for that matter, have the fascination of Power; they feel stronger, sheltered in its shade. In any case, the intellectual has an ability: to find at any time arguments to justify everything and himself. Especially when he thinks that history has given its verdict. For the intellectual, the voice of history is irresistible.' Lucian Boia   About Lucian Boia Born in Bucharest on February 1st 1944, he is a professor at the Bucharest University's Faculty of History. His work, vast and various, is composed of numerous titles published in Romania and France, as well as translations in English, German and other languages. Mainly preoccupied by the history of ideas and the imaginary, he stands out because of his theoretical papers regarding history (Playing with the past. History between truth and fiction) and the imaginary (For a history of the imaginary), as well as because of his consequent investigation of a large range of mythologies (from extraterrestrial life and the end of the world to communism, nationalism and democracy). He also came up with new interpretations regarding the history of the Occident and of France. In 1997, his work, History and myth in Romanian consciousness, caused a great stir and remained since then a check point in redefining national history.   (data taken from  www.humanitas.ro) Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University

Sunday February 12th, at 11.00, at the National Theatre's Black Box, Ion Bulei will hold a conference on the theme: The Modern Romanian Political Elite. Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei. About the conference What is political elite? Is history a succession of elites or just a succession of generations? What was the geopolitical frame of the Romanian political elite's emergence and what was the evolution of this elite from 1848 to the present day? Who are the people that form the elite? In what circumstances becomes P.P. Carp's affirmation from 1918 real, according to which ‘Romania is so lucky that it does not need authorities? And what about the nowadays protesters' affirmation from the National Theatre's square: Lost political class. I declare it void? Ion Bulei About Ion Bulei He was born on March 30th 1941 in Comarnic, Prahova County. In 1965 he graduated from the Bucharest University's Faculty of History and in 1968 postgraduate International Relation courses. He has a PhD in history from 1976. He was an editor at the Encyclopedical Publishing House (1968 - 1969), a researcher at the Institute of History and Social Politics studies (1971 - 1989). He was a cultural attaché in Rome (1990 - 1993). Director at the Romanian Institute of Culture from Venice (1997 - 2003). From 1992 he is a university professor at the Bucharest University's Faculty of History. Between 1998 and 2003 he taught at the Ca' Foscari University from Venice (1998 - 2003). He was the head of the Romanian History Department (2004 - 2008). He is a supervisor for diploma and PhD papers (from 1996). He was the director of the Romanian Academy's Political Science and International Relations Institute (2003 - 2011). He is a member in the Association Internationale d'Histoire de l'Europe Bureau, elected in 2010, at the World History Congress from Amsterdam. He was awarded with the Romanian Academy's Nicolae Iorga prize in 1990 (for the study The Political System of Modern Romania. The Conservatory Party, published in 1987). The History Magazine's Ion Ghica Prize, for the short study A Short Romanian History, published in 1997. The Writers Union's prize, 2003, for the studies Breve storia dei romeni, published in 2000, in Italy, and 35 anni di relazioni italo-romene, 1879-1914. Documenti diplomatici italiani (together with Rudolf Dinu). He was decorated with the Romanian Star order, the officer title (2000). Doctor Honoris Causa of the Ovidius University from Constanţa, 2009.                       Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University         

Sunday January 29th, at 11:00, at the National Theatre's Black Box, the conference on the theme Europe's Destiny will be held by Andrei Marga. Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei.           About the conference The conference resumes the question about the destiny of Europe and its rationalities. The distance is taken from Spengler and Keyserling. Nowadays, the destiny is being split in a batch of alternatives - arguments Andrei Marga. The conference clears up, as a premise for their establishment, the European identity (proposing the ‘generative concept'), ‘the sources' (Europe's major ‘inheritances'), it evokes Europe's present difficulties and the current diagnostics (‘the postmodern society', ‘the society of void', ‘the civic society', ‘the society of risk', ‘the society of communication', ‘the society of knowledge', ‘the invisible society', ‘the post secular society', ‘the infantile society', ‘the society of indifference', ‘the uncertain society'). Andrei Marga explains Europe's destiny as a result of the intermingling of alternatives in 5 crucial points: the reassuming of democracy not only as an election technique, but also as a ‘life style', the reconstruction of the social state, the reassuming of Europe's characteristic values, understanding of sciences in the context of genesis and application and theming of senses. Europe's destiny depends on a cultural anamnesis and intellectual innovations, fit for a profoundly changed world.   About Andrei Marga Rector of the Babeş-Bolyai  University (1993-2004, 2008-2012), he was the Romanian Minister of National Education, member in academies and managing boards from several international organizations, Andrei Marga is one of the most outstanding personalities in the Romanian field of philosophy.                  Andrei Marga published numerous philosophy volumes (Rationality, Communication, Argumentation, 1991; Introduction in the Philosophical Methodology and Argumentation, 1992; Introduction in the Contemporary Philosophy, 2002; The Philosophy of European Unification, 2003; Religion in the Globalization Era, 2003; Die kulturelle Wende. Philosophische Konsequenzen der Transformation, 2004; Habermas' Philosophy, 2006; Relativism and Its Consequences, 2007; Philosophia et Theologia Hodie, 2008; The Big Brothers. Meetings with Judaism, 2009; The Absolute in the Present Day. Joseph Ratzinger's Theology and Philosophy, 2010; Argumentation, 2010; Riflessioni italiane, 2011; The Destiny of Europe, 2011). The writings are well known in the country and abroad. He was distinguished with Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana (Italy, 2009), Medaglia Pontificia. Anno I. BenedictusXVI (Vatican, 2006), Medaglia Pontificia. Anno XXVI. Joannes Paulus II (Vatican, 2005), Das Grosse Verdienstkreuz (Germany, 2003), Gra-Cruz da Ordem National do Merito (Portugal, 2000), Ordinul Naţional Pentru Merit, the rank Mare Cruce (Romania, 2000), Grand Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérit (France, 1999), as well as with prizes, honorific titles and medals in Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, U.S.A., France, Moldavia, Germany, Azerbaijan. He was awarded the Prize of the Sara and Haim Ianculovici Foundation (Israel, 2008), the Herder Prize (Germany - Austria, 2005) and other international prizes.   Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University   

Sunday, 15th January, at 11:00, at the National Theatre's Black Box, will take place a conference with the title Eminescu among us, held by Acad. Dimitrie Vatamaniuc. Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei.   About the conference Held on the same day on which the national poet was born, the conference will mark the most important events from Romanian culture: the existence of the definitive Mihai Eminescu edition (11 volumes), and the publication of Eminescu's facsimiled manuscripts, under the coordination of the Acad. Eugen Simion.   About the Acad. Dimitrie Vatamaniuc Literary historian, specialist on Eminescu, member of the Romanian Academy, Dimitrie Vatamaniuc was born on the 25th September 1920, in Suceviţa, Suceava county. He graduated the Letters and Philosophy University from Cluj in 1947, writing his diploma paper on literature and history. During his studies at the university he was a member in the board committee of the student society 'Junimea' from Bucovina. We works as a teacher at the 'Andrei Mureşanu' high school from Dej (1947 - 1953), in the summer of 1952 he works as an editor at the Literary Almanac from Cluj, and in 1956 he is an employed researcher at the Literary History and Folklore Institute from Bucharest. He held his doctorate in 1957 with a thesis about I. Popovici - The Man from Banat. From 1957 he is a reader at the Bucharest University's Philology Faculty, but his career ends because of political reasons. He must work as a librarian at the Central University Library (1961-1964) and as an editor at the Scientific Centre of Information and Documentation (1964-1974). He becomes a philologist again at the 'G. Călinescu' History and Literary Theory Institute, but, purged again in 1975, he starts to work at the Romanian Literature Museum from Bucharest (until 2001). He participates at the integral publication of Mihai Eminescu's work, finishing the project started by Perpessicius in the inter-war period. From 1992 he is the director of the Romanian Academy's Centre of Studies Bucovina, from Rădăuţi, editor-in-chief at Bucovina's Annals and founder of the program Bucovina's Encyclopaedia in studies and monographies. He is part of the editorial boards of the magazines Septentrion (director from 1995), body of the Society for Romanian Culture and Literature in Bucovina (Rădăuţi), and The Voice of Bucovina (Cernăuţi). In 2001 he was elected as a member in the Romanian Academy. Literary work (selections): I. Popovici - The Man from Banat, 1959; G. Coşbuc - A glance upon the literary work, 1967; Ioan Slavici and the world he has been through, 1968; Ioan Slavici. The literary work, 1970; Ioan Slavici (1948 - 1925). Biobibliography (in colaboration with Teofil Bugnariu and Ioan Domşa), 1973; Ion Agârbiceanu. Biobliography, 1974; Lucian Blaga. Biobliography, 1977; Eminescu's Publishing, I-II, 1985-1996; Eminescu. The Manuscripts - journal of intelectual becoming and of broadening of the scientific horizon, creative workshop, work tool, 1988; Eminescu. Documentary contribution, 1993; Eminescu and Transylvania, 1995; Lucian Blaga. Documentary contribution at his biography and work, 1998; Eminescu's Notebooks. Mythology and Document, 1998.          Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University

Sunday, the 18th December, at 11:00, in the National Theatre's Black Box, a conference will take place on the theme: The Heartbeats' Story held by Prof. Dr. Eduard Apetrei. Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei. About the conference "The heart, through its beats, applauds our existence, said Lucian Blaga. The heartbeats represent the heart's way to communicate with the entire body, through a certain language which is being decoded nowadays. The first rhythm we hear is produced in our intrauterine life and it is the rhythm of the mother's heart. This rhythm is retained in our subconsciousness and is deposited in a certain part of the brain, this is the rhythm that will later on influence in some way or another our evolution. Along the history, the heartbeats were interpreted in various ways. Today it is known that the number of heartbeats, in our entire lifetime, is genetically determined. If the heart beats slower (55 - 65 beats/minute) we have the chance to live longer". Prof.Dr. Eduard Apetrei   About Prof. Dr. Eduard Apetrei University Professor of Cardiology Cardiologist at the "C.C. Iliescu" Cardiology Institute Bucharest Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Medicine Iaşi Vice-president at the Academy of Medical Sciences. Born on the 11th October 1937, Blăgeşti, Bacău county. Education: Ferdinand High School from Bacău, The Faculty of Medicine from Iaşi (1954-1960), courses and practical internships on cardiology in the country (1965-1966) and in various cardiology areas in France (1972), Finland (1972), Belgium (1972), England (1993), USA (1994). Activity: Intern: Oneşti (1960-1964), secondary cardiologist (1965). From the year 1965 he activates in the Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest: tutor, assistant, lecturer, reader (1991), professor (1993). He was the head of the cardiology clinic (1992-2003), PhD in Medicine (1973) cardiologist (1974), Visiting Professor at the Bowman Gray University, North Carolina (America) for three months (1994). Member in the European Committee specialized in cardiology (1995-2010), member in the European Committee for accreditation in echocardiography (2000-2005). Coordinating editor of the Romanian Cardiology Magazine (1991-2004), editor-in-chief of the Romanian Cardiology Magazine (from 2004). Member in the editorial office committee of some medical magazines from our country and abroad. Competency area: cardiology, echocardiography, vascular Doppler. Research: He studied cardiomyopathy, arterial hypertension, congenital diseases, valvulopathies and particularly echocardiographic changes in various cardiology areas. He has a substantial contribution in introducing echocardiography in Romania, organizing courses in the area before many other European countries, he wrote the first treatise on echocardiography from the country. The Cardiology Clinic received the title of Center of Excellence in the time he was the head of the clinic. He contributed to the development of the modern cardiology in Romania, continuing the work of his predecessors. From the year 1982 he is an in board member of the Romanian Society of Cardiology, secretary (1990-1994), and president (1994-1998) of this Society. Her organized and conducted innumerable European cardiology and echocardiography congresses with papers or conferences, moderating sessions. Member in the scientific committee of some European or global congresses, lector or moderator at international courses. National coordinator of seven multinational research contracts. Publications: Author of 16 cardiology books. Among them we mention: Mechanophonocardiography (1977), Periferic Arteriopathies (1979), Ischemic cardiomyopathy (1981), Echocardiography (1990), Cardiologic News Reel (1998), Congenital Diseases (2001), Electrocardiography (2002), Echocardiography in images (2002), Cardiology - commented and illustrated cases vol. I - IV (2002-2005), Romanian Medical Encyclopedia from its origins to the present (2008). He wrote 32 chapters in treaties and monographies, more than 280 published papers.  Affiliations: Member of the Medical Science Academy (vice-president from 2007), Fellow of the European Cardiology Society, member of numerous cardiology and echocardiography international scientific societies. Presence in Who's who. Distinctions: The National Order - The Faithful Service with the Commander title; the Iuliu Haţieganu Award of the Romanian Academy, Honoured Citizen of the commune Blăgeşti, Honoured Citizen of the city Bacău.     Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University

On Sunday, December 4th, Daniel Cristea-Enache, will hold a conference called "A lecturer ends to be a haulier: the Ion D. Sîrbu case" at the National Theatre of Bucharest in the The Black Box. The conference will also have a video projection made by the artist Ion Barbu. Tickets can be found at the price of 23 lei and 10 lei. About the conference "Ion D. Sîrbu is the Romanian post war writer with the most spectacular posthumous career. He died in 1989, two months before the revolution. As opposed to other Romanian writers, his drawer was full of manuscripts, among which The journal of a journalist without a journal (Jurnalul unui jurnalist fără jurnal) and Farwell, Europe! (Adio, Europa!) Ion D. Sîrbu was the model of Victor Petrini, the protagonist from Marin Preda's The Most Beloved of Earthling. The two characters have a similar destiny: they start from a carrer in university, they are kept prisoners for political beliefs and then they return to working on lower positions Petrini starts working with the team clearing of rats and Sîrbu becomes a haulier. For the vigilant eyes of the political activists, political instructors and informers back then, Ion D. Sîrbu was a case. They were right" Daniel Cristea-Enache About Daniel Cristea-Enache He was born on February 19th 1974 in Bucharest and he graduated the Faculty of Letters from University of Bucharest, in 1996 as a valedictorian. In 2005 he gets his summa cum laude PhD in Philology at the University of Bucharest with a thesis about Ion D. Sîrbu. He was a reviser at Contemporanul - ideea europeană (1994-1996), where he made his debut, than an editor at Caiete critice (1996-1999), an assistant at The G. Călinescu Institute (1997-2002) and at the Romanian literature department within the Faculty of Letters from the University of Bucharest. He was a general secretary of the editorial board of the Romanian Cultural Foundation's Publishing house (since 1999), than he became the director of the Romanian Cultural Institute's Publishing house, associate editor for the newspaper Adevărul literar şi artistic (2003-2005) and director of photography for the Corint Editorial Publishing house (2005-2007). At the moment he is an associate Professor and editorial counselor for the Polirom Publishing house. He wrote the literary chronicle for the newspaper Adevărul literar şi artistic (1997-2005) than for România literară (2005-2009) and Observator cultural (2009-2011), where he publisherd studies, essays, interviews. He collaborated with Ziarul de duminică, Suplimentul de cultură, Cultura, Idei în dialog, Bucureştiul cultural, Convorbiri literare, Caiete critice, and with the newspapers: Evenimentul zilei, Gândul educaţional and Adevărul. He hosts a radio show at Radio Romania Culture and one on LiterNet and he also moderates a TV show on TVR Cultural. He was a co-author for the Romanian Writers' Essential Dictionary (Dicţionarul esenţial al scriitorilor români) and the Romainan Wrtiters' Dictionary, 4th edition (Dicţionarul scriitorilor români, IV, coordinators: Mircea Zaciu, Marian Papahagi, Aurel Sasu; 2001, 2002), Romanian literature. Dictionary of literary works (Literatura română. Dicţionar de opere coordinator: Mircea Anghelescu; 2003), The General Dictionary of the Romanian Literature (Dicţionarul General al Literaturii Române, coordinator: Eugen Simion; 2004-2009). Published volumes: Opening Concert (Concert de deschidere), Romanian Cultural Foundation's Publishing house, 2001 (Debut Award of România literara, Debut Award of the Romanian Writer's Union and The Titu Maiorescu Award of the Romanian Academy); second edition, electronic format, LiterNet Publishing house, 2004 Ileana Mălăncioiu, An appeal to memory. Conversations with Daniel Cristea-Enache, ( Recursul la memorie. Convorbiri cu Daniel Cristea-Enache), Polirom Publishing house, 2003 Romanian Writer's drawer. Dialogues on paper (Sertarul Scriitorului Român. Dialoguri pe hârtie), Polirom Publishing house, 2005 Bucharest Far West. Sequences of Romanian Literature (Bucureşti Far West. Secvenţe de literatură română), Albatros Publishing house, 2005 Eastern Man (Un om din Est), Curtea Veche Publishing house, 2006 ( an award for critique and literary history from the Romanian Writer's Union) Conversations with Octavian Paler (Convorbiri cu Octavian Paler), Corint Publishing house, 2007 New era. Sequences of Romanian Literature (Timpuri noi. Secvenţe de literatură română), Cartea Românească Publishing house, 2009 Lyrica magna. Essay on Nichita Stănescu‘s poetry (Lyrica magna. Eseu despre poezia lui Nichita Stănescu), Curtea Veche Publishing house, 2010 Empty cinematograph (Cinematograful gol), Polirom Publishing house, 2011 Translated by: Oana Marina Silişte MTTLC, University of Bucharest

Sunday 20th November, at 11:00, at the National Theatre's Black Box, a conference will take place with the theme: A lifetime together with Romanian literature held by Georgeta Dimisianu. Ticket prices: 23 and 10 lei. About the conference I will not hold a conference, in the common sense of the word. Too many conferences, too many symposiums in the last 20 years. I would like to bring some evidence about an epoch which risks to be more and more misunderstood, about a world in that I lived - the literary world -, about the writers that I have met and that I have edited, about their books that made us, as one of them said, understand that no dictatorship is perfect. Georgeta Dimisianu About Georgeta Dimisianu Famous editor and an important witness of the Romanian literary life of the last five decades, Georgeta Dimisianu was, from 1963 to 1970, editor at the State Publishing House for Literature and Art (ESPLA) and afterwards, between 1970 and 1984, editor at the Cartea Românească (the Romanian Book) Publishing House. In 1984 she was moved, in just 24 hours, because of a scandal with the censorship, to the Scientific and Encyclopedic Publishing House, where she was an editor until March 1990. Also in 1984, more than 70 writers signed a protest defending Georgeta Dimiseanu, protest that was forwarded to the Writer's Union and the Council of Culture. In 1990 she was named by the Minister of Culture, Andrei Pleşu, editor-in-chief and afterwards director at the Albatros Publishing House, where she activated until 2006. From 2006 to 2009 she was in charge of the Publishing House and the magazine Historia. From September 2009 she is the editor-in-chief at the History and Civilization  magazine. Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University      

On Sunday, November 6th, 2011, starting with 11:00, at The Amphitheatre Hall from The National Theatre of Bucharest there will be held the conference A day of your life on the time of King Carol I, by Adrian Majuru. Tickets can be found at the price of 23 lei or 10 lei. About Adrian Majuru Adrian Majuru is a researcher at the Municipal Museum of Bucharest and the author of multiple books about Bucharest, like:  Bucharest the city of outskirts or the suburb as a way of living (Bucureştiul mahalalelor sau periferia ca mod de existenţă, Compania 2003), Bucharest. The story of a human geography (Bucureşti. Povestea unei geografii umane, Institutul Cultural Român, 2008) or Bucharest. Diurnal and Nocturnal (Bucureşti. Diurn şi Nocturn, Curtea Veche, 2009). He is also interested in the urban underground area. Among other publications we can mention: Childhood for the Romanians (Copilăria la români Compania, 2006), The Minovici Family - spiritual universe (Familia Minovici - univers spiritual, Institul Cultural Român 2007),  Wallachian destiny in pictures and 101 texts (Destin valah în ilustraţii şi 101 texticuleţe, Paralela 45, 2009). At the present he is coordinating the series: "Urban anthropology" and "The fantastic library" at the Oscar Print Publishing house.                About the conference "Destiny is the place and moment of your birth". Some call this chance. Let us descend into this free will maze and imagine what it would have been like a day of our life a hundred years ago, during the reign of King Carol I. Of course that there can be many details regarding our position in this story: high society or middle class; guest of honor or master of ceremonies. However we suggest the position of a random onlooker who enjoys the privilege of living beside a family a hundred years ago. We are left with the traces of this lost world that we can follow and the atmosphere where we can get into. We have the pictures but mostly we have the ability to travel, to understand and accept the reality of a comparison. Our meeting offers you the opportunity to step across such a threshold, not at all imaginary even though the appearances say something else. I invite you to join me into the story of a question: "what it would have been like to live a day in 1900?" A possible answer was given by the German writer Ernst Junger: "Know the boundaries where illusion and reality can replace each other!" The journey will be accompanied by the music of cellist Adrian Naidin.   Author: Adrian Majuru Translated by: Oana Marina Silişte MA Student, MTTLC, University of Bucharest

On Sunday, October 23th, starting with 11 a.m., at The Black Box from NTB there will be held the conference entitled: Elegant pomp and Occidental democracy in the Romanian apparel from the 19th century by Adrian-Silvan Ionescu. Tickets can be found at the price of 23 lei or 10 lei. About Adrian-Silvan Ionescu Born in 1952, he studied at the Nicolae Tonitza Fine Arts High School and afterwards at the Nicolae Grigorescu Institute of Fine Arts, the History and Art Theory department, which he graduated in 1975. He worked as a museographer at the National Art Museum and then at the Municipal Museum Bucharest where he even was an assistant director (1990 - 1993), afterwards he was a cultural counsel of the Cultural Inspectorate from the Bucharest Municipality (1994 - 1995). He dedicated himself to research and, from 1995 to 2011, he was a scientific researcher I at the Nicolae Iorga History Institute. From the 1st of May 2011 he is director at the George Oprescu Art History Institute. PHD in historical science (1997). In 1996 he started to teach. At present he is an associate professor at the National Arts University, where he holds photography and film history lectures, as well as a master's degree course. He is an art critique and historian with a long activity as a plastic historiographer and exhibition organizer. He published 12 books and edited other four. For his work he was awarded with the Romanian Academy's Prize (1992), The Union of Plastic Artists for Critique ‘s Prize (2002) and the ‘Simion Mehedinţi' (2003), ‘Nicolae Bălcescu' (2008), ‘I.C. Filitti' (2009) and ‘George Oprescu' (2010) prizes from the ‘Historic Shop' Cultural Foundation. He is knight of the Cultural Merit Order (2004) and of King Mihai I medal for Loyalty (2010).   About the conference ‘The Romanian States, situated at the border between the Occident and the Orient, have been under a strong influence from both sides. They could be felt the strongest at the beginning of the 19th century. The struggle between the status of the fanariot ruler's pompous garbs and the lack of status, the naturalization and the standardization of the ‘democratic garment' - the tailcoat or the black frock coat (also popularly called ‘German clothes') give measure to the major changes from the urban Romanian society. The conference proposes to describe, in detail, the garb of the high society as well as that of the common people during an entire century, from the modernization to the assimilation in the great European fashion trend.' Adrian-Silvan Ionescu   Translated by: Izabella Feher MTTLC, Bucharest University

On Sunday, October 9th, starting with 11 a.m., at The Black Box from NTB there will be held the conference entitled: The matter out of which life is made. About waiting by Carmen Muşat. Tickets can be found at the price of 23 lei or 10 lei. About Carmen Muşat Carmen Muşat is an essayist, literary critic and associate Professor at the Literary Theory Department from the University of Bucharest. In 2000 she got her PhD in Letters at the University of Bucharest. In 2000 she becomes the editor in chief of the cultural magazine Observator cultural. She is a member of the Romanian Association of General and Comparative Literature and of the Romanian PEN Club. She is a founding member of the Center of Excellence for the Study of Image (CESI), of the Center of Excellence for the Study of Cultural Identity and of the Center for Interdisciplinary studies „Tudor Vianu". Published books: The interwar Romanian novel (Romanul românesc interbelic, Humanitas, 1998; second edition, Humanitas Educaţional, 2004); Perspectives on the postmodern Romanian novel and other theoretical fictions (Perspective asupra romanului românesc postmodern şi alte ficţiuni teoretice, Paralela 45, 1998); Strategies of subversion (Strategiile subversiunii). Description and narration in the postmodern Romanian prose (Paralela 45, 2002; Cartea Românească Publishing house, 2008), The Canon and Tarot (Canonul şi tarotul, Curtea Veche Publishing house, 2006). In 2009 she published the anthology Beyond literature (Dincolo de literatură), at Hasefer Publishing house, commented by Lucian Raicu. She wrote the foreword for some volumes by Gabriela Adameşteanu, Mircea Cărtărescu, Gheorghe Crăciun, Péter Nádas, Ioana Em. Petrescu and Liviu Ornea. Articles and studies published in magazines: Observator cultural, Lettre Internationale, Revista 22, Euphorion, Euresis. Cahiers roumains  d'etudes littéraires, Élet És Irodalom (Ungaria), Romania Culturale Oggi (Italia).   About the conference "This waiting would probably be the most appropriate equivalent for ‘existence'. The waiting is not just a temporary stage of our existence, it is the essence itself of our human condition, it is not an accident but the substance itself of our life. From the moment we are born till the end of our lives, we are always waiting something or someone: starting with common situations - like that of waiting to have our coffee brought in a bar - and ending with key moments like the confirmation of a diagnostic or the result of an exam, we are waiting for an event to happen. Because it connects the anteriority to the posteriority, the waiting can be perceived only in time; it is determined by and included in time. Because of that the waiting sets the narration, its structure is essentially narrative and the suspense is an implicit element of the waiting. Comprising in itself the temporality, the presence and the absence, the waiting establishes a relationship with The Other, but also with different faces of the same person, during a period of time. The existential void that we sometimes feel deeper generates a tensioned state of waiting. We are always waiting for something to happen to fill in the void, to fulfil a dream; you are waiting for someone that is still missing, whose presence reveals vulnerability, weakness, loneliness. The human being is becoming and the waiting is the realizing of this becoming. The child is waiting to become mature - "When I grow up..." - the girl is waiting to become a woman, the insecure adolescent is waiting to become a man, the sick is waiting to be healthy (waiting as a form of hope), the death sentenced man is waiting the annulment of his verdict or its execution - among so many types of waiting the distance is between hope and despair (or resignation). Everything is measured by the accelerated or extremely slow rhythm of the waiting  The universal literature is full of characters for whom the waiting is a defining attitude. From Penelopa to Emma Bovary, from Ivan Ilici to Vladimir and Estragon, from Giovanni Drogo to the inhabitants of the fort strictly ruled by Joll, who is waiting for the outside barbarians, without realizing that these are only inside them, the figures and shapes of waiting are as numerous as they are different." Carmen Muşat   Translated by: Oana Marina Silişte MA Student, MTTLC, University of Bucharest