“In fact, I am against dates and other information in poetry. Nobody should take care about other things but text”. 

A.Mikuta was born in Mažeikiai on the 13th of May, 1943. He studied at Kaunas Politechnic Institute (present Kaunas University of Technology) in 1960-1964 and journalism at Vilnius University in 1965-1967. In 1972-1982 he worked as the consultant and chairman of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union, Kaunas Branch. In 1967–1972 the poet was employed in the editor’s office of the magazine Nemunas, in 1991–2004 he was the principal editor of the magazine. From 1966 he is a member of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.

A.Mikuta started publishing poems in 1958. The philosophical and paradoxical thought is prominent in his works; the poet combines lyricism and irony as well as grotesque; his style is expressive and dynamic. Belief in wisdom of life is typical of him.

A.Mikuta has translated works of Chingiz Aitmatov, Michail Bulgakov, Rasul Gamzatov, Georgij Markov, Boris Pasternak, Konstantin Paustovsky, Olzh Suleimenov. A.Mikuta’s poems have been translated to Russian and other languages.

 

Bibliography:

Gėlės braižykloje: eilėraščiai (Flowers in Drawing Room: poems). - Vilnius: State Pubshing House of Fiction, 1962.

Spektras: eilėraščiai (Spectrum: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1965.

Paukščių žemė: eilėraščiai (Land of Birds: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1968.

Ašmenys: eilėraščiai (The Blade: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1970.

Mūsų automobiliai: eilėraščiai (Our Cars: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1972.

Šiandien piešiame žaibus: eilėraščiai (Today We Draw Lightning: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1973.

Švytuoklė: eilėraščiai (Pendulum: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1978.

Žalios vyšnios: eilėraščiai (Green Cherries: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1981. 

Apuoko valanda: eilėraščiai (Hour of Owl: poems). - Vilnius: Vaga, 1984.

Juodasis pėstininkas: eilėraščiai (Black Pawn: poems). - Kaunas: Nemunas, 1998.

Aštuoneiliai: eilėraščiai (Poems of Eight Lines: poems). - Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers, 2002.

Palubinskas ir Pažemeckas: satyra (Palubinskas and Pažemeckas: satire). - Kaunas: Nemunas Publishers, 2003.

Šeško šokis: eilėraščiai (Dance of a Ferret: poems). - Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers, 2007.

Rinktiniai eilėraščiai. PP laureatų bibliotekėlė (Selected poems. Library of the Poetry Spring winners). – K., Naujas Lankas, 2007.

Kompostas. Dešimties metų (1996-2005) užrašai (Compost. Notes of Ten Years (1995-2005)).- Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers. 2009.

Veranda: eilėraščiai (Terrace: poems). - Vilnius: Homo Liber. 2010.

Povilas Pažemeckas. Blakutės: maxims. – Kaunas: Kauko Laiptai, 2012.

Keltininkas (Ferryman): poems. – Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers, 2013.

Gyvenau be laikrodžio (I Lived without a Clock): poetry. – Kaunas: Kauko Laiptai, 2014.

Vieno Aktoriaus Teatras (One Actor’s Theatre) published a compact disc of poetry of A.Mikuta “Hour of Owl” in 2009 according to the book of poems of the same title published in 1984. The poems are read by the actor Sigutis Jačėnas.

Translations from Russian:

R.Gamzatov. My Dagastan. – V., Vaga, 1976.

G.Markov. The Siberia. Novel. – V., Vaga, 1979.

O.Suleimenov. Hawks above Sand. Poems. – V., Vaga, 1980.

K.Paustovsky. Flooded Rivers. Short-stories. – V., Vaga, 1981.

Ch.Aitmatov. Scaffold. Novel. – V., Vaga, 1988.

M.Bulgakov. Moljeras. Biographical study. – V., Vyturys, 1991.

M.Bulgakov. Master and Margarita. Novel. – V., Vaga,1985; 2nd issue: 1996; Trigrama, 2004.

B. Pasternak. Doctor Zhivaga. Novel. – V., Vaga,1991., 2nd issue: Alma Littera. 2007.

L. Tolstoy. Road of Life – Kaunas: Trigrama, 2013.

Awards:

1979 – winner of the Poetry Spring.

1995 – winner of Kauno Diena prize for the best reflection of reality in poetry during the Poetry Spring. 

2003 – winner of Salomėja Nėris prize for the poetry book “Poems of Eight Lines”.

2003 – winner of medal of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas Order.

2011 – Culture and Art Prize of Lithuanian Government.

2013 – Prize of Kaunas Art Creators’ Association for the selection of poems “Ferryman” and translation of the book of L. Tolstoy “Road of Life” and texts of popular songs.

2013 – Kaunas City municipality Santaka sign of honour of 2nd degree.

2015 – Prize of Lithuanian Writers’ Union for the selection of poetry “I Lived without a Clock”.

2015 - B.Brazdžionis literature prize for the poetry book “Ferryman”.