Cuvântul (magazine)

''Cuvântul'' (, meaning "The Word") was a literary and political monthly, published in Bucharest, Romania. Tracing its origins back to 1990, it was successively edited by various figures in contemporary Romanian literature, among them Ioan T. Morar, Ioan Buduca, Radu G. Țeposu and Mircea Martin. Between 2008 and 2009, its editor in chief was literary critic Paul Cernat.

History

''Cuvântul'' was created as an independent review, one of several to emerge after the December 1989 Revolution toppled the Romanian communist regime. It counts as its immediate forerunner the political newspaper ''Opinia Studențească'' ("Student Opinion"), published in the last days of 1989, but rejects all association with ''Cuvântul'', the far right newspaper of the interwar period.''Despre noi''
, at th
''Cuvântul'' official site
; retrieved December 29, 2010 Răzvan Țupa
"Odă pentru securiștii triști"
, in ''Șapte Seri''; retrieved January 6, 2011 The first issue of ''Cuvântul'' magazine, originally a weekly, saw print in January 1990, and its first editorial staff comprised Morar, Lorin Vasilovici and Florin Pașnicu; since the twin issue 8-9/1990, they were replaced with Țeposu (as director), Buduca (editor in chief) and Dumitru Stan (editorial director, later replaced by George Țara). In 1993, the staff was again restructured: Țeposu kept his office as director, while Buduca became literary and artistic editor, and Mircea Țicudean was made the editor in chief.

Starting 1995, the magazine became a monthly. Its new series, carrying the subtitle ''Revistă de cultură'' ("Cultural Magazine"), had Țeposu for its director, Buduca as editorial director and critic Tudorel Urian as editor in chief. Since Țeposu's death in late 1999, ''Cuvântul'' pays him homage by mentioning him as "founding director" on the title page of each issue. Beginning with issues 3-4/2003, literary historian Mircea Martin was made senior editor, and gave the review its new editorial line, as explained during the first series of ''Cuvântul'' conferences; Buduca was at the time appointed editor in chief (replaced with Laura Albulescu in 2005, then Răzvan Țupa in 2006). The subtitle was changed to ''Revistă de cultură și atitudine'' ("Cultural and Opinion Magazine"). In 2006, however, Martin announced that tensions between himself and the management of ''Cuvântul''s publishing company (''Editura Cuvântul'') caused the magazine to go on hold, and its editorial staff to resign."Revista revistelor"
, in ''Apostrof'', Nr. 10 (197)/2006 Martin and Laura Albulescu went on to establish a publishing venture, Editura Art. Ion SimuÈ›
"Salut unei noi edituri"
, in ''România Literară'', Nr. 3/2008 Their departure was received with regret by fellow literary magazines: ''Apostrof'' called Martin's edition of the review "splendid" and its conferences "exceptional"; in a later article for ''România Literară'' review, critic Ion Simuț referred to the ''Cuvântul'' conference cycle as "famous". The last conference held under Martin's management was dedicated to the work and legacy of interwar literary theorist E. Lovinescu.

In 2007, the magazine was published by the trio of Răzvan Țupa, Cosmin Perța and Teodor Dună, during which time its format grew to 48 pages. Beginning with issues 8-9/2008, ''Cuvântul'' inaugurated a third series, with Paul Cernat as editor in chief and the new subtitle ''Revistă de sinteză și orientare'' ("A Magazine of Synthesis and Orientation").''Echipa''
, at th
''Cuvântul'' official site
; retrieved December 29, 2010 The change also brought a new conference cycle, which focused on the historical development of Romanian culture within its Central and Eastern European context, with such themes as the cultural history of Greater Romania, the regional spread of modernism, the characteristics of popular history in European countries, or the interwar intellectuals' support for eugenics and racism. In this context, the magazine also launched the book collection ''ADDENDA Cuvântul''.

''Cuvântul''s new projects were touched by controversy in 2008, when researcher Sorin Antohi became involved in its "Greater Romania" conference. At the time, other press venues published revelations that Antohi had falsified some of his academic credentials, and that he had been, in his youth, an informer of the communist secret police (the Securitate). In his column for ''Șapte Seri'' magazine, Răzvan Țupa noted that, based on such revelations, ''Cuvântul'' would discontinue its relationship with Antohi, and suggested that the infiltration of "sad Securitate people" on the review's staff was equivalent to the interwar ''Cuvântul'' having become a mouthpiece for the fascist Iron Guard.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuvantul (literary magazine)
1990 establishments in Romania
Magazines established in 1990
Magazines published in Bucharest
Romanian-language magazines
Literary magazines published in Romania
Monthly magazines published in Romania
Political magazines published in Romania
2009 disestablishments in Romania
Magazines disestablished in 2009
Defunct magazines published in Romania
ro:Cuvântul