Milada Součková
Encyclopedia
Milada Součková was a Czech writer, literary historian and diplomat. She lived and worked in Prague, from 1945 on in the USA.
and other emancipated girls. From 1918 she studied sciences at Charles University in Prague
where in 1923 graduated with a thesis on plant life. Subsequently, between 1923–1924 she attended the University of Lausanne
and met her future husband, the painter Zdeněk Rykr. She wrote for several newspapers and journals, met the Russia
n linguist Roman Jacobson and 1936 became a member of the Prague Linguistic Circle
. In 1940 her husband had to commit suicide not to fall in the hands of Gestapo
and Součková left Prague to live in the countryside. During the occupation
she worked with writer Vladislav Vančura
on his monumental Obrazy z dějin národa českého („Pictures from the History of Czech Nation“) namely until his arrest by Gestapo.
After the WW II, in 1945 was appointed cultural attaché of the Czechoslovak embassy in Washington. Three years later (1948) in protest against communist coup in her homeland
she remained in the United States as emigree. R. Jacobson helped her to enter academic career as bohemist, between 1950 and 1962 at Harvard University
, then in Chicago and from 1970 to 1973 at Berkeley University. For the rest of her life she was librarian at the Widener Library
at Harvard.
and surrealism
. Most of her prosaic work is a sort of "stream of consciousness", imaginative, but sober. In her best works she experiments with language, but describes mostly the common daily life. In the US, she wrote mostly poetry in Czech and theoretical works in English. At home, she was unable to publish her literary work, neither under the Nazi, nor under the communist regime, her last novel „Neznámý člověk“ (The Unknown Human, 1962) was puiblished in exile. The Czech collected works were published in 11 bands in Prague until 2009 and in 2010 earned the Magnesia Litera literary award.
Life
Milada Součková was born in a wealthy family in Prague. She studied at the prestigious Minerva high-school together with Milena JesenskáMilena Jesenská
Milena Jesenská was a Czech journalist, writer, editor and translator, who refused to abandon her Jewish friends and was deported to and died alongside them in Ravensbrück concentration camp....
and other emancipated girls. From 1918 she studied sciences at Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
where in 1923 graduated with a thesis on plant life. Subsequently, between 1923–1924 she attended the University of Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
and met her future husband, the painter Zdeněk Rykr. She wrote for several newspapers and journals, met the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n linguist Roman Jacobson and 1936 became a member of the Prague Linguistic Circle
Prague linguistic circle
The Prague school or the Prague linguistic circle was an influential group of literary critics and linguists in Prague. Its proponents developed methods of structuralist literary analysis during the years 1928–1939. It has had significant continuing influence on linguistics and semiotics...
. In 1940 her husband had to commit suicide not to fall in the hands of Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and Součková left Prague to live in the countryside. During the occupation
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
she worked with writer Vladislav Vančura
Vladislav Vancura
Vladislav Vančura was one of the most important Bohemian writers of the 20th century...
on his monumental Obrazy z dějin národa českého („Pictures from the History of Czech Nation“) namely until his arrest by Gestapo.
After the WW II, in 1945 was appointed cultural attaché of the Czechoslovak embassy in Washington. Three years later (1948) in protest against communist coup in her homeland
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
she remained in the United States as emigree. R. Jacobson helped her to enter academic career as bohemist, between 1950 and 1962 at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, then in Chicago and from 1970 to 1973 at Berkeley University. For the rest of her life she was librarian at the Widener Library
Widener Library
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard...
at Harvard.
Work
The first literary experiments of Milada Součková were influenced by James JoyceJames Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
. Most of her prosaic work is a sort of "stream of consciousness", imaginative, but sober. In her best works she experiments with language, but describes mostly the common daily life. In the US, she wrote mostly poetry in Czech and theoretical works in English. At home, she was unable to publish her literary work, neither under the Nazi, nor under the communist regime, her last novel „Neznámý člověk“ (The Unknown Human, 1962) was puiblished in exile. The Czech collected works were published in 11 bands in Prague until 2009 and in 2010 earned the Magnesia Litera literary award.
Novels
- První písmena (The first letters), 1934, experimental prose
- Amor a psyché (Amor and Psyche), 1937, experimental prose
- Odkaz (The legacy), 1940
- Zakladatelé (The founders), 1940
- Bel canto, 1944
- Hlava umělce (The head of an artist), 1944
- Neznámý člověk (The unknown human), 1962
- Der unbekannte Mensch. Stuttgart 1999: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. (German translation)
Poetry
- Gradus ad parnassum, 1957
- Pastorální suita (Pastoral suite), 1962
- Sešity Josephiny Rykrové (The notebooks of J. R.), 1981
Literary history
- A literature in crisis: Czech literature 1938 - 1950, New York 1954
- The Czech Romantics, s´Gravenhage, Mouton 1958
- The Parnassian Jaroslav Vrchlický, The Hague, Mouton 1964
- A literary satellite. Czechoslovak-Russian literary relations. Chicago, U. of Chicago Press 1970
- Baroque in Bohemia, Ann Arbor, U. of Michigan 1980
External links
- Entry in Slovník české literatury (in Czech)
- Entry in Intetrnetový slovníků spisovatelů (in Czech)
- Collected works at Prostor editions (in Czech)