The twenty-sixth autumn 0

Jurga Tumasonytė
www.kamane.lt, 2015-10-17

In brief: This year's festival "Druskininkai Poetic Fall" seemed calm and correct, with interesting texts and characters of the foreign guests a strong and very weak poetry, people that were seen so long time ago and it was either fun or unpleasant to see them again, and the autumnal chill. For the next year's festival, I would like to wish more "abnormality", that it, once again, would regain its old reputation.

Readings of project "Versopolis" took place instead of discussing the works of young poets. The aim of the readings is to break all possible boundaries that hinder the poets from being heard in Europe. Lithuania will participate in the project for three years. This year - the first one - five poets were delegated: Marius Burokas, Giedrė Kazlauskaitė, Vytautas Stankus, Aivaras Veiknys and Gytis Norvilas. The guests of the "Druskininkai Poetic Fall", next to the almanac also received a stylish "Versapolis" collection that contained five little books with English, Polish, Dutch, Swedish and Slovakian poems translated to Lithuanian. It is unclear how that cooperation will help poets in "becoming famous" (as "Versapolis" platform claims), but the opportunity to travel to different countries and receive translations to various languages is definitely an inspiring and welcomed attempt at emancipation from a closed community that both modest poets, as well as the ones with a massive egos belong to.

Although, psychologist who participated in the discussion said something about pelicans that do no wrong to each other (therefore artists also should not be afraid of their colleagues) it seems that it is hard to become honest pelicans in the world of awards and nominations. Ordained in this year's Jotvingiai - Rolandas Rastauskas (for his book "Lonely flags") and Mindaugas Nastaravičius (for the book "Mo") - received their adoration; their names were etched into the "Druskininkai Poetic Fall" history. It is great that the young Jotvingis, M. Nastaravičius, when collecting his award spoke of sadness and jealousy that he had faced himself last year, when he did not receive a Jotvingis. Though it is clear to all, that awards, in no small part, are only a lottery, good circumstances and luck, probably every second artist should get a nodding psychologist, who would console and support the ones that were not noticed and the ones who had to evaluate and select and then look into the eyes of those who were not selected and felt humiliated.

It is a pity that I did not visit the festival for the first time, that nothing surprised me, offended me or disappointed me. "Druskininkai Poetic Fall" really is a community gathering, taking place for 26 years. It contains festive ceremonies, rituals of adoration and gossip as well as ordinations.


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