Bilete de Papagal
Encyclopedia
Bilete de Papagal was a Romania
n left-wing publication edited by Tudor Arghezi
, begun as a daily newspaper
and soon after issued as a weekly satirical
and literary
magazine
. It was published at three different intervals: 1928-1930, 1937-1938, 1944-1945.
and fortune telling, one involving a person playing a barrel organ
while a trained parrot
would pick up predictions written on scraps of folded paper that were placed in an open box (the notes were known as bilete de papagal - "parrot tickets"). The use implied a very small format; Arghezi, who later adopted the bilet as an original form of short prose
, explained his style choices in the editorial
for the first issue (February 2, 1928):
In 1929, Demostene Botez wrote:
authors, partly reflecting Arghezi's own attitudes towards literature. While celebrating the classics of Romanian literature, it rejected the dominant nationalist
school and especially its far right
tendencies, rejecting especially the neo-Orthodox
aesthetics
developed by Nichifor Crainic
's Gândirea
, as well as Iron Guard
mysticism
.
Critical of Romania's royal dynasty
, Bilete de Papagal was not published after King Carol II established his authoritarian regime
, and was only issued again after the end of successive dictatorships
for the larger part of World War II
. It was, however, the basis for a similarly titled column in the newspaper Informaţia Zilei, contributed by Arghezi until 1943 - when it was banned by Ion Antonescu
's government for publishing the virulent Baroane ("Thou Baron"), a satire of Nazi Germany
's ambassador to Romania, Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
(Arghezi himself was interned
near Târgu Jiu
). It ceased publication for a third and final time in 1945, after its editor was singled out as an adversary to the Romanian Communist Party
(which was strengthening its grip on Romanian society during the Petru Groza
government).
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n left-wing publication edited by Tudor Arghezi
Tudor Arghezi
Tudor Arghezi was a Romanian writer, best known for his contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest , he explained that his pen name was related to Argesis, the Latin name for the Argeş River.-Early life:Along with Mihai Eminescu, Mateiu Caragiale, and...
, begun as a daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and soon after issued as a weekly satirical
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
and literary
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. It was published at three different intervals: 1928-1930, 1937-1938, 1944-1945.
Name
The title made reference to a once-popular form of buskingBusking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
and fortune telling, one involving a person playing a barrel organ
Barrel organ
A barrel organ is a mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated...
while a trained parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
would pick up predictions written on scraps of folded paper that were placed in an open box (the notes were known as bilete de papagal - "parrot tickets"). The use implied a very small format; Arghezi, who later adopted the bilet as an original form of short prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
, explained his style choices in the editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
for the first issue (February 2, 1928):
"A newspaper this small has never before been published, not even among ants. Lacking a large newspaper in which to write important stupidities, the editor of this rolling paper gives light to what is less than a flyerFlyer (pamphlet)__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
and confines himself to publishing grinning tidbits."
In 1929, Demostene Botez wrote:
"Having the rectangular and slender format of a restaurant menu, Bilete de Papagal has signified, for more than a year, day by day, the purest literary manifestation."
History
Bilete de Papagal accepted contributions from both traditionally-minded and modernistModernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
authors, partly reflecting Arghezi's own attitudes towards literature. While celebrating the classics of Romanian literature, it rejected the dominant nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
school and especially its far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
tendencies, rejecting especially the neo-Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
developed by Nichifor Crainic
Nichifor Crainic
Nichifor Crainic was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theologian famed for his traditionalist and antisemitic activities...
's Gândirea
Gândirea
Gândirea , known during its early years as Gândirea Literară - Artistică - Socială , was a Romanian literary, political and art magazine.- Overview :Founded by Cezar Petrescu and D. I...
, as well as Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
.
Critical of Romania's royal dynasty
King of Romania
King of the Romanians , rather than King of Romania , was the official title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when Romania was proclaimed a republic....
, Bilete de Papagal was not published after King Carol II established his authoritarian regime
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
, and was only issued again after the end of successive dictatorships
Romania during World War II
Following the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, the Kingdom of Romania officially adopted a position of neutrality. However, the rapidly changing situation in Europe during 1940, as well as domestic political upheaval, undermined this stance. Fascist political forces such as the Iron...
for the larger part of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was, however, the basis for a similarly titled column in the newspaper Informaţia Zilei, contributed by Arghezi until 1943 - when it was banned by Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
's government for publishing the virulent Baroane ("Thou Baron"), a satire of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's ambassador to Romania, Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
Manfred Freiherr von Killinger was a German naval officer, Freikorps leader, military writer and Nazi politician. A veteran of World War I and member of the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt during the German Revolution, he took part in the violent intervention against the Bavarian Soviet Republic...
(Arghezi himself was interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
near Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
). It ceased publication for a third and final time in 1945, after its editor was singled out as an adversary to the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
(which was strengthening its grip on Romanian society during the Petru Groza
Petru Groza
Petru Groza was a Romanian politician, best known as the Prime Minister of the first Communist Party-dominated governments under Soviet occupation during the early stages of the Communist regime in Romania....
government).
Notable contributors
- Felix AdercaFelix AdercaFelix Aderca or F. Aderca Aderca, also known as Zelicu Froim Adercu or Froim Aderca; March 13, 1891 – December 12, 1962) was a Romanian novelist, playwright, poet, journalist and critic, noted as a representative of rebellious modernism in the context of Romanian literature...
- Mihai BeniucMihai BeniucMihai Beniuc was a Romanian proletcultist poet, dramatist and novelist. He graduated from the University of Cluj in 1931 majoring in psychology, philosophy and sociology. This was reflected in his writing, particularly the novels...
- Geo BogzaGeo BogzaGeo Bogza was a Romanian avant-garde theorist, poet, and journalist, known for his left-wing and communist political convictions. As a young man in the interwar period, he was known as a rebel and was one of the most influential Romanian Surrealists...
- Eugeniu BotezEugeniu BotezEugeniu Botez was a Romanian writer, best known for his novel Europolis . Botez wrote under the pseudonym Jean Bart....
- Otilia Cazimir
- Benjamin FondaneBenjamin FondaneBenjamin Fondane or Benjamin Fundoianu was a Romanian and French poet, critic and existentialist philosopher, also noted for his work in film and theater. Known from his Romanian youth as a Symbolist poet and columnist, he alternated Neoromantic and Expressionist themes with echoes from Tudor...
- Eugène IonescoEugène IonescoEugène Ionesco was a Romanian and French playwright and dramatist, and one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd...
- Mihail SadoveanuMihail SadoveanuMihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting republican head of state under the communist regime . One of the most prolific Romanian-language writers, he is remembered mostly for his historical and adventure novels, as...
- Ionel TeodoreanuIonel TeodoreanuIonel Teodoreanu was a Romanian novelist and lawyer. He is mostly remembered for his books on the themes of childhood and adolescence.-Biography:...
- Păstorel Teodoreanu
- George TopîrceanuGeorge TopîrceanuGeorge Topîrceanu was a Romanian poet, short story writer, and humourist.-Biography:Born in Bucharest, Topîrceanu began his schooling in the city, and then moved to the hilly countryside of the Argeş county, in the Şuici commune, where he formed his taste for themes taken from nature...
- Paul Zarifopol