Nicolae Crevedia
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Nicolae Crevedia (born Niculae Ion Cârstea; December 7, 1902 – November 5, 1978) was a
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n journalist, poet and novelist, father of the writer-politician
Eugen Barbu Eugen Barbu (; 20 February 1924 – 7 September 1993) was a Romanian modern novelist, short story writer, journalist, and correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. The latter position was vehemently criticized by those who contended tha ...
. Of
Muntenia Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the seldom used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in R ...
n peasant roots, which shaped his commitment to agrarian and then far-right politics, as well as his dialectal poetry and humorous prose, he preferred bohemian life to an academic career. As a writer at ''
Gândirea ''Gândirea'' ("The Thinking"), known during its early years as ''Gândirea Literară - Artistică - Socială'' ("The Literary - Artistic - Social Thinking"), was a Romanian literary, political and art magazine. Overview Founded by Cezar Pet ...
'', Crevedia became a follower of
Nichifor Crainic Nichifor Crainic (; pseudonym of Ion Dobre ; 22 December 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County – 20 August 1972, Mogoșoaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theology, theologian famed for his traditionalist activities. Crai ...
, and worked with him on various other press venues, from ''Calendarul'' to ''
Sfarmă-Piatră (; literally "Stone-Crusher" or "Rock-Breaker", named after one of the ''Uriași'' characters in Romanian folklore) was an antisemitic daily, monthly and later weekly newspaper, published in Romania during the late 1930s and early 1940s. One in ...
''. Turning to fascism, he sympathized with the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
, and, in the late 1930s, contributed to the press campaigns vilifying ideological enemies, while also putting out novels, reportage pieces, and anthologies. His affair with the Iron Guard muse
Marta Rădulescu Marta D. Rădulescu (April 24, 1912 – September 5, 1959) was a Romanian poet, journalist, and novelist, made famous in the 1930s for her autofictional work. From an academic family with a penchant for radical politics, she veered into fascist po ...
was at the center of a literary scandal, and was fictionalized by Crevedia in one of his novels. Fluent in Bulgarian, Crevedia became press attaché in the
Kingdom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria ( bg, Царство България, translit=Tsarstvo Balgariya), also referred to as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom ( bg, Трето Българско Царство, translit=Treto Balgarsko Tsarstvo, links=no), someti ...
under the
National Legionary State The National Legionary State was a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Fascism, fascist regime which governed Kingdom of Romania, Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by ...
, serving to 1946. He was sidelined by the Romanian communist regime in the late 1940s and early '50s, when he was employed as a minor clerk. With his mentor Crainic, Crevedia contributed to the propaganda review ''
Glasul Patriei ''Glasul Patriei'' (Romanian for 'The Voice of the Fatherland') was a Communist Romania's propaganda publication aimed at Romanian emigres, that served the aim of promoting the Socialist Republic of Romania as a harbour not only of socialist idea ...
''. He was more fully recovered under
national communism National communism represents various forms in which Marxism–Leninism and socialism has been adopted and/or implemented by leaders in different countries using aspects of nationalism or national identity to form a policy independent from comm ...
in the 1960s, and lived to see the communist ascendancy of his son Barbu. His rural-themed poetry, much of it echoing
Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...
,
Ion Minulescu Ion Minulescu (; 6 January 1881 – 11 April 1944) was a Romanian avant-garde poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist, literary critic, and playwright. Often publishing his works under the pseudonyms I. M. Nirvan and Koh-i-Noor (the latte ...
and
Sergei Yesenin Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin ( rus, Сергей Александрович Есенин, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ jɪˈsʲenʲɪn; ( 1895 – 28 December 1925), sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one o ...
, was reprinted in various installments to 1977. It is regarded by critics as a minor but picturesque contribution to modern
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. History The development of the Romanian literature took place in parallel with that ...
.


Biography


Early life

The future writer was born in the eponymous
Crevedia Mare Crevedia Mare is a commune located in Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania The commune is located about 20 km west of Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, indust ...
,
Vlașca County Vlașca County is a former first-order administrative division of the Kingdom of Romania, in southern Muntenia, located between Bucharest and the Danube, which is now mostly the county of Giurgiu County, Giurgiu. The county seat was Giurgiu. The c ...
(now
Giurgiu County Giurgiu () is a county (''județ'') of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 265,494 and the population density was . * Romanians – over 96% * Roman ...
), on . Nicolae Scurtu
, date=2017-02-02 "O epistolă necunoscută a lui Nicolae Crevedia"
in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Nr. 3/2012
His parents were the peasants Ion Cârstea and his wife Floarea ''née'' Antonescu,
Alexandru Piru Alexandru Piru (August 22, 1917 – November 6, 1993) was a Romanian literary critic and historian. Born in Mărgineni, Bacău County,Alex. Ștefănescu"Al. Piru", in ''România Literară'', nr. 10/2002 his parents were Vasile, a notary, and ...
, "Crevedia N.", in Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. II, p. 419-420. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004.
described the poet as: "well-to-do people of the plow. I am the first one in my family to have worn a necktie." Crevedia also saw himself as "purely Romanian and from a fully Romanian region", but was rumored to be of Bulgarian ethnicity.
Vlaicu Bârna Vlaicu Victor Virgil Bârna (December 4, 1913 – March 11, 1999) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet. Born in Crișan, Hunedoara County, in the Transylvania region, his parents Ion Bârna and Maria (''née'' Pavel) were peasants. After ...

"Un cuvânt nou în limba română"
in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Nr. 42/2001
His birth name was Niculae (or Nicolae) Ion Cârstea, although he later had it officially changed to N. Crevedia, his pseudonym of choice. One of two sons born to the Cârsteas, he sponsored his younger brother complete a high school education, while his older sisters (one of whom had 17 children of her own) remained largely illiterate. After completing primary school in his native village, his high school education was interrupted by World War I. Niculae was mobilized as a telephone operator at the mayor's office in Crevedia Mare. He witnessed first-hand the Romanian defeat of November 1916, when Vlașca and all of
Muntenia Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the seldom used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in R ...
fell to the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
; his father was drafted into the 45th Infantry Regiment, and withdrew with it to
Iepurești Iepurești is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bănești, Chirculești, Gorneni, Iepurești, Stâlpu and Valter Mărăcineanu. References

Communes in Giurgiu Count ...
. With Floarea and his sister Oana, Crevedia traveled there, meeting the caravans of refugees heading for
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, the national capital. As revealed by his private notebooks, Niculae witnessed his father's humiliation by a young platoon leader, as well as his marching into the infantry counterattack of Bălăriile (part of the larger
Battle of Bucharest The Battle of Bucharest, also known as the '' Argeş–Neajlov Defensive Operation'' in Romania, was the last battle of the Romanian Campaign of 1916 in World War I, in which the Central Powers' combatants, led by General Erich von Falkenhayn, ...
). Notoriously philandering into his old age,C. D. Zeletin, "Poetul N. Crevedia în aducerea aminte (I)", in ''Ateneu'', Nr. 6/2012, p. 8 Crevedia boasted that his first sexual encounters were war widows. Upon the end of war, he walked to Bucharest in order to complete his education. In 1923–1924, he was a clerk at the War Ministry, making his published debut in 1924, in the journal ''Cultul Eroilor Noștri''.Crevedia, p. 26 Crevedia graduated from Saint Sava High School in 1925, and then pursued a degree in Slavic studies at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...
. Although he learned Latin and the rudiments of Bulgarian, he never in fact took his degree. He belonged to the sociological research teams led by
Dimitrie Gusti Dimitrie Gusti (; 13 February 1880 – 30 October 1955) was a Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, historian, and voluntarist philosopher; a professor at the University of Iaşi and the University of Bucharest, he served as Romania's Minister of ...
and worked for a while as a substitute teacher, then as a private tutor. Moving between rented apartments, Crevedia had a sexual relationship with one of his landladies, resulting in the birth of son, the future novelist
Eugen Barbu Eugen Barbu (; 20 February 1924 – 7 September 1993) was a Romanian modern novelist, short story writer, journalist, and correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. The latter position was vehemently criticized by those who contended tha ...
. Ștefan Agopian
"Cine scrie ''Groapa'' altuia"
in '' Cațavencii'', January 28, 2012
Dinu Săraru Dinu Săraru (born 30 January 1932) is a Romanian novelist and playwright. He was born in Slătioara, Vâlcea County. A member of Writers' Union of Romania, he belonged to the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party prior to 1989, ...

"Aventura postumă a unui mare scriitor"
in ''
Adevărul ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...
'', April 10, 2015
According to eyewitnesses, father and son resembled each other perfectly.Crohmălniceanu (1994), p. 167 Crevedia recognized him as his own, but preferred to be discreet about his existence. Formally registered as the son of State Railways carpenter Nicolae Barbu, Eugen himself publicly denied his origins, but later admitted to them in private. Complaining that teaching and studying made him a "misfit", Crevedia took up professional journalism, writing for ''
Curentul ''Curentul'' is a Romanian newspaper, based in Bucharest. It was founded in January 1928 by Pamfil Șeicaru and relaunched in October 1997. Before 1944, Șeicaru had written daily the main editorial An editorial, or leading article (UK) or ...
'', '' Epoca'' and ''Mișcarea''; other magazines that ran his work include '' Rampa'', '' Vremea'', ''
Adevărul Literar și Artistic ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published du ...
'', ''
Bilete de Papagal ''Bilete de Papagal'' was a Romanian 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, ...
'', ''
Azi ''Azi'' (''Today'' in Romanian) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. The paper was started in 1990. Today was also the name of a literary magazine published monthly in Romania, from March 1932 to August 1938, under the directio ...
'' and ''
Revista Fundațiilor Regale ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' ("The Review of Royal Foundations") was a monthly literary, art and culture magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern ...
''. In 1930, ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrevi ...
''s literary supplement hosted his interview with writer
Vasile Voiculescu Vasile Voiculescu (, literary pseudonym V. Voiculescu; 27 November 1884 – 26 April 1963) was a Romanian poet, short-story writer, playwright, and physician. Biography Early life and education Voiculescu was born in Pârscov, Buzău County ...
, in which the latter spoke about his mystical experiences. Crevedia's first book, ''Epigrame'' ("Epigrams"), was published in 1930, followed in 1933 by poetry collection ''Bulgări și stele'' ("Clumps and Stars").Iosif Bâtiu, "Cărți. N. Crevedia: ''Buruieni de dragoste''. Roman Editura Cugetarea", in ''Progres și Cultură'', Nr. 2–3/1937, pp. 63–64 After frequenting the modernist club at ''
Sburătorul ''Sburătorul'' was a Romanian Modernism, modernist literary magazine and literary society, established in Bucharest in April 1919. Led by Eugen Lovinescu, the circle was instrumental in developing new trends and styles in Romanian literature, rangi ...
'',C. D. Zeletin, "Poetul N. Crevedia în aducerea aminte (II)", in ''Ateneu'', Nr. 7–8/2012, p. 10 he became one of the most dedicated followers of the poet-theologian
Nichifor Crainic Nichifor Crainic (; pseudonym of Ion Dobre ; 22 December 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County – 20 August 1972, Mogoșoaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theology, theologian famed for his traditionalist activities. Crai ...
, and "one of the most constant" contributors to his magazine, ''
Gândirea ''Gândirea'' ("The Thinking"), known during its early years as ''Gândirea Literară - Artistică - Socială'' ("The Literary - Artistic - Social Thinking"), was a Romanian literary, political and art magazine. Overview Founded by Cezar Pet ...
''. Crevedia saw himself as "a man of the right, like my father before me". In his definition, this meant both "ardent"
Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is the nationalism which asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is the Romanian ultranationalism.Aristotle KallisGenocide and Fascism: The Eliminationist Drive ...
and calls for "social justice", with particular emphasis on "the peasant issue": "The easantryis rotten with illness, still ignorant, morally ruined, and political parties have turned it into bedlam." Drifting toward Crainic's neo-traditionalist and
Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates i ...
far-right, he served as editor-in-chief for the dailies ''Calendarul'' and '' Porunca Vremii''. He also published in ''
Cuvântul ''Cuvântul'' (, meaning "The Word") was a daily newspaper, published by philosopher Nae Ionescu in Bucharest, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It ...
'' reportage pieces which documented the effects of the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
on the Bucharest proletariat. Crevedia followed up with humorous, satirical prose volumes: ''Bacalaureatul lui Puiu'' ("Puiu's Baccalaureate", 1933), ''Dragoste cu termen redus'' ("Short-term Love", 1934); together with Al. С. Calotescu-Neicu, he published ''Antologia epigramei românești'' ("An Anthology of Romanian Epigrams", 1933).Grigore Bugarin, "Cronica literară. N. Crevedia: ''Burueni de dragoste''", in ''Banatul Literar, Artistic și Social'', Nr. 1/1937, p. 17 He won the
Romanian Writers' Society The Romanian Writers' Society ( ro, Societatea Scriitorilor Români) was a professional association based in Bucharest, Romania, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the e ...
prize in 1934 and enjoyed commercial success, but was soon after accused of plagiarism by his ''Calendarul'' colleague
Pan M. Vizirescu Pantelimon M. Vizirescu (August 16, 1903–January 27, 2000) was a Romanian poet and essayist. Biography Early life and education Born in Bârza, Braneț, Olt County, his parents Marin Vizirescu and Maria (''née'' Pietreanu) were agricu ...
and by the epigrammatist Paul I. Papadopol. Nicolae Scurtu
"Un pseudonim, o epistolă și câteva tușe la un portret"
in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared on ...
'', Nr. 29/2015
One of the accusations referred to Crevedia's translation of a Bulgarian poem, which appeared in both '' Viața Literară'' and ''Frize''. The piece was later exposed as nearly identical to one of Crevedia's own works; when asked to justify himself, he noted that both poems were his own, and that he had presented one as a translation piece so as to ensure that
I. Valerian I. Valerian (born Valeriu Ionescu; August 1, 1895 – November 21, 1980) was a Romanian writer and journalist. Born in Ivești, Galați County, the son of Fotache, a worker and clerk active in Ivești and Tecuci, and his wife Amalia, he spent ...
would publish it.


Iron Guard sympathizer

This period also brought him and Crainic into contact with the radically antisemitic
Iron Guard The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
. In December 1933, Crevedia was one of the intellectuals who protested in ''Axa'' magazine against the government's decision to ban the Guard. During 1935, he was present at
Maglavit Maglavit is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Hunia and Maglavit. History In mid-1935, local Romanian Orthodox shepherd Petrache Lupu claimed to have seen and spoken with God. Over the following three yea ...
, one of several Guard sympathizers claiming to have witnessed the religious miracles performed by shepherd
Petrache Lupu Petrache Lupu (born 14 October 1907, Maglavit, Dolj, Romania - died December 14, 1994, Maglavit, Dolj, Romania) was a shepherd from Maglavit commune, who claimed to have had divine visions. In 1935 a mass phenomenon began, with Maglavit becoming a ...
. In ''Porunca Vremii'', he claimed that Lupu had cured his own uncontrollable blinking. He penned panegyrics to the Guard's Captain
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; born Corneliu Codreanu, according to his birth certificate; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938) was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion ...
, an "extraordinary organizer" and "profound thinker who reflects on the current issues facing our nation." In his words, Codreanu, an example of "virility, faith, and sacrifice, admanaged to make us believe that this Nation has not disappeared." He alternated this cult with that of
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
and his "Prince Charming" son,
Michael I Michael I may refer to: * Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767 * Michael I Rhangabes, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844) * Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantinopl ...
. Nonetheless, Vizirescu accused him of being a disloyal "servant" of Crainic and an inconsistent, corrupt, ally of the Iron Guard. Reportedly, Crevedia complained to his peers that Crainic was exploiting him. Crevedia had another publicized row with the literary critic and historian
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
—later, he acknowledged Călinescu as a "titan of his generation" and "one of our great prose writers", but still criticized him for "work ng year upon year, for the Jews". He also applied his polemical energy to more personal causes, for instance attacking a putative former lover,
Marta Rădulescu Marta D. Rădulescu (April 24, 1912 – September 5, 1959) was a Romanian poet, journalist, and novelist, made famous in the 1930s for her autofictional work. From an academic family with a penchant for radical politics, she veered into fascist po ...
(daughter of the author Dan "Justus" Rădulescu),Roland Clark, ''Sfîntă tinerețe legionară. Activismul fascist în România interbelică'', pp. 146–147. Iași:
Polirom Polirom or Editura Polirom ("Polirom" Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology and a ...
, 2015.
Dragoș Sdrobiș
"Stânga și dreapta la Universitatea din Cluj în anii 1930. Cazul profesorului Dan Rădulescu de la Facultatea de Științe"
in ''
Apostrof ''Apostrof'' (Romanian language, Romanian for "Apostrophe") is a monthly literary magazine published in Cluj-Napoca, Romania under the Romanian Writers' Union patronage. It was founded in 1990 by Babeş-Bolyai University professor Marta Petreu, who ...
'', Nr. 7 (302), 2015
with a lampoon piece in ''Viața Literară''. A resident of
Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
, she was locally famous as the editor of ''Revista Mea'', a mouthpiece of the Iron Guard. They had allegedly been due to be married, and Rădulescu even wrote a short novel on the topic, but she eventually rejected him. In such texts, Crevedia accused Marta of having stolen his writings—a claim dismissed by Vizirescu and later also by researcher Ion Chinezu. In some of his notes on the scandal, Crevedia also claimed that Marta's ghostwriter was her father "Justus". Crevedia took his final revenge on Rădulescu by having her satirized in the 1936 novel ''Buruieni de dragoste'' ("Love Weeds").Romulus Demetrescu, "Cărți", in ''Pagini Literare'', Nr. 1/1937, pp. 60–61 Some two years after the scandal, Crevedia married Maria Mutu, in a religious ceremony with Crainic as godfather. Maria was a niece of the ''Gândirea'' novelist
Gib Mihăescu Gib I. Mihăescu (; born Gheorghe I. Mihăescu; April 23, 1894 – October 19, 1935) was a Romanian prose writer and playwright. Born in Drăgășani, his parents were Ion Mihăescu-Stegaru, a lawyer, and his wife Ioana (''née'' Ceaușescu). He ...
, in whose house she lived before marriage; she worked as a professor of French and Romanian. The couple had two daughters, Ioana and Diana. A flight enthusiast, Crevedia continued to travel throughout Europe, and announced by 1937 that he was planning to publish a travelogue of his trips through the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, a theatrical version of ''Bacalaureatul lui Puiu'', and an anthology of Bulgarian poetry, alongside a new novel, ''Mămăligă''—referencing the folk dish. His play was reportedly finished, and Crevedia failed at convincing
Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu (; 9/21 April 1894 – 14 May 1957) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, philosopher and poet. He marked the end of the traditional novel era and laid the foundation of the modern novel era in Romania. Life Petrescu was born in Bu ...
to include it in the National Theater program. Two other volumes of his poetry appeared around that time: ''Maria'' (1938), named after his wife, and ''Dă-mi înapoi grădinile'' ("Give Me Back My Gardens", 1939). Still at ''Porunca Vremii'', Crevedia responded to left-wing adversaries of Crainic, primarily the novelist
Mihail Sadoveanu Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...
, director of ''
Adevărul ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...
''. During the far-right's anti-Masonic campaign of 1936–1938, he mocked Sadoveanu's obesity and urged him to shoot himself. In early 1937, at the height of the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, he contributed to Iron Guard martyrology, depicting Romanian volunteers as "killed for Christ and the Latin race", seeds of "the iron phalanx of tomorrow." However, later that year he and ''Porunca Vremii'' had switched their allegiances to the
National Christian Party The National Christian Party ( ro, Partidul Național Creștin) was a radical-right authoritarian and strongly antisemitic political party in Romania active between 1935 and 1938. It was formed by a merger of Octavian Goga's National Agrarian Part ...
(PNC), which took fourth place in the December elections. On January 1, 1938, Crevedia published an editorial calling for the PNC to take over and inaugurate a "new era" of antisemitic conservatism. Before World War II, Crevedia was mainly contributing to ''Universul'', which was increasingly favorable to fascism. In its literary supplement, he issued calls for a nationalist art, purified of "unhealthy, imported currents". As noted by the satirist Neagu Rădulescu, these were prosperous times for Crevedia, who had a firm contract with publisher Petre Georgescu-Delafras. At the time, he was keeping the aspiring novelist
Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu (; September 15, 1916 in Războieni, Romania – June 22, 1992 in Paris, France) was a Romanian writer, best known for his 1949 novel, ''The 25th Hour'', first published by Plon in France. Life Virgil Gheorghiu ...
as his salaried secretary and his ''țuțăr'' ("yes-man"), allowing him to wear his old clothes. At the Writers' Society, he notes, Crevedia acted as a person of importance, but was told off by other writers. As he moved up in his career, Crevedia built a modern home in his village, which he donated to his sister. He continued to rely on rented housing, but purchased himself residential land in
Băneasa Băneasa () is a borough () in the north side of Bucharest, in Sector 1, near the Băneasa Lake (). Like all north-side districts of Bucharest, it is relatively sparsely populated, with large areas of parkland. Bordering on Băneasa Forest, ...
, where, in 1940, he still hoped to build himself a family villa. Under the Iron Guard's
National Legionary State The National Legionary State was a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Fascism, fascist regime which governed Kingdom of Romania, Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by ...
regime of late 1940, he directed Crainic's own fascist newspaper, ''
Sfarmă-Piatră (; literally "Stone-Crusher" or "Rock-Breaker", named after one of the ''Uriași'' characters in Romanian folklore) was an antisemitic daily, monthly and later weekly newspaper, published in Romania during the late 1930s and early 1940s. One in ...
''. In mid 1940 the
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...
government sent him as a press attaché in
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
. Serving there to 1946, he put together an edition on Romanian culture for ''
Serdika Serdika or Serdica (Bulgarian: ) is the historical Roman name of Sofia, now the capital of Bulgaria. Currently, Serdika is the name of a district located in the city. It includes four neighbourhoods: "Fondovi zhilishta"; "Banishora", "Orlandovts ...
'' and published ''Cultura românească și centrul ei: Bucureștii'' ("Romanian Culture and Its Center: Bucharest", 1943). He also began translating Bulgarian poetry from the original, in the hope of publishing it, and also arranged for "an esteemed Bulgarian colleague" to work on similar translations from the Romanian. No such work ever so print. He continued to publish in ''Universul'', including 1941 verses which deplored the cession of
Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...
to Romania's nominal ally, Regency Hungary, and claimed that
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
would emerge again. In 1943, he penned in '' Viața Basarabiei'' an eulogy to his fellow poet and friend,
Octav Sargețiu Octav Sargețiu (born Dumitru V. Popa; October 23, 1908–November 21, 1994) was a Romanian poet. Born in Vlad Țepeș, Călărași County, his parents Vișan Popa and Maria (''née'' Cristea) were peasants. He attended the normal school for te ...
, whom he thus brought to public attention.


Sidelining and return

Although a fascist, Crevedia was spared during the first purge of the Writers' Society that followed the August 1944 Coup. In July 1945, the
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of the Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet occupation during the early stages of the Commu ...
government assessed his case and ruled: "From revedia'sarticles in ''Porunca Vremii'' one can discern a fully antisemitic campaign with incitement and exhortation of the most violent actions. With his writing he serviced Hitlerism and fascism, popularizing hooligan, anti-democratic, frames of mind. Since Nicolae Crevedia's actively fascist journalism is limited to the year 1939 and given that in later years he stopped putting out such articles, sanction shall be limited to a ban on activities, for no longer than 5 years." Following the establishment of Romanian communist regime in 1948, he found himself shunned from mainstream literature, and continued to write, secretly, poems which explicitly contradicted the guidelines of
socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...
. He resorted to informal channels, and, with
Virgil Carianopol Virgil Carianopol (March 29, 1908–April 6, 1984) was a Romanian poet. Born in Caracal, his parents were Grigore Carianopol, a court clerk, and his wife Atena (''née'' Popescu). He attended primary school (1916–1920) and the first two grade ...
,
Ion Buzdugan Ion Alion Buzdugan ( Romanian Cyrillic and russian: Ион Буздуган, born Ivan Alexandrovici Buzdâga;Onisifor Ghibu, "Trei luni din viața Basarabiei", in '' Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 13/1924, p. 283Constantin Poenaru, "Viața bucovine ...
and
Radu D. Rosetti Radu D. Rosetti or Rossetti (December 13 Constantin Ciopraga, ''Literatura română între 1900 și 1918'', pp. 296–297. Iași: Editura Junimea, 1970 or December 18, Șerban Cioculescu, "Amintiri. Radu D. Rosetti", in '' România Literară'', I ...
, began frequenting the literary parties held at Ion Larian Postolache's home, on Dobroteasa Street, Bucharest. This salon also grouped younger writers, including C. D. Zeletin and Crevedia's own son, Eugen. According to one account, Postolache arranged for Crevedia to meet his son: they had been aware of each other, but never actually met, and Crevedia had heard that Barbu was reduced to poverty. Barbu became more acceptable to the regime, and published in 1957 his own novel ''The Pit'', part of which fictionalizes Crevedia's youth. According to a persistent rumor, the whole book was actually ghostwritten by Crevedia. Crevedia clerked at the virology institute (1955–1956) and at the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...
's linguistics institute (1957), before being called on by the regime to edit ''
Glasul Patriei ''Glasul Patriei'' (Romanian for 'The Voice of the Fatherland') was a Communist Romania's propaganda publication aimed at Romanian emigres, that served the aim of promoting the Socialist Republic of Romania as a harbour not only of socialist idea ...
'' magazine, from 1957 to 1972. As noted by critic
Ovid Crohmălniceanu Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
, the latter enterprise, publishing propaganda aimed at the
Romanian diaspora The Romanian diaspora is the ethnically Romanian population outside Romania and Moldova. The concept does not usually include the ethnic Romanians who live as natives in nearby states, chiefly those Romanians who live in Ukraine, Hungary, Serbi ...
, was set up by former political prisoners Crainic and
George Ivașcu George Ivașcu (most common rendition of Gheorghe I. Ivașcu;"Partea I B: Dispozițiuni și publicațiuni care nu au caracter normativ: Deciziuni. Ministerul Informațiilor", in ''Monitorul Oficial'', Issue 112/1947, p. 3980 July 22, 1911 – ...
, with
Securitate The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
agents as supervisors. According to Crohmălniceanu, Crevedia and others, supposed to show the world that freedom of speech existed behind the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
, were not in fact "old defenders of democracy", but "had rather filled ith their namesthe old fascist press." Following relative liberalization and
national communism National communism represents various forms in which Marxism–Leninism and socialism has been adopted and/or implemented by leaders in different countries using aspects of nationalism or national identity to form a policy independent from comm ...
under
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...
, Crevedia returned to the public eye with a '' Luceafărul'' article on his meetings with Gib Mihăescu (1965), followed by the self-selected anthology ''Versuri'' ("Verse", 1968). In 1969, with Vizirescu and Carianopol, alongside the
Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
envoy
Paul Niculescu-Mizil Paul Niculescu-Mizil (; 25 November 1923 – 5 December 2008) was a Romanian communist politician. Joining the Romanian Communist Party due to his background and intellectual aspirations, he was prominent in the agitprop department during Gheorgh ...
, he attended the official banquet marking Crainic's 80th birthday. Reportedly, the same year he was also the first reviewer of Barbu's other novel, ''Princepele'', which he found to be a masterpiece. Despite being left-wing and Jewish, Crohmălniceanu discovered that he liked the poetry of both Crainic and Crevedia, and made efforts to have it revisited; as he recounts, these were received with indignation by the communist poet
Eugen Jebeleanu Eugen Jebeleanu (; 24 April 1911 – 21 August 1991) was a Romanian poet, translator, journalist and scholar. Biography He was born in Câmpina, where he attended elementary school. After graduating from high school in Braşov at age 11 in 19 ...
, who called Crevedia a "hooligan". Crevedia himself was moved by Crohmălniceanu's work, and the two, later joined by Crainic, had cordial meetings in the early 1970s. Before his 1978 death, Crevedia put out the anthology ''Epigramiști români de ieri și de azi'' ("Romanian Epigrammatists Past and Present", 1975) and included his previously unpublished verses in ''Vinul sălbatic'' ("Wild Wine", 1977). Crevedia was survived by Barbu and his two half-sisters. Diana Crevedia, married Cristev, worked for the
Museum of Romanian Literature A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...
and was an editor of '' Manuscriptum''. A translator of works by her more famous writer brother, she later emigrated to Italy. In 2018, she and her sister provided the military magazine ''România Eroică'' some fragments from their father's unpublished ''Mămăligă''. Well regarded by the Ceaușescu regime, Barbu remained active at the forefront of Romanian politics and literature through to the 1989 Revolution. A subset of protochronist ideology, his cell of pro-Ceaușescu writers was sometimes known as the "Barbu Group", with Barbu himself co-opted on the Communist Party Central Committee; however, his reputation as an author suffered after revelations of plagiarism, and he was sidelined in the 1970s. As editor of '' Săptămîna'', he cultivated poet
Corneliu Vadim Tudor Corneliu Vadim Tudor (; 28 November 1949 – 14 September 2015) also colloquially known as "Tribunul" was the leader of the Greater Romania Party ( ro, Partidul România Mare), poet, writer, journalist, and a Member of the European Parliament. H ...
, famous for introducing antisemitic themes to the national-communist discourse. Following the Revolution, Barbu, Tudor and
Iosif Constantin Drăgan Iosif Constantin Drăgan (; June 20, 1917 – August 21, 2008) was a Romanians, Romanian and Italy, Italian businessman, writer, historian and founder of the ButanGas company. In 2005, he was the second-wealthiest Romanian, according to the Romania ...
set up an ultra-nationalist
Greater Romania Party The Greater Romania Party ( ro, Partidul România Mare, PRM) is a Romanian nationalist political party. Founded in May 1991 by Eugen Barbu and Corneliu Vadim Tudor, it was led by the latter from that point until his death in September 2015. The ...
.


Work


Poetry

From early on, Crevedia created a reputation as a haughty, blustering countryside poet and as a prose writer inclined toward the licentious; gradually, his lyricism became purer and more temperate, in line with an authentic peasant traditionalism. With
Aron Cotruș Aron Cotruș (; 2 January 1891 – 1 November 1961) was a Romanian poet, diplomat, and member of the fascist Iron Guard. Life He was born in 1891 in Hașag, Sibiu County, at the time in Austria-Hungary. After attending secondary school in Blaj ...
,
Radu Gyr Radu Gyr (; pen name of Radu Ștefan Demetrescu ; March 2, 1905, Câmpulung-Muscel – 29 April 1975, Bucharest) was a Romanian poet, essayist, playwright and journalist. Biography Early life Gyr was the son of actor Ștefan "Coco" Dumitres ...
, and other ''
Gândirea ''Gândirea'' ("The Thinking"), known during its early years as ''Gândirea Literară - Artistică - Socială'' ("The Literary - Artistic - Social Thinking"), was a Romanian literary, political and art magazine. Overview Founded by Cezar Pet ...
'' poets, he exulted
hajduk A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
life, "bursting into explosions of vitality." The ''Gândirea'' house critic,
Ovidiu Papadima Ovidiu Papadima (June 23, 1909, Sinoe, Constanța County – May 26, 1996, Bucharest) was a Romanian literary critic, folklorist, and essayist. He studied at the Alexandru Papiu Ilarian High School in Târgu Mureș, graduating at the top of his ...
, referred to Crevedia as a traveler on the "imperial road of poetry", emanating "warm and full light". When dealing with the poetic universe of Bucharest suburbia, Crevedia's work was infused with influences from
Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...
, who, Călinescu argues, was a "prototype", particularly with his ''Mildew Flowers'' cycle. Nevertheless, the critic points out that the thick
Wallachian dialect The Wallachian dialect (''/'/'') is one of the several dialects of the Romanian language (Daco-Romanian). Its geographic distribution covers approximately the historical region of Wallachia, occupying the southern part of Romania, roughly between t ...
of Crevedia's prose was only suited for comedic situations and "facile subjects", not "great lyricism". He viewed Crevedia as particularly hampered by his borrowings from the humorous verse of
Ion Minulescu Ion Minulescu (; 6 January 1881 – 11 April 1944) was a Romanian avant-garde poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist, literary critic, and playwright. Often publishing his works under the pseudonyms I. M. Nirvan and Koh-i-Noor (the latte ...
and his own "prankish temperament". Crevedia and his friend
George Dorul Dumitrescu George Dorul Dumitrescu (born Gheorghe Dumitrescu; February 14, 1901 Iurie Colesnic"George Doru-Dumitrescu la Chișinău" in ''Revista Limba Română'', Nr. 9–12/2013 or 1904–1985) was a Romanian prose writer and columnist. Born in Cep ...
both regarded Arghezi as "the prince of writers". Also supporting the hypothesis that Crevedia's work was largely shaped by ''Mildew Flowers'', critic
Șerban Cioculescu Șerban Cioculescu (; 7 September 1902 – 25 June 1988) was a Romanian literary critic, literary historian and columnist, who held teaching positions in Romanian literature at the University of Iași and the University of Bucharest, as well as m ...
saw additional echoes from
Sergei Yesenin Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin ( rus, Сергей Александрович Есенин, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ jɪˈsʲenʲɪn; ( 1895 – 28 December 1925), sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one o ...
, particularly in the "daring crudeness" of their shared vocabulary. This view was toned down by poet
Mihai Beniuc Mihai Beniuc (; 20 November 1907 – 24 June 1988) was a Romanian socialist realist poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was born in 1907 in Sebiș, Arad County (at the time in Austria-Hungary), and attended the Moise Nicoară High School in Arad ...
, who though a direct comparison between the Romanian and Russian poet was exaggerated. Yesenian themes were traced by Cioculescu to poems such as ''Ceai dansant'' ("Tea Party"), which displays nostalgia for the countryside: The modernist
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
describes Crevedia as the most accomplished traditionalist, and notes that ''Bulgări și stele'' would have been a fully original work had it not been for ''Mildew Flowers''. Crevedia's art was "neither folkloric nor a pastel, neither bucolic nor a fairy tale, and yet a rural poetry, or rather a plebeian poetry ..of great plastic vigor, its vocabulary cruel to the brink of vulgarity and ugliness, but authentic".Lovinescu, p. 94 According to C. D. Zeletin, Crevedia had a "rural obsession", but actually disliked
Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian ...
; behind the "impression of aggressiveness and primitivism", he was secretly inspired by Arghezi's more cultivated and urbanite literature. Zeletin praised in particular Crevedia's use of
alliteration Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device. A familiar example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Alliteration is used poetically in various ...
and experiments with poetic language, arguing that they render a "savant charm". Călinescu also noted that Crevedia's poetic homage to his father as a man "seemingly made from stumps and soil", had "a certain
xylographic Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...
vigor";Călinescu, p. 930 Lovinescu also called it an "admirable woodcut". Călinescu identified even "purer vibrations" in stanzas such as:


Prose

According to reviewer Silviu Bardeș, Crevedia's ten sketches in ''Bacalaureatul lui Puiu'' had "lively dialogue" and "verve", but alternated between the "remarkable" and the "salacious". The title story was "a fine portrait of today's educated guttersnipes." ''Dragoste cu termen redus'', a comedic novel, shows the myopic cadet Vasile Țâgăran faking an illness to escape the dullness of military life, only to fall in love with his nurse, Aurora, and finding out that his unrequited affection is much more unbearable. Toward the end of the book, Aurora, having rejected his advances, is shown making passionate love to a street-smart
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...
recruit. As noted by Lovinescu, both ''Bacalaureatul lui Puiu'' and ''Dragoste cu termen redus'' were complicit to the point of being "vulgar", and overdone: "Comedic situations are exploited mercilessly, persistently, gleefully, amplified and unchecked. For something that Gh. Brăescu will obtain on one page, revediauses ten." The political novel and memoir ''Buruieni de dragoste'' depicts Sanda Marinescu, a thinly disguised version of
Marta Rădulescu Marta D. Rădulescu (April 24, 1912 – September 5, 1959) was a Romanian poet, journalist, and novelist, made famous in the 1930s for her autofictional work. From an academic family with a penchant for radical politics, she veered into fascist po ...
; ''Revista Mea'' becomes ''Revista Revistelor'', and "Justus" is Professor Barbu Marinescu, a
Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
. The journalist Trestieru, standing in for Crevedia, slowly discovered that Sanda's political prose is actually the work of her father, and also that the latter has commonplace political opinions, dictated by sociology, democracy, and
Fordism Fordism is a manufacturing technology that serves as the basis of modern economic and social systems in industrialized, standardized mass production and mass consumption. The concept is named after Henry Ford. It is used in social, economic, and ...
. Reviewing the work in 1937, folklorist Iosif Bâtiu argued: "The nationalist youth will easily recognize in the novel's characters, admirably contoured as they are, many pioneers of the nationalist movement, as well as its detractors, the latter viewed in all their spiritual emptiness." This opinion was contrasted by that of ''Pagini Literare'' columnist Romulus Demetrescu, who suggested that Crevedia wrote a "lampoon ..against Marta Rădulescu 's family", "doing away with all discretion and delicacy". He found especially "upsetting" and indecent that Crevedia had disguised other known characters under transparent pseudonyms, suggesting that the author was suffering from
megalomania Megalomania is an obsession with power and wealth, and a passion for grand schemes. Megalomania or megalomaniac may also refer to: Psychology * Narcissistic personality disorder * Grandiose delusions * Omnipotence (psychoanalysis), a stage of ...
. Another traditionalist reviewer, Grigore Bugarin, argued that ''Buruieni de dragoste'' was written in "masterly Romanian, with unexpected charm. ..The protagonists come alive. As soon as you close the book, you may close your eyes and hear them speak, watch them gesticulate." The novel, Bugarin claimed, "is a lifelike expression of today's Romanian bourgeoisie." Agreeing with Crevedia's politics, but also with his ideal of the "intellectual woman", Bâtiu concluded: "In this literary era of ours, when so many indecent and pornographic books are shamelessly published by authors of dubious origins, these ''Love Weeds'' settle in as a gentle breeze". On the modernist side, Lovinescu also argued that ''Buruieni de dragoste'' was Crevedia's most accomplished work. "Poorly structured" and "embarrassing for those familiar with literary life", it was nonetheless more analytical, and had "a poetic note and vigorous expression".Lovinescu, pp. 242–243


Notes


References

*
Lucian Boia Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944 in Bucharest) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history from the deformations due to ideological propaganda. I.e. as ...
, ''Capcanele istoriei. Elita intelectuală românească între 1930 și 1950''. Bucharest:
Humanitas ''Humanitas'' is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word ''humanitas'' corresponded to the Greek concepts of '' philanthr ...
, 2012. *
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini pînă în prezent''. Bucharest:
Editura Minerva Editura Minerva is one of the largest publishing houses in Romania. Located in Bucharest, it is known, among other things, for publishing classic Romanian literature, children's books, and scientific books. The company was founded in Bucharest in ...
, 1986. *Nicolae Crevedia, "De la seceră la baionetă", in ''România Eroică'', Vol. XX, Issue 1, 2018, pp. 26–31. *
Ovid Crohmălniceanu Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
, **''Literatura română între cele două războaie mondiale'', Vol. I. Bucharest: Editura Minerva, 1972. **''Amintiri deghizate''. Bucharest: Editura Nemira, 1994. *Niculae Gheran, ''Arta de a fi păgubaș. 3: Îndărătul cortinei''. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 2012. *
Radu Ioanid Radu may refer to: People * Radu (given name), Romanian masculine given name * Radu (surname), Romanian surname * Rulers of Wallachia, see * Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960), disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne Other uses * Ra ...
, "Extracts from ''Characteristics of Rumanian Fascism''", in
Roger Griffin Roger David Griffin (born 31 January 1948) is a British professor of modern history and political theorist at Oxford Brookes University, England. His principal interest is the socio-historical and ideological dynamics of fascism, as well as va ...
, Matthew Feldman (eds.), ''Fascism (Critical Concepts in Political Science). Vol. IV'', pp. 119–141. London & New York City:
Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, 2004. *
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române contemporane''. Chișinău: Editura Litera, 1998. *
Z. Ornea Zigu Ornea (; born Zigu Orenstein Andrei Vasilescu"La ceas aniversar – Cornel Popa la 75 de ani: 'Am refuzat numeroase demnități pentru a rămâne credincios logicii și filosofiei analitice.' ", in Revista de Filosofie Analitică', Vol. II, N ...
, ''Anii treizeci. Extrema dreaptă românească''. Bucharest: Editura Fundației Culturale Române, 1995. *Neagu Rădulescu, ''Turnul Babel''. Bucharest: Cugetarea-Georgescu Delafras, 1944. *Florin Rotaru (ed.), "Cronici literare" and "Studii literare", in Serghei Esenin,
Zaharia Stancu Zaharia Stancu (; October 7, 1902 – December 5, 1974) was a Romanian prose writer, novelist, poet, and philosopher. He was also the director of the National Theatre Bucharest, the President of the Writers' Union of Romania, and a titular memb ...
, ''Moscova cârciumăreasă. Ediție bibliofilă'', pp. 267–338. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 1999. *
Katherine Verdery Katherine Verdery (born 1948) is an American anthropologist, author, and emeritus professor, following her tenure as the Julien J. Studley Faculty Scholar and Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York's Graduate Center. Career S ...
, ''National Ideology under Socialism: Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceaușescu's Romania''. Berkeley etc.:
University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
, 1995. {{DEFAULTSORT:Crevedia, N. 1902 births 1978 deaths Romanian male poets 20th-century Romanian poets Gândirea Romanian epigrammatists Romanian novelists Romanian humorists Romanian travel writers Romanian anthologists 20th-century memoirists Romanian memoirists 20th-century translators Romanian translators Bulgarian–Romanian translators Romanian magazine editors Romanian newspaper editors Romanian activist journalists Romanian agrarianists Romanian fascists Romanian civil servants Romanian public relations people Romanian propagandists Romanian diplomats People from Giurgiu County Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Romanian military personnel of World War I Saint Sava National College alumni Romanian expatriates in Bulgaria Romanian people of World War II People involved in plagiarism controversies Censorship in Romania