Aldona Puišytė: “My poetry may not change anything, it may only remind that there are much deeper things, more valuable values than the uproar of everyday”.
A.Puišytė-Grigaliūnienė was born in Jurgeliškiai (Jurbarkas region) on January 1, 1930. She is a poetess, translator.
In 1955 she graduated from Kaunas Medical School, between 1955–69 she worked in Kaunas pharmacies and later in the Literature Museum and Kaunas Art Employees’ House. She cooperated in the anti-Soviet underground publication “Rūpintojėlis” under the nickname of Elena Aušraitė.
She is a winner of the Poetry Spring of 1986 for the book “Names and Accords”. In 2005 she was recognised the winner of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union prize for the selection of poetry “Bless Word and Echo”. In 2005 she was awarded with the Knight’s Cross of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas order. In 2006 she received Santaka sign of honour of the 3rd degree, in 2007 she was awarded the legal status of participant of Lithuania‘s fights for freedom (resistant), in 2008 she was awarded for spiritual poetry and long-year creative activity by Kaunas County during the Poetry Spring.
She has issued poetry selections Žalvario raktas (Brass Key) (1970), Kur meta plunksną vieversys (Where a Lark Casts its Feather) (1978), Po ąžuolu – šaltinis (A Spring under the Oak) (1980), Įvardijimai ir sąskambiai (Names and Accords) (1985), Neužmirštuolių skliautas (Vault of Forget-me-nots) (1989), Vigilijos (Vigilijas) (1994), Šviesa pro erškėtį (Light through a Thorn) (1995), Atminties vainikas (Crown of Memory) (1996), Atodūsiai tyloje (Sighs in Silence) (1996), poetry books for children (Ledo mergelės (Ice Girls), 1974; Sidabro varpelis (Silver Bell), 1976; Po lino žiedu (Under the Flax Blossom), 1981; Tėvelio sodai (Father’s Gardens), 1998), the poetry book Palaimink žodį ir aidą (Bless Word and Echo) (2005); Baltojo Raitelio baladės (Ballads of the White Rider) (2006); Trobelė po kadagiu (A Hut under a Juniper) (2006).
Elegiac mood, intonations of prayers and laments are typical of the poetry. Interest in the ancient Lithuanian attitude (its signs are – ancestress, sister, mythical powers) is combined with the Christian religious meditation.
The poetry of A.Puišytė was translated to German, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Georgian, Estonian, Latvian, Ukrainian, Byelorussian, Russian, and other languages. She has also written a libretto for the opera Kauko sakmė (Sprite’s Story), plays for puppet theatres (Saulė ledo bokšte (Sun in Ice Tower) staged in 1978; Juodoji karalaitė (Black Princess) staged in 1987). The Yard Theatre of Vilnius University staged the mystery Įvardijimai ir sąskambiai (Names and Accords) in 1987. She has also published translations of German, Latvian, Estonian, Georgian, Russian poetry in almanacs and magazines.