Ștefan Baciu
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Ștefan Aurel Baciu (, ; October 29, 1918 – January 6, 1993) was a Romanian and Brazilian poet, novelist, publicist and academic who lived his later life in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. A precocious, award-winning, young author in interwar Romania, he was involved in editing several literary magazines. Attracted into left-wing democratic politics and the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...
(PSDR), he camouflaged his views while working for the
fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
press under dictatorial regimes, but returned in 1944 to manage the PSDR's ''Libertatea'' newspaper. Witnessing first-hand the gradual communist takeover, Baciu managed to have himself assigned to a diplomatic posting in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, and ultimately defected in 1948. A resident and then citizen of Brazil, and a traveler throughout
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, he wrote works in Portuguese, Spanish, English and German, as well as in his native Romanian. Involved with the
Congress for Cultural Freedom The Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) was an anti-communist cultural organization founded on 26 June 1950 in West Berlin. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. In 1966 it was revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency w ...
and a friend of independent socialists such as Juan Bosch, Baciu spoke out against South American communism and criticized
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
. He eventually moved to the United States, as a professor at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
, and, from 1964, the
University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
. He put out the international magazine ''Mele'', which, although rudimentarily printed and little circulated, remains a noted source of information about avant-garde writers of the
Romanian diaspora The Romanian diaspora is the Romanians, 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, Hun ...
, from Andrei Codrescu to Dolfi Trost and Sesto Pals. Baciu was also a preeminent historian and anthologist of South and Central American
surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
, as well as a translator of
Latin American literature Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of Latin America. Latin American literature rose to particular pro ...
into Romanian and German.


Biography


Early life

Ștefan Baciu was born in
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
, some months before the city became part of
Greater Romania Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
. His was a multicultural intellectual family. His father was the ethnic Romanian Ioan Baciu, a product of
Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
schooling, was at the time a teacher of German at the Șaguna National College. He is remembered at the co-author of a pioneering introductory Romanian textbook for the benefit of
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
and
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
."Legendele Brașovului: Poet celebru în America Latină", in ''Gazeta Brașovului'', Nr. 19/2012 In 1930, he built for his family the "Yellow House" in Lunca Plăieșului residential property, which had recently been opened for settlement. The poet's mother, Elisabeta, was the daughter of the forestry engineer Arthur Sager; his maternal aunt, Lenuța König, was a
corsetmaker A corsetmaker is a specialist tailor who makes corsets. Corsetmakers are frequently known by the French equivalent terms corsetier (male) and corsetière (female). Staymaker is an obsolete name for a corsetmaker. Design and distribution The bes ...
for Queen Marie.Gligor & Caloianu, p. 165 Baciu's sister, Ioana Veronica, had a successful career in the theater. Through the Sagers, Ștefan and Ioana were of Jewish descent. Ioana Diaconescu
"Scriitori în arhiva CNSAS: Ștefan Baciu în dosarele Securității"
, 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 ...
'', Nr. 21/2009
Raised
Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...
, and still a practicing believer in the 1960s, Simona Cioculescu
"Scrisori din exil"
, 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 ...
'', Nr. 12/2008
Baciu considered himself a "cosmopolitan" one. Baciu was a precocious child. Bookish from an early age, despite being heavily myopic, Constantin Eretescu
"Lumea exilului (I)"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Nr. 121, June 2002
he discovered Romanian and German poetic anthologies, including Kurt Pinthus' expressionistic chrestomathy, ''Menscheitsdämerung''. Florin Manolescu
"Scriitori români în exil. Un brașovean în Honolulu: Ștefan Baciu"
in ''
Viața Românească ''Viața Românească'' (, "The Romanian Life") is a monthly literary magazine published in Romania. Formerly the platform of the left-wing traditionalist trend known as poporanism, it is now one of the Writers' Union of Romania's main venues. ...
'', Nr. 11/12/2013
In addition to German, he taught himself French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. A student of his father's Șaguna National College, where he earned top grades, Nicolae Scurtu
"Ștefan Baciu și revista ''Viața Literară''"
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 ...
'', Nr. 40/2013
he made friends with two of his teachers, writers Octav Șuluțiu and Emil Cioran. Șuluțiu would later refer to Baciu as one of the most characteristic poets of
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
region. Baciu made his editorial debut as a teenager, with German- and Romanian-language poems published in the local reviews ''Klingsor'' and ''Răboj''. Emil Manu
"Poemele poetului Ștefan Baciu"
, in '' Convorbiri Literare'', February 2013
Spiridon & Toader, p. 162 In September 1933, having been denied sponsorship of a literary magazine by Șaguna College,Opriș, p. 122 he set up his own, avant-garde sheet called ''Start''. It was indebted to
surrealist automatism Surrealist automatism is a method of art-making in which the artist suppresses conscious control over the making process, allowing the unconscious mind to have great sway. This drawing technique was popularized in the early 1920s, by Andre Masson ...
and by
André Gide André Paul Guillaume Gide (; 22 November 1869 – 19 February 1951) was a French writer and author whose writings spanned a wide variety of styles and topics. He was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature. Gide's career ranged from his begi ...
's rebellious philosophy. ''Start'' functioned as a local satellite of I. Valerian's '' Viața Literară'', which had appointed Baciu its official correspondent and publicity agent for the whole of Transylvania. Struggling with financial difficulties, ''Start'' did not survive beyond its second issue. Baciu moved on to publish other magazines, alongside
Vintilă Horia Vintilă Horia (; December 18, 1915 – April 4, 1992) was a Romanian writer, winner of the Prix Goncourt. His best known novel is '' God Was Born in Exile'' (1960). Life and career Horia was born in Segarcea, a small town in Dolj County, Ro ...
, Mihai Beniuc, and Ovid Caledoniu: ''Stilet'' ("Stiletto"), then ''Meșterul Manole'' (named after the folk legend hero). Additionally, he was a contributor to literary magazines and newspapers across Romania, including '' Gând Românesc'', '' Glasul Bucovinei'', '' Rampa'', and George Ivașcu's ''Manifest''. At age seventeen, Baciu had his ''Poemele poetului tânăr'' ("Poems of the Young Poet") picked up in a "young poets' anthology", and put out by the official publishing company, Editura Fundațiilor Regale. He was presented with the company's own Young Writers Award and received the Romanian Writers' Society Poetry Prize. He followed up in 1936 with ''Poeme de dragoste'' ("Love Poems"), published by '' Familia'' of
Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...
, and in 1937 with ''Micul dor'' ("A Tiny Longing"). Iordan Datcu
"Vladimir Streinu cenzurat"
, 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 ...
'', Nr. 25/2002
Spiridon & Toader, p. 170 Also that year, he was included in the anthology ''13 poeți'', with Horia, Caledoniu, Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu, Simion Stolnicu, Dumitru Gherghinescu-Vania and various others.


Under fascism

Young Baciu was soon received into the cultural elite of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, befriending the likes of
Păstorel Teodoreanu Păstorel Teodoreanu, or just Păstorel (born Alexandru Osvald (Al. O.) Teodoreanu; July 30, 1894 – March 17, 1964), was a Romanian humorist, poet and gastronome, the brother of novelist Ionel Teodoreanu and brother in law of writer Ștefana Ve ...
and Ion Minulescu. Alongside Caledoniu, George Petcu, Maria Banuș, Laurențiu Fulga and some others, Baciu was also drawn into the "White Nights Manifesto" circle, which sought to promote young literature. Also faced with financial troubles, and unsuccessful in its bid to receive state funding, the circle closed shop in 1938. Baciu had since enlisted at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
Faculty of Law, whence he graduated in 1941. His college years overlapped with the demise of Romanian democracy and several authoritarian experiments, the first of which was a
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front (, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romanian political party created by King Ca ...
dictatorship. By late 1938, Miron Neagu
"Din arhiva Emil Giurgiuca"
, 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 ...
'', Nr. 51-52/2006
Baciu had begun collaborating in the semi-official newspaper, '' Sfarmă-Piatră'', published by the fascist sympathizer
Nichifor Crainic Nichifor Crainic (; pseudonym of Ion Dobre ; 22 December 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County â€“ 20 August 1972, MogoÈ™oaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theologian famed for his traditionalist activities. Crainic was ...
. He had a literary history column, ''Cronici germane'' ("German Chronicles"), with which he aimed to popularize "that superb
German Romanticism German Romanticism () was the dominant intellectual movement of German-speaking countries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, influencing philosophy, aesthetics, literature, and criticism. Compared to English Romanticism, the German vari ...
".Ștefan Baciu, "Cronici germane. Cuvânt de început", in '' Universul Literar'', Nr. 43/1939, p. 2 (digitized by the
BabeÈ™-Bolyai University The BabeÈ™-Bolyai University ( , , commonly known as UBB) is a public research university located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Established in 1581 as Academia Claudiopolitana, it underwent several reorganizations over the centuries, eventually taking ...
br>Transsylvanica Online Library
He was in correspondence with a more senior poet, Emil Giurgiuca, offering to popularize Giurgiuca's work "in ''Sfarmă-Piatră'' or wherever". Also in 1938, Baciu collected his translations from Georg Trakl, which came out at Editura Frize in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
.Spiridon & Toader, p. 171 Having openly supported the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
as a radical fascist alternative to the establishment, ''Sfarmă-Piatră'' was also falling into disfavor with the National Renaissance Front regime. Early in 1939, following bloody clashes between the Front and the Guardists, ''Sfarmă-Piatră'' was outlawed. Baciu moved to the more mainstream ''
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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...
'', becoming its editor and resuming ''Cronici germane'' in its literary supplement. He also held the literary criticism column, taking over from
Ștefan Augustin Doinaș Ștefan Augustin Doinaș (; pen name of Ștefan Popa) (April 26, 1922 – May 25, 2002) was a Romanian Neoclassical poet of the Communist era. He wrote 23 books of poetry, as well as children's books, essay collections, and a novel. Doinaș was ...
. During the early stages of World War II, Crainic gave Baciu the office of editorial secretary 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 P ...
'' magazine, but sacked him upon finding out about his Social Democratic loyalties.Spiridon & Toader, p. 163 According to communist sources, Baciu was himself an affiliate or sympathizer of the Iron Guard—a claim that has since been disputed; Baciu's PSDR membership and his mother's Jewishness disqualified him for such an enterprise. By his own account, Baciu was a ''malagambist'', meaning that he followed the zoot-clad jazzman Sergiu Malagamba and had cosmopolitan, Americophile tastes. George Ciorănescu, Crisula Ștefănescu
"Ștefan Baciu, un poet român din America Latină"
in ''Cultura'', Nr. 297, October 2010
He did however befried the Guard's poet laureate,
Radu Gyr Radu Gyr (; pen name of Radu Ștefan Demetrescu ; March 2, 1905 – 29 April 1975) was a Romanian poet, essayist, playwright, journalist and fascist activist. Biography Early life Born in Câmpulung-Muscel, Gyr was the son of actor Ștefan ...
, helping him publish in ''Gândirea'' even after the Guard's violent fall from grace in early 1941."Centenar Radu Gyr", in ''Biblioteca Bucureștilor'', Nr. 3/2005, pp. 13–14 Upon his graduation, Baciu became translator for the Institute of Statistics (under Sabin Manuilă), cultural adviser for the General Council of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, and publisher for the companies Gorjanul and Publicom. His poetic work was collected in the volumes ''Drumeț în anotimpuri'' ("A Traveler through Seasons", 1939), ''Căutătorul de comori'' ("The Treasure Hunter", 1939), ''Cetatea lui Bucur'' (" Bucur's Citadel", 1940), and ''Muzica sferelor'' (" Music of the Spheres", 1943). Attracted by the prospects of a good pay in the only thriving literary industry of the war years, he began contributing to the humorous press. He debuted in Virgil Slăvescu's ''Păcală'', as "Grigore Cumpănașu", and later held columns in ''Veselia'' and Ion Anestin's ''Gluma''. While at university, Baciu had met and fallen in love with Mira Simian (born 1920). The daughter of Dinu Simian, a
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
politician from
Vâlcea County Vâlcea County (also spelt ''Vîlcea''; ) is a county (județ) that lies in south-central Romania. Located in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (which are separated by the Olt (river), Olt River), it i ...
, heir to a tanning and footwear-making empire,Constantin Mateescu, "Oahu", in ''Acolada'', Nr. 1/2011 and his Polish wife, Mira attended the Bucharest Faculty of Letters, then worked as a pharmacist in
Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (formerly ''Râmnic'', ) is a city in Romania. Located in the south-central part of the country, in the historical province of Oltenia, it is the seat of Vâlcea County and its main urban settlement. According to the 2021 Romanian ...
. She married Baciu upon the war's end.


PSDR journalist, diplomat, defector

The August 23, 1944 Coup unsealed Romania's alliance with
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, and brought back democracy, but also signified the onset of Soviet occupation. Shortly after the legalization of political parties, Baciu became editor of the Social Democratic press organ ''Libertatea'' ("Liberty"). From October 1944 to December 1945, he edited his own illustrated satirical review, ''Humorul'' ("Humor"). Meanwhile, he also put out new selections from his poetry: ''Cântecul mulțimii'' ("Song of the Crowd"), with a preface by Ion Pas, came out at the PSDR party press in 1944; ''Caiet de vacanță'' ("Notebook for the Holidays") at Unirea of Râmnicu Vâlcea in 1945. His circle of acquaintances grew to include some members of the Bucharest surrealist circle, in particular Sesto Pals (who was Baciu's lifelong friend) Michaël Finkenthal
"Sesto Pals sau poezia omului ciudat"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Nr. 169, May 2003
and Dolfi Trost. With his party falling under the influence of Romanian Communists, Baciu remained close to the independent pro-Western wing, under Constantin Titel Petrescu. As he would note in 1992, Baciu had always been "an adept of
democratic socialism Democratic socialism is a left-wing economic ideology, economic and political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and wor ...
".Spiridon & Toader, p. 165 He referred to Petrescu as "the tocsin-sounder of the great perils that were knocking on our door, perils not just for the existence of social democracy, but also of Romania's very existence as a free democratic state". Baciu described with alarm the rapid communization of his writer friends, recording Beniuc's enthusiasm at seeing liberal demonstrators being repressed with machine guns.Boia, p. 265 He also witnessed the desperation of his friend Gyr, who attempted suicide in Râmnicu Vâlcea. However, according to literary historian Mircea Popa, Baciu's ''Libertatea'' editorials were of that kind "that would later shame him": young Baciu ridiculed the prewar regime as an era of conformity and "nothingness", and even praised socialist realism.Popa, p. 92–93 At the time, Communist Party politicians tempted him with offers to become
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...
or theater manager. Baciu was present at the PSDR Congress of March 10, 1946, which resulted in the party's electoral alliance with the Communists. His testimony describes Petrescu's anti-fusion speech as the point of view of a "good and courageous Romanian". Baciu further recalls: "I walked etrescuback to his home alongside some hundreds of partisans". In October 1946, owing to his Social Democratic credentials, Baciu was appointed press officer of the Romanian Embassy in
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
. The ambassador was Șerban Voinea, a PSDR theoretician. Baciu conceived of this assignment as a safe haven from communism, but was still troubled about leaving Romania and his relatives. He brought up the issue in conversations with Petrescu, who advised him: "Forget ira'spharmacy, choose freedom." His appointment became the object of disputes between Communist-controlled agencies and
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
, which was still controlled by an ally, Gheorghe Tătărescu. As Baciu recalls, Tătărescu gave him and his wife tacit backing, without signing any papers, and discreetly handed them their diplomatic passports. On November 5, the Bacius crossed into
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
semi-clandestinely, knowing that they risked being returned at the border. The
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
government was only informed later of their arrival in Bern. Like Voinea, Baciu had open disagreements with his Bucharest superiors, complaining that his efforts to publicize
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania. Early Romanian literature inc ...
in the Swiss "workers' press" were not being supported by the Romanian state. He wrote for the editorial section of ''
Tribune de Genève The () is a Swiss French-language, regional daily newspaper, published in Berliner format by TX Group in Geneva. It was founded by American businessman James T. Bates in 1879. It collaborates and shares some of its content with '' 24 heures'' ...
'', to dissuade Swiss fears about the stabilization of the
Romanian leu The Romanian leu (, plural lei ; ISO code: RON; numeric code: 946) is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 (, singular: ), a word that also means "money" in the Romanian language. Etymology The name of the currency means "lio ...
. The communist authorities later accused him of purposefully withholding information, "thus giving reactionaries reason to minimize this important reform". In late 1947, just before the proclamation of a Romanian communist republic, Voinea resigned his posting. Baciu, who was recalled and assigned to a new post in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, opted to discontinue his work in diplomacy and demand
political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...
in Switzerland. He was advised to do so by a friend, Victor Popescu (son of ''Universul'' editor
Stelian Popescu Stelian Popescu (February 19, 1874, in Lacu Turcului, Prahova County – March 8, 1954, in Madrid, Spain) was a nationalist Romanian journalist. Biography He was elected to Parliament many times. He was Minister of Justice in the Ionescu cab ...
).


Brazilian exile

The Bacius registered their case with the International Refugee Organization (IRO), who processed them to determine if they were or had been undercover agents of a secret service.Lazăr, p. 294 During the interval, Baciu was publishing essays and in ''Literarische Tat'', and Mira was working for the
Zytglogge The Zytglogge (Bernese German: ; ) is a landmark medieval tower in Bern, Switzerland. Built in the early 13th century, it has served the city as a guard tower, prison, clock tower, centre of urban life and civic memorial. Despite the many red ...
pharmacy. The Bacius simultaneously applied for asylum in Brazil,
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
(meanwhile, Mira's uncles had managed to escape to
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
). Cleared by the IRO in early 1949, the Bacius were given asylum rights in Brazil, and arrived at
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
in March. They had a rough start in the new country, and struggled to make ends meet. Ștefan Baciu resumed his work in poetry, translating Latin American novellas into German and Raúl Otero Reiche's ''América'' into Romanian, and publishing his own surrealist works, including ''Analiza cuvântului dor'' ( Valle Hermoso, 1951). In late 1952, alongside Faust Brădescu, he was editing ''Înșir-te Mărgărite'', a magazine for the Romanian Brazilian community, which also reached Romanian communities from Argentina to
Francoist Spain Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
. Its stated purpose was the preservation and publicizing of Romanian poetry and prose. Romania's
Securitate The Department of State Security (), commonly known as the Securitate (, ), was the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was founded on 30 August 1948 from the '' Siguranța'' with help and direction from the Soviet MG ...
secret police, which was following his movements, noted Brădescu's Iron Guard affiliation as a sign of Baciu's own fascism.Spiridon & Toader, p. 164 Also in 1953, Baciu was made editor of the foreign politics page at
Carlos Lacerda Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda (30 April 1914 – 21 May 1977) was a Brazilian journalist and politician. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro state. He was the s ...
's ''Tribuna da Imprensa''. According to the Securitate, this was a "newspaper of the fascist kind". He published occasional contributions to ''Revista da Semana'', ''Diário Carioca'', and ''Maquis'', and, in 1957, two volumes of his
Portuguese-language Portuguese ( or ) is a Western Romance language of the Indo-European language family originating from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is the official language of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tom ...
poetry: ''Aula de solidão'' ("Lesson in Solitude"), ''Dois Guatemaltecos'' ("Two Guatemalans"). Meanwhile, Mira Baciu worked as a translator for the Deputies' Chamber. With ''Tribuna da Imprensa'' credentials, Baciu traveled across Latin America. In Mexico, he interviewed
Natalia Sedova Natalia Ivanovna Sedova (, ; 5 April 1882 – 23 January 1962) was a Russian revolutionary and author known as the second wife of Leon Trotsky. She wrote on cultural matters pertaining to Marxism. Life Natalia was born in to the family of a ...
, widow of
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
. In 1956, he was at
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, where he met the Romanian writer-violinist Grigore Cugler. The two began a correspondence, with Baciu persuading Cugler to republish his 1930s avant-garde stories. He prepared for publishing Cugler's ''Afară de unul singur'', but the manuscript was lost in the process (although an earlier print was eventually recovered in 1998). Ion Simuț
"Al doilea Urmuz"
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 ...
'', Nr. 23/2004
Baciu also embarked on a mission to popularize Romanian avant-garde writers, publishing Spanish and Portuguese essays about Urmuz and Constant Tonegaru. By then, Baciu was also involved with the anti-authoritarian left-wing movement on the South American continent. As he saw it, the ''
caudillo A ''caudillo'' ( , ; , from Latin language, Latin , diminutive of ''caput'' "head") is a type of Personalist dictatorship, personalist leader wielding military and political power. There is no precise English translation for the term, though it ...
'' regimes of
Alfredo Stroessner Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan politician, army general and Military dictatorship, military dictator who ruled as the 42nd president of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 until his overthrow in 19 ...
,
Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...
or Anastasio Somoza were generally equivalent to Eastern European
Stalinism Stalinism (, ) is the Totalitarianism, totalitarian means of governing and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), 1927 to 1953 by dictator Jose ...
. Together with Salvadorean diplomat Rafael Barraza Monterrosa, the Bacius managed a Panhispanist association, called
Ruy Barbosa Ruy Barbosa de Oliveira (5 November 1849 – 1 March 1923), also known as Rui Barbosa, was a Brazilian politician, writer, jurist, and diplomat. He was a prominent defender of civil liberties who called for the abolition of slavery in Brazi ...
Circle, building personal contacts with Juan Bosch, the exiled Dominican socialist, and Carlos Mérida, the
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
n painter.Baciu (1983), p. 11 In 1956, he had an encounter with Cuban revolutionary
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
, and became a sympathizer of his
26th of July Movement The 26 July Movement (; M-26-7) was a Cuban vanguard revolutionary organization and later a political party led by Fidel Castro. The movement's name commemorates the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, part of an at ...
.


CCF and Cuban Revolution

The Bacius were eventually granted Brazilian citizenship, and became fully integrated in Brazil's cultural life. The couple counted among their writer friends Carlos Drummond de Andrade,
Manuel Bandeira Manuel Carneiro de Sousa Bandeira Filho (April 19, 1886 – October 13, 1968) was a Brazilian poet, literary critic, and translator, who wrote over 20 books of poetry and prose. Life and career Bandeira was born in Recife, Pernambuco. In 1904 ...
and Cecília Meireles. In April 1958, Baciu, Meireles and Bandeira were among the 42 intellectuals who set up a Brazilian chapter of the anticommunist
Congress for Cultural Freedom The Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) was an anti-communist cultural organization founded on 26 June 1950 in West Berlin. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. In 1966 it was revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency w ...
(CCF), which, from 1959, put out the Portuguese-language review ''Cadernos Brasileiros''. The organization was in part funded by the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
, through its Paris agent, John Hunt (with whom Baciu corresponded), and answered directly to the Spaniard Julián Gorkin. Baciu joined the staff of ''Cadernos'' as editor in chief (with Afrânio Coutinho as editorial manager) and was General Secretary of the CCF until August 1962; Mira was the Executive Secretary. Baciu was with Bosch in Venezuela, celebrating
Rómulo Betancourt Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 – 28 September 1981; ), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was a Venezuelan politician who served as the president of Venezuela, from and again from Second presidency of Rómulo ...
's victory in the election of December 1958. Together with Bosch, he organized a negative campaign against the
Republic of Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, but Bosch refused any explicit endorsement of Castro's guerrilla. In January 1959, following the success of the
Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
, Baciu was invited by the new government in
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. He declined the invitation but, later that year, he made his way there to interview Castro. He recorded in particular Castro's disdain for the Cuban Communists. In March, he happened to meet Castro's communist inspiration,
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
, but they only discussed literature. Also in 1959, Baciu published in Rio the essay ''Um continente em busca de uma doutrina'' ("A Continent Searching for a Doctrine").Cancelli, p. 79 In 1960, he was awarded honorary citizenship of Rio. He was working on the book of memoirs in Portuguese, ''Bucareste-Estação Norte'' ("Bucharest- Northern Station"), which came out at Edições o Cruzeiro in 1961. Meanwhile, Baciu's Romanian relatives were suffering under communist persecution. Dinu Simian was mistreated and tortured in Sighet prison, where he eventually died; Dinu's wife, Constanța, was also detained, and, upon her 1962 release, had to struggle to make ends meet. In 1962, through the intercession of
Brazilian President The president of Brazil (), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil () or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the ...
Juscelino Kubitschek Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. Kubitschek's government plan, dubbed "50 years i ...
, Mira Baciu persuaded the Romanian authorities to grant her mother safe passage to Brazil. With his 1961 reportage ''Cortina de hierro sobre Cuba'' ("The
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical 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. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
over Cuba"), prefaced by
Salvador de Madariaga Salvador de Madariaga y Rojo (23 July 1886 – 14 December 1978) was a Spanish "eminent liberal", diplomat, writer, historian and pacifist who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize and awarded the Charl ...
, Baciu made public his criticism of Castroist communism, and condemned its spread to other Latin American nations. He rendered it even more explicit in the poem ''Eu nu îl cînt pe Che'' ("I Do Not Sing for Che"), known in Spanish as ''Yo no canto al Ché''. This change of attitudes was radical, as Baciu moved to confront the communists directly, and, in his letters to Gorkin, stated his desire to purge the CCF itself of "camouflaged"
Brazilian Communists Brazilian commonly refers to: * Brazil, a country * Brazilians, its people * Brazilian Portuguese, its dialect Brazilian may also refer to: * "The Brazilian", a 1986 instrumental music piece by Genesis * Brazilian Café, Baghdad, Iraq (1937) * Bra ...
. Such ideas alarmed the CIA, since they risked alienating the anticommunist left. John Hunt and Keith Botsford repeatedly asked Baciu to focus on anti-Casto, rather than "right-wing", propaganda (Hunt referred to Baciu as "a right-wing democratic socialist", a Betancourt associate, and a "maniac"). By then, the Brazilian CCF was vulnerable, its CIA connections brought up for public debate by communist intellectuals like
Jorge Amado Jorge Amado ( 10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, includi ...
and Egídio Squeff. Although he did not formally adhere to any Romanian anticommunist organization, Baciu was in correspondence with Constantin Vișoianu and the Romanian National Committee, publishing anticommunist essays in the latter's ''România'' gazette. Allegedly, Baciu found himself threatened by the Cuban Intelligence Directorate.Lazăr, p. 295 However, it was Baciu's extreme
anticommunism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...
that prompted Hunt to demand his resignation and appoint Vicente de Paulo Barretto as the new CCF General Secretary. Baciu later commented that the CCF had committed "suicide" by moderating its tone, noting that its "constructive dialogue with proven communists" was a moral victory for "
Eurocommunism Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties, which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more relevant for Western Europe. During the Cold War, they sough ...
".


Between Seattle and Honolulu

Baciu's Rio colleagues backed him in his bid for the Brazilian literature chair at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
. He obtained it, and moved to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, where Mira began her own career as a Spanish-language teacher. However, Mira detested the
Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
, and the couple was often taking trips back to Latin America. In 1963, Baciu and his wife were in
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
, celebrating Bosch's victory in the Dominican presidential suffrage. Afterwards, they also visited neighboring
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
, where Baciu was trying to recover for publishing the obscure surrealist works of Clément Magloire-Saint-Aude. The same year, Baciu published in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
his poetic cycle ''Poemele poetului pribeag'' ("Poems of the Outcast Poet"). In 1964, Baciu obtained a professorship in
Latin American literature Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of Latin America. Latin American literature rose to particular pro ...
at the newly founded
University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
. He enjoyed his work there, but felt bad about the smaller attendance his classes inevitably received. In 1965, the Bacius set up their own magazine, ''International Poetry Letter – Mele'' (from the Hawaiian for "song"), which sought to establish connections between Latino, French, American and Romanian literature. Although noted for the quality of its illustrations, ''Mele'' had a very minor circulation, with at most 300 copies per issue, all of them xerographed by Baciu's students. ''Mele'' sought to popularize Romanian authors, and, doubling as a publishing house, put out periodic selections from Baciu's own poems in Romanian and Spanish. Baciu helped discover and popularize Andrei Codrescu, the neo-avant-garde Romanian exile writer. Cosmin Ciotloș
"Un poet nemaipomenit"
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 ...
'', Nr. 19/2006
In 1967, the Bacius' home in
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
hosted Valeriu Anania, the writer and abbot of the Romanian Orthodox Church in America. A former Iron Guard man and prisoner of the communists, released with the spell of liberalization in 1964, Anania was treating his depression in Hawaii. Ștefan Cazimir
"'Ce straniu poate fi destinul unui om!'"
, 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 ...
'', Nr. 6/2009
Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian l ...

"Cartea vieții lui Valeriu Anania"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Nr. 465, March 2009
He was putting to paper a novel and poetry that he had "written inside his brain" while in jail, and doing research into
Hawaiian folklore Folklore in Hawaii in modern times is a mixture of various aspects of Hawaiian mythology and various urban legends that have been passed on regarding various places in the Hawaiian islands. The following is a partial list of some of these legend ...
. Anania later recalled that Mira Baciu had fallen in love with him, and that he had to fend off her advances while remaining friends with her and her husband. Baciu returned to Romanian-language publishing with the 1967 ''Ukulele'', put out by George Uscătescu's Editura Destin in Spain. He also made a comeback to Portuguese letters with the 1966 essay ''Manuel Bandeira de corpo inteiro'' ("The Complete Manuel Bandeira"). He followed up with a 1967 essay on the politics of Juan Bosch and Spanish-language poetry volumes, ''Semblanza y explicación de Latinoamérica'' ("A Profile and Explanation of Latin America") of 1968 and the 1973 ''Nasserismo'' ("
Nasserism Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalism, Arab nationalist and Arab socialism, Arab socialist List of political ideologies, political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution ...
"). In 1972, he published in Madrid's ''Colecția Start'' a complete collection of his Romanian poems. They featured a preface by Lucian Boz and a portrait by
Marcel Janco Marcel Janco (, ; common rendition of the Romanian language, Romanian name Marcel Hermann Iancu ; 24 May 1895 – 21 April 1984) was a Romanian and Israeli visual artist, architect and art theorist. He was the co-inventor of Dadaism and a leading ...
. Baciu also translated Romanian poetry into Spanish, and published several anthologies, beginning with the 1969 ''Poetas rumanos''. He was under contract with publishing houses in
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
, such as Peter Hammer and Neues Leben, translating for them five volumes of poetry by Ernesto Cardenal.


Anthologist

Inspired by an encounter with French surrealist Benjamin Péret, Baciu had begun a vast work of research into the history of Latin American avant-garde literature, and spent some time in Peru and
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. By his own account, he interviewed "my great friend" Tristán Marof,
Luis Alberto Sánchez Luis Alberto Félix Sánchez Sánchez (October 12, 1900 – February 6, 1994) was a Peruvian lawyer, jurist, philosopher, historian, writer and politician. A historic member of the Peruvian Aprista Party, he became a Senator and member of two C ...
, Javier Sologuren and Emilio Adolfo Westphalen, and helped rediscover the anticommunist surrealist Rafael Méndez Dorich. As noted by Sologuren, Baciu's studies also helped revive interest in the poetry of César Moro. In Argentina, Baciu befriended Aldo Pellegrini, who let him discover early avant-garde texts by
Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish literature, Spanish-language and international literatur ...
and "the extraordinary" Antonio Porchia. Pellegrini also introduced him to Enrique Gómez Correa and the Chilean surrealist scene. Introduced to
Jean Charlot Louis Henri Jean Charlot (February 8, 1898 – March 20, 1979) was a French-born American painter and illustrator, active mainly in Mexico and the United States. Life Charlot was born in Paris. His father, Henri, owned an import-export business ...
by Mérida, Baciu researched the history of
Mexican muralism Mexican muralism refers to the art project initially funded by the Mexican government in the immediate wake of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) to depict visions of Mexico's past, present, and future, transforming the walls of many public buil ...
, and discovered the proto-surrealism of
José Guadalupe Posada José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar (2 February 1852 – 20 January 1913) was a Mexican political printmaker who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin American artists and cartoonists becaus ...
. He was still following with interest the work of writers in Romania, and published his translations of neomodernist Romanian literature in a special issue of Peru's ''Haraui'' review. Baciu also followed the work of Romanians who translated Latino literature into Romanian. He found these attempts inauthentic and superficial, and criticized them in the 1970 essay ''Brazilia masacrata''. To the irritation of Editura Dacia publishers, he mailed them copies of this critique. Baciu later exposed communist censorship, noting for instance the cuts that had been made into the published diaries of Șuluțiu, and the exclusion of
concrete poetry Concrete poetry is an arrangement of linguistic elements in which the typographical effect is more important in conveying meaning than verbal significance. It is sometimes referred to as visual poetry, a term that has now developed a distinct mea ...
from the Brazilian anthologies of Darie Novăceanu. As he put it, "I believe it a duty of the exile writer to defend the Romanian language from the ' party-minded' invasion of the mediocrities, the boot-lickers, the savvy ones and the profiteers, be they talented or talentless." Baciu's inclusion in a poetry anthology, put out in Bucharest by
Nicolae Manolescu Nicolae Manolescu (; 27 November 1939 – 23 March 2024) was a Romanian literary critic. Elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy in 1997, he was upgraded to titular member in 2013. Life and career Manolescu was born in Râmnicu ...
, scandalized the communist apparatus; the work was soon withdrawn from bookstores by the censors. Nevertheless, the new communist regime of
Nicolae CeauÈ™escu Nicolae CeauÈ™escu ( ; ;  â€“ 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
made some efforts to appease Baciu and enlist him to write "propaganda for Romanian art and culture during the years of socialist consolidation", and even allowed Romanian journalists to contact him on the phone. Baciu claimed to have cut short such attempts, identifying them as a Securitate diversion. His rejection did not prevent Iron Guard loyalists such as Horia Stamatu from labeling Baciu a spy and avoiding all contact with him. In 1974, Baciu ultimately put out at
SUNY Press The State University of New York Press (more commonly referred to as the SUNY Press) is a university press affiliated with the State University of New York system. The press, which was founded in 1966, is located in Albany, New York and publishe ...
an overall anthology of Latin American poetry (''Antología de la poesía latinoamericana''), and at Editorial Joaquín Mortiz, in Mexico City, a critical anthology of Latin American surrealism, ''Antología de la poesía surrealista latinoamericana''.Spiridon & Toader, p. 166 The latter book was enthusiastically reviewed in ''Plural'' magazine by the writer
Octavio Paz Octavio Paz Lozano (March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998) was a Mexican poet and diplomat. For his body of work, he was awarded the 1977 Jerusalem Prize, the 1981 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, a ...
, who noted that it was "indispensable" to the study of local surrealism and that it marked the "end of gossip" about the phenomenon. It is seen by literary historians as "orthodox" in comparison with Pellegrini's earlier chrestomathy. In 1975, he edited in Madrid posthumous reissue of Cugler's ''Vi-l prezint pe Țeavă''. The following year, at San José, Baciu put out a volume of his own essays on
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
. Meanwhile, Mira Baciu, who discovered her artistic talents and became ''Mele'' illustrator, had completed her specialization at the
University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...
under Jacques Borel, she lectured in Spanish language, then became a professor of French. She befriended artist
Jacques Hérold Jacques Hérold (born Herold Blumer; 10 October 191011 January 1987) was a prominent Surrealism, surrealist painter born in Piatra Neamț, Romania. Biography Considered one of the most important late-period Surrealism, Surrealist painters, Hér ...
, who illustrated her poetry volume of 1973, ''Houla, Macumba, Hora''. She died of cancer, on July 2, 1978, bequeathing her estate to fund a Romanian literature scholarship at the University of Hawaii. Mira's death left Baciu in near-complete isolation from the Romanian-speaking public. As he later noted: "I literally have no one to whom I would read the things I write. There are at most ten Romanian speakers living in Honolulu and none of them, absolutely none, has ever been to a bookstore or a library to peek into, or to ask for, or to purchase a single book of poetry." He honored her memory with a 1979 semi-autobiographical novel, eponymously titled ''Mira''. A new volume of his memoirs saw print in Honolulu in 1980, as ''Praful de pe tobă'' ("The Dust on the Drum"). It was taped by
Virgil Ierunca Virgil Ierunca (; born Virgil Untaru ; August 16, 1920, Lădești, Vâlcea County – September 28, 2006, Paris) was a Romanian literary critic, journalist, and poet. He was married to Monica Lovinescu. Both Ierunca and Lovinescu worked for sev ...
and serialized by
Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...
(RFE), which broadcast clandestinely into Romania. In 1979, ''Antología de la poesía surrealista latinoamericana'' was reissued by the
University of Valparaíso The University of Valparaíso (UV) is a state public university in Chile, with its headquarters and the majority of its campuses in the city of Valparaíso. It has several other campuses in the Valparaíso Region and in Santiago, which is 100&nb ...
. Baciu also issued a new chrestomathy of Romanian-to-Spanish translations: ''11+11 poetas rumanos contemporáneos'', published by the
National Autonomous University of Nicaragua The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (, UNAN) is a public university in Nicaragua. Its main campus is located in Managua. The original campus, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua-León, UNAN-Leon, is located in León, Nicaragua ...
(UNAN). In addition to putting out ''Mele'' and his own works therein, Baciu published the Spanish-language collection of his poetry, ''El que pierde gana'' ("He Who Loses Wins", UNAN, 1978) and ''Pasaporte y pãnuelo'' ("Passport and Handkerchief", Revista Conservadora del Pensamiento Centroamericano, 1982). He returned to Portuguese-language writing in 1982, with ''Carioca honorário'' ("An Honorary
Carioca Carioca ( or ) is a demonym used to refer to residents of the City of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil and their culture. Like other Brazilians, ''Cariocas'' speak Portuguese. The ''carioca'' accent and sociolect (also simply called "''carioca''", ...
"), which came out in 1982 at
Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...
's Edições Pirata, and ''Lavradio 98'', a memoir of his work under Lacerda, at Editora Nova Fronteira of Rio. These were followed in 1984 by ''Un rumano en el Istmo'' ("A Romanian in the Isthmus"), at
Universidad Veracruzana Veracruzana University () is a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the southeast region of México. Its academic organization is a structure ...
; and in 1985 by translations from
Lucian Blaga Lucian Blaga (; 9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanians, Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist. He is considered one of the greatest philosophers and poets of Romania, and a prominent philosopher of the twenti ...
(co-written with Eugenio Montejo), at Fundarte of
Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
, and a Heredia University biography of Francisco Amighetti. Among Baciu's later contributions include several essays such as ''Centroamericanos '' (San José, 1986) and a biography of Tristán Marof (
La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
, 1987).


Final years

Throughout the late 1970s and early '80s, despite Baciu's isolation, ''Mele'' managed to obtain collaborations from many other Romanian writers, acquiring a relevant role in Romanian literary history. It hosted selections from the poetry of George Ciorănescu, who was at the time a chronicler for RFE. Ciorănescu returned the favor by popularizing Baciu's work in one of his broadcasts. ''Mele'' was especially noted for its reissue of works by the 1940s Romanian avant-garde. Baciu repeatedly tried to persuade Sesto Pals, who had returned to his regular job as an engineer, to publish a selection of his lifetime works. The May 1985 issue of ''Mele'' was entirely dedicated to Pals' poetry. Baciu also tracked down and interviewed poet-draftsman
Paul Păun Paul Păun (September 5, 1915 – April 9, 1994), born Zaharia Herșcovici and who later in life changed his legal name to Zaharia Zaharia, also signed his work Paul Paon and Paul Paon Zaharia. Monique Yaari"Le groupe surréaliste de Bucarest ent ...
, who, like Pals, moved from Romania to Israel. However, his friendship with Lucian Boz had deteriorated from 1978, when ''Mele'' hosted a piece by
César Tiempo César Tiempo, born Israel Zeitlin (March 3, 1906 in Yekaterinoslav, Russian Empire (now Dnipro, Ukraine) – October 24, 1980) was a Russian-born screenwriter of Argentine cinema. He wrote the script for award-winning films such as ''Safo, histor ...
, seen by Boz as "ferociously antisemitic". Baciu maintained a close relationship with dissidents and avant-garde writers in his native Romania—over 100 people, according to concerned Securitate operatives. Such figures include Nicolae Carandino, Alexandru Paleologu, Radu Tudoran, Corneliu Coposu, Ion Dezideriu Sîrbu,
Constantin Noica Constantin Noica (; – 4 December 1987) was a Romanian philosopher, essayist and poet. His preoccupations were throughout all philosophy, from epistemology, philosophy of culture, axiology and philosophic anthropology to ontology and logics ...
, Dan Culcer and Daniela Crăsnaru. He also corresponded with Constantin Mateescu, who provided him with references for the history of Mira's native city, Râmnicu Vâlcea. As Mateescu recalls, Vâlcea was still Baciu's "charming land". Baciu wrote a complete list of his own works, addressing it to literary critic Nicolae Steinhardt; like his other letters home, it was intercepted by the Securitate. As remarked by Mateescu, in 1984 the correspondence was abruptly interrupted, "even though aciu well informed about our country's realities, was prudent and restrained in his statements". Baciu's file shows that the Securitate also made note of this prudence, and was undecided about how to interpret it:
Albeit he misses his country, aciudoes not wish to return for a visit, his refusal backed up by confused explanations, by 'poetic' statements according to which 'he carries his country inside him'. Although aciuis adamant about his refusal of our country's current socio-political system, one may conclude that his literary activity, his propagation of Romanian literature, art and traditions, is positive in nature.
The secret police repeatedly tried but failed to recruit Baciu's Romanian relatives as informants, and resorted to harassing them at their workplaces. With some of his late works of
autofiction Autofiction is, in literary criticism, a form of fictionalized autobiography. Definition In autofiction, an author may decide to recount their life in the Third-person narrative, third person, to modify significant details and characters, use in ...
, Baciu saluted the anticommunist revolt in his native Brașov. He was enthusiastic about the success of Romania's 1989 Revolution. According to his diaspora friend Constantin Eretescu, he hoped to see a rapid transition to a Western-style democracy, but was soon disappointed by the National Salvation Front regime. Interviewed by Marta Petreu for '' Apostrof'', he noted that "one has a hard time adjusting after forty-six years in exile". His contribution was honored abroad: retired from Hawaii University as a ''professor emeritus'', he was also Bolivia's honorary consul in Honolulu. In 1991, he became Commander of the Bolivian Order of Merit. Baciu died in Honolulu on January 6, 1993, allegedly while talking to his sister Ioana over the phone. His corpus of works, beginning with ''Poemele poetului tânăr'', was being republished in Romania, following efforts by his sister and his brother-in-law, Ovidiu Mărgineanu. Geo Șerban
"Steag în bernă la Casa memorială Ștefan Baciu"
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Nr. 354, January 2007
A new edition of ''Praful de pe tobă'' saw print at Editura Eminescu in 1995. ''Mira'' was also republished, by Editura Albatros, in 1998. In 2006, when his ''Cetatea lui Bucur'' was reissued to critical acclaim, Daniel Cristea-Enache
"Versuri metropolitane"
in ''Cultura'', Nr. 79, July 2007
the "Yellow House" in Brașov was opened for the public as a Ștefan Baciu Memorial House, presently maintained by Brașov City Hall.


Poetry

Critic Vladimir Streinu saw Ștefan Baciu's early poetry as "boastful", but lacking "a timber of its own", and ultimately "neutral". His first surrealist episode was with ''Start'', ridiculed at the time by the mainstream review ''
Viața Românească ''Viața Românească'' (, "The Romanian Life") is a monthly literary magazine published in Romania. Formerly the platform of the left-wing traditionalist trend known as poporanism, it is now one of the Writers' Union of Romania's main venues. ...
'' for its "jolly good" metaphors: "It tells us that hounds feed on warm meat and that legs will sing when they walk." In ''Poeme de dragoste'', Streinu suggests, "the tone is youthful", but the subject matter is excessively
lyrical Lyrical may refer to: *Lyrics, or words in songs * Lyrical dance, a style of dancing *Emotional, expressing strong feelings *Lyric poetry Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically ...
and self-absorbed. The poet soon moved into a more traditionalist format, with echoes from Ion Pillat and
Parnassianism Parnassianism (or Parnassism) was a group of French poets that began during the positivist period of the 19th century (1860s–1890s), occurring after romanticism and prior to symbolism. The style was influenced by the author Théophile Gauti ...
. The result is visualized by critic Daniel Cristea-Enache as a "lace of
impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
" with a "thin but strong" expressionistic thread. According to ''
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 ...
'' reviewer Cosmin CiotloÈ™, this is an "exact and painstaking", but also "stunning", species of poetry. In ''Cetatea lui Bucur'', Baciu outlined his vision of a decadent-but-fascinating
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, with its many paradoxes: "How much I hate thee, my beloved city"; "Your bitter joy has done me in". As noted by CiotloÈ™, in Baciu's Bucharest "everything is alive, everything is artificial". The poetic cycle shows Baciu as a social critic, repulsed by the luxurious churches surrounded by slums, but also fascinated with the morbid aspects of Bucharest society, from the "grave-blackened women" of
Bellu cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...
to the pleasure-seekers on
Calea Victoriei Calea Victoriei (''Victory Avenue'') is a major avenue in central Bucharest. Situated in Sector 1, and having a length of , it leads from (which runs parallel to the Dâmbovița River) to the north and then northwest up to Piața Victoriei, w ...
—as noted by Cristea-Enache, the latter is merely an anti-capitalist "cliché of that era". Political inspiration also fueled some of Baciu's other juvenile works, including poems attacking the Nazis and honoring the August 23 Coup—written with a Social Democratic bias but owing ultimate inspiration to
Vladimir Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky ( – 14 April 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, artist, and actor. During his early, Russian Revolution, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Ru ...
, the Soviet poet laureate. His more conventional humorous poetry, which came out around 1945, owed inspiration to the jocular verse of
Păstorel Teodoreanu Păstorel Teodoreanu, or just Păstorel (born Alexandru Osvald (Al. O.) Teodoreanu; July 30, 1894 – March 17, 1964), was a Romanian humorist, poet and gastronome, the brother of novelist Ionel Teodoreanu and brother in law of writer Ștefana Ve ...
and George Topîrceanu. Returning to the avant-garde with ''Muzica sferelor'', with its homages to unconventional heroes such as Urmuz and
George Ciprian George Ciprian (; born Gheorghe Pană Constantin ; June 7, 1883 – 8 May 1968) was a Romanian actor and playwright. His writings make him a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd. Biography Born in Buzău to a Greeks in Romania, Greek baker's ...
, Baciu crafted his own poetic style. In large part, such lyrical work is explicitly self-referential, and inevitably linked to his diaspora experience. His nostalgia for Râmnicu Vâlcea and Brașov slowly replaced his memory of Bucharest. As noted by philologist Andrei Bodiu, he was not Brașov's first poetic chronicler, but the only such poet to be "urban and cosmopolitan" rather than elegiac and traditionalist.Bodiu, p. 226 Baciu wrote poems dedicated in part to each Latin American country he visited, and made unexpected connections between them and his native country. One such piece, honoring the
Cuban dissident movement The Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is to replace the current government with a liberal democracy. According to Human Rights Watch, the Marxist-Leninist Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political ...
, reads: Baciu's other poems include a set of
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
s and
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
pieces, from Emil Botta,
Lucian Blaga Lucian Blaga (; 9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanians, Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist. He is considered one of the greatest philosophers and poets of Romania, and a prominent philosopher of the twenti ...
, Ion Barbu and
Ion Vinea Ion Vinea (born Ioan Eugen Iovanaki, sometimes Iovanache; April 17, 1895 – July 6, 1964) was a Romanian poet, novelist, journalist, literary theorist, and political figure. He became active on the Modernist literature, modernist scene during hi ...
. They stand alongside satirical pieces targeting poets who had made compromises with the political system. In one such work, Baciu scolds
Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...
:


References


Citations


General and cited references

* Ștefan Baciu ** ''Juan Bosch: un hombre solo'', Artes Gráficas Benzal, Madrid, 1967. **
"Historia de una antología del surrealismo"
in ''Revista de la Universidad de México'', Vol. 37, January 1983, pp. 8–11 * Andrei Bodiu
"Orașul din memorie"
in ''Èšara Bârsei'', Nr. 6/2007, pp. 224–226 *
Lucian Boia Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history of deformations arising from ideological propaganda, and as a fighter ag ...
, ''Capcanele istoriei. Elita intelectuală românească între 1930 și 1950'',
Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") 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 corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...
, Bucharest, 2012. * Elizabeth Cancelli, ''O Brasil e os outros: o poder das ideias'', EDIPUCRS, Porto Alegre, 2012. * Ovid Crohmălniceanu, ''Evreii în mișcarea de avangardă românească'', Editura Hasefer, Bucharest, 2001. * Victor Frunză, ''Istoria stalinismului în România'', Humanitas, Bucharest, 1990. * Mihaela Gligor, Miriam Caloianu (eds.), ''Teodor Lavi în corespondență'', Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 2014. *
Monica Lovinescu Monica Lovinescu (; 19 November 1923 – 20 April 2008) was a Romanian essayist, short story writer, literary critic, translator, and journalist, noted for her activities as an opponent of the Romanian Communist regime. She published severa ...
, ''Unde scurte'', Humanitas, Bucharest, 1990. * Tudor Opriș, ''Istoria debutului literar al scriitorilor români în timpul școlii (1820-2000)'', Aramis Print, Bucharest, 2002. * Mircea Popa
"Ștefan Baciu - colaborări și versuri uitate"
in ''Steaua'', Nr. 10-11/2011, pp. 90–93 * Raluca Nicoleta Spiridon, Mihaela Toader
"Sub lupa Securității. Ștefan Baciu – un destin al exilului românesc (1918-1993)"
in ''Caietele CNSAS'', Nr. 2/2010, pp. 161–173 * Ioan Șt. Lazăr
"Mira Simian (1920–1978) – 90 de ani de la naștere"
in ''Buridava'', Nr. 8/2010, pp. 293–308


Further reading

* Daniel Ioniță, Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud, Rochelle Bews (eds.), ''Testament. Anthology of Modern Romanian Verse (1850–2015)'',
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 ...
, Bucharest. 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Baciu, Stefan 1918 births 1993 deaths 20th-century Brazilian novelists 20th-century Brazilian poets 20th-century Romanian essayists 20th-century Romanian male writers 20th-century Romanian memoirists 20th-century Romanian novelists 20th-century Romanian poets 20th-century Romanian translators American Spanish-language writers Andrei Șaguna National College (Brașov) alumni Anti-communism in the United States Brazilian anti-communists Brazilian biographers Brazilian emigrants to the United States Brazilian literary critics Brazilian literary historians Brazilian magazine editors Brazilian magazine founders Brazilian male novelists Brazilian male poets Brazilian memoirists Brazilian people of Romanian-Jewish descent Brazilian translators Brazilian travel writers Eastern Orthodox Christians from Brazil Expressionist poets Gândirea German–Romanian translators Latin Americanists Male essayists Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Naturalized citizens of Brazil Opposition to Fidel Castro People from Brașov People of the Cuban Revolution Romanian anthologists Romanian anti-communists Romanian biographers Romanian book publishers (people) Romanian civil servants Romanian columnists Romanian defectors Diplomats for Romania Romanian emigrants to Brazil Romanian expatriates in Switzerland Romanian humorists Romanian literary critics Romanian literary historians Romanian magazine editors Romanian magazine founders Romanian male biographers Romanian male novelists Romanian male poets Romanian newspaper editors Romanian people of Jewish descent Romanian people of World War II Romanian propagandists Romanian Social Democratic Party (1927–1948) politicians Romanian surrealist writers Romanian travel writers Romanian–Spanish translators Seattle University faculty Spanish-language poets Spanish–German translators Spanish–Romanian translators University of Bucharest alumni University of Hawaiʻi faculty Romanian satirical poets Romanian satirists