And blew a puff on my face in my childhood so that
I could get over the fearfulness
Oh dream you come so sweet
I smile on the face you stand in front of me.
Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
10 February, 2025.
Md. Mahbubul Alam is from Bangladesh. His writer name is Mahbub John in Bangladesh. He is a Senior Teacher (English) of Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. Chapainawabganj is a district town of Bangladesh. He is an MA in English Literature from Rajshahi College under National University. He has published three books of poems in Bangla. He writes mainly poems but other branches of literature such as prose, article, essay etc. also have been published in national and local newspapers, magazines, little magazines. He has achieved three times the Best Teacher Certificate and Crest in National Education Week in the District Wise Competition in Chapainawabganj District. He has gained many literary awards from home and abroad. His English writings have been published in Synchronized Chaos for seven years.
Exclusive interview with writer, Dr. Maja Herman Sekulić in the Serbian electronic magazine AREA FELIX!
In the latest issue of AREA FELIX, editor Maja Milojković presents a special conversation with the most awarded Serbian writer in the world and a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, the esteemed author Maja Herman Sekulic.
Her thoughts and words illuminate the essence of literary creation and its role in today’s world.
1. Being nominated for the Nobel Prize is an exceptional honor. How did you experience this nomination, and what does it mean to you as a writer and intellectual?
MHS: The chances are slim, but the honor is immense—the greatest! I have no illusions that this could happen on the first attempt. I remember that Kipling, for example, was nominated 21 times, and as for our writers, we do not know how many times Andrić or Krleža were nominated! Or Kiš?
2. Your academic journey is impressive—you are the first Serbian woman to earn a PhD from Princeton. How has this experience shaped your literary and translation work?
MHS: I also have two master’s degrees, which is equivalent to another full doctorate, and I have now received an honorary doctorate from Mexico as well. I was engaged in translation before and during my studies, and I devoted a full decade to literary theory while writing my doctorate and teaching at the world’s top universities. I believe that translation is perhaps the best school of creative writing.
3. Your role as Vice President of the International Academy of Ethics in India and as a cultural ambassador under UNESCO speaks to your global influence. How do you see the responsibility of artists in promoting ethics and culture?
MHS: That is perhaps the greatest responsibility of artists, especially today, in the era of internet and now at the dawn of artificial intelligence, where ethical norms are not yet fully defined! Our Academy aims to introduce ethics as a subject in schools, and we have already made some progress. Recently, I chaired a two-day international conference in Pune, which is considered the Oxford of India. The response was enormous, and the conference was very successful.
4. Your books and studies are part of university curricula worldwide. Is it important to you that your works have academic relevance, or do you strive more for artistic freedom?
MHS: That depends on the genre. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.
I have artistic freedom when writing poetry and fiction, but I am academically responsible when writing essays on literary theory!
5. Your poetry is globally recognized, and you hold the title of a “Global Icon of Poetry.” What does poetry mean to you, and how do you see its role in today’s world?
MHS: Above all, I see myself as a poet. Even when writing artistic prose or fiction, my prose nurtures a poetic rhythm within the sentence. Poetry is the highest reflection of language and inner spirituality, and as such, it should illuminate our path—but without being overtly didactic, for then it becomes prose, and there are already too many such attempts, especially among so-called Facebook poets.
6. What have been the most inspiring moments in your career, whether through encounters with great literary figures or through the recognition you have received?
MHS: I have had and continue to have a very rich life—I was surrounded by great names from an early age. My father and grandfather are historical figures, and perhaps that is why I do not recognize authority, and perhaps that is also why I engage as an equal conversational partner with the world’s greatest figures, who also accept me as their equal.
7. Your novel about famous Serbo-Italian artist “Nine Lives of Milena Pavlović Barilli” is soon to be released in its second Italian edition and adapted into a film. How did you approach Milena’s character, and what fascinated you most about her story?
MHS: Not the second, but the third edition in Italy in a short time, and it was also declared the “Best Foreign Novel” there in 2022. I was particularly fascinated by a deep, intuitive connection I felt with Milena Pavlović Barilli, and later, during my research for my novel, I discovered numerous biographical parallels between us. For example, my grandfather, also a famous painter, studied at the same Academy in Munich and then fled to Paris, or I moved to the same corner of the same street where she lived in New York City before I was invited to write about her! There are no chances, no coincidences, just some parallels and synchronicities!
8. In your collection of essays and interviews “Sketches for Portraits”, you reflect on encounters with greats like Frye, Bloom, and Brodsky. Which conversation or meeting left the strongest impression on you, and why?
MHS: These were not mere encounters but years-long friendships, collaborations, and even loves. I wrote my master’s thesis on Frye and was the first to translate him into Serbian, and he included our conversation in his Collected Works. I corresponded with Bloom while translating him, and later, American Poet Laureate Mark Strand introduced us. We became so close that Bloom called me his spiritual daughter. With Brodsky, I shared an almost familial closeness and an intense recognition on his part. All of this is compiled in my book “Sketches for Portraits”, which has now reached its fourth edition.
9. How do you perceive today’s literary scene in Serbia and the world? Is there an author or movement you find particularly significant in contemporary literature?
MHS: I do not follow it closely, but there is always both good and bad literature. Facebook, for instance, has brought us an overproduction of so-called poetry that is not really poetry but has also connected us to the poets from every nook on the planet!
10. Your work serves as a bridge between cultures, languages, and artistic disciplines. If you could leave one message for future generations of artists and writers, what would it be?
MHS: Yes, I have been building bridges for over 30 years and have been a multiple ambassador of poetry, culture, and goodwill worldwide. Building bridges and understanding through culture should be our higher goal! As for writing, read as much as possible, and before publishing anything, let it rest for a while to gain critical distance from your own work—that is the most important thing!
February 17, 2025
Belgrade, Serbia
Maja Milojkovic
******
Srbija
Ekskluzivni intervju sa prof. dr Majom Herman Sekulić u elektronskom magazinu AREA FELIX iz Srbije!
U novom broju AREA FELIX-a, urednica Maja Milojković donosi vam poseban razgovor sa cenjenom književnicom i profesorkom dr Majom Herman Sekulić, čije misli i reči osvetljavaju suštinu književnog stvaralaštva i njegovu ulogu u današnjem svetu.
1.
Biti nominovan za Nobelovu nagradu je izuzetno priznanje. Kako ste doživeli tu nominaciju i šta ona znači za vas kao književnicu i intelektualku?
MHS: Šanse su male ali čast je velika, najveća! Nemam nikakve ilizije da se to može desiti iz prvog pokušaja. Zapamtila sam da je Kipling, recimo, bio kandidovan 21 put, a od naših pisaca ne znamo koliko puta su Andrić ili Krleža bili kandidovani! Ili Kiš?
2. Vaš akademski put je impresivan – prva ste Srpkinja koja je doktorirala na Prinstonu. Kako je to iskustvo oblikovalo vaš književni i prevodilački rad?
MHS: Ja imam i dve magistrature što je jednako još jednom pravom doktoratu, a sada sam dobila, počasni doktorat iz Meksika. Bavila sam se prevođenjem i pre i za vreme studija, a teorijom književnosti punu deceniju i dok sam pisala doktorat i predavala na najboljim univerzitetima na svetu. Mislim da je prevođenje možda najbolja škola kreativnog pisanja.
3. Vaša uloga potpredsednika Internacionalne Akademije etike iz Indije i ambasadora kulture pod Uneskom govori o vašem globalnom uticaju. Kako vidite odgovornost umetnika u promovisanju etike i kulture?
MHS: To je možda najveća odgovornost umetnika posebno danas u vreme interneta i sada na početku ere veštačke inteligencije gde i kada etičke norme jos nisu sasvim definitivne! Naša Akademija želi da uvede etiku kao predmet i u škole i već je po malo i uspela. Nedavno sam predsedavala dvodnevnoj međunarodnoj konferenciji u Pune, koji se smatra Oksfordom Indije. Odziv je bio ogroman i konferencija veoma uspesna.
4. Vaše knjige i studije deo su univerzitetskih programa širom sveta. Da li vam je važno da vaša dela budu i akademski relevantna, ili više težite umetničkoj slobodi?
MHS: To zavisi od žanra. I to su kruške i jabuke.
Ja sam umetnički slobodna kada pišem poeziju i fikciju, a akademski odgovorna kada pišem eseje iz teorije knjizevnosti!
5. Vaša poezija je priznata na globalnom nivou, a nosite titulu “Globalne ikone poezije”. Šta poezija znači za vas, i kako je vidite u današnjem svetu?
MHS: Pre svega vidim sebe kao pesnika i kada pišem umetničku prozu ili fikciju moja proza neguje pesnicki ritam u rečenici. Poezija je najviši odraz jezika ali i unutrašnje duhovnosti i kao takva treba da nam osvetljava put, ali da pri tome izbegava otvorenu didaktičnost jer to je onda proza a takvih pokušaja je previše naročito među tzv Facebook poets.
6. Koji su vam trenuci u karijeri bili najinspirativniji, bilo kroz susrete sa velikim imenima književnosti ili kroz priznanja koja ste dobili?
MHS: Imala sam i imam veoma bogat život – od malih nogu sam bila okružena velikim imenima, moj otac i deda su istorijske licnosti, i možda zato ne priznajem autoritete, a i možda sam zato ravnopravni sagovornik sa najvećim imenima sveta pa me oni kao takvu i prihvataju.
7. Vaš roman Devet života Milene Pavlović Barili uskoro dobija drugo italijansko izdanje i filmsku adaptaciju. Kako ste pristupili Mileninom liku i šta vas je posebno fasciniralo u njenoj priči?
MHS: Ne drugo, nego treće izdanje u Italiji za kratko vreme, a tu je i bio proglašen za “najbolji strani roman” 2022. Posebno me fascinirala neka duboka bliskost koju sam intuitivno osećala sa Milenom Pavlović Barilli, a potom i otkrivanje mnogobrojnih biografskih paralela koje sam otkrivala između nas. Naprimer moj deda, takođe poznati slikar studirao je na istoj akademiji u Minhenu, a zatim pobegao u Pariz, ili recimo da sam se preselila u isti ugao i istu ulicu u kojoj je ona živela u Nju Yorku pre nego što su me pozvali da pišem o njoj! Nema šanse, nema slučajnosti, samo neke paralele i sinhronosti.
8. U vašoj kolekciji eseja i intervjua “Skice za portrete”, osvrćete se na susrete sa velikanima poput Fraja, Bluma i Brodskog. Koji razgovor ili susret vam je ostao najupečatljiviji i zašto?
MHS: To nisu bili susreti nego višegodisnja druženja, prijateljstva, saradnje pa i ljubavi. O Fraju sam pisala magistarski rad i prva ga prevodila na srpski, a on je naš razgovor uvrstio u svoja Sabrana dela. Sa Blumom sam se dopisivala dok sam ga prevodila a potom me s njim upoznao američki pesnik laureat Mark Strend. Postali smo toliko bliski da me je Blum zvao duhovnom kćeri.
Sa Brodskim delim isto skoro porodičnu bliskost i prepoznavanje s njegove strane. Sve je to sabrano u mojoj knjizi “Skice za portrete”, koja je evo dozivela i 4. izdanje.
9. Kako doživljavate današnju književnu scenu u Srbiji i svetu? Postoji li autor ili pokret koji smatrate posebno značajnim u savremenoj literaturi?
MHS: NE pratim pomno, ali uvek ima dobre i loše literature, a to nam je doneo i Facebook – hiperprodukciju poezije koja to nije.
10. Vaš rad je most između kultura, jezika i umetničkih disciplina. Ako biste mogli ostaviti jednu poruku budućim generacijama umetnika i pisaca, šta bi to bilo?
MHS: Da, gradim mostove već preko 30 godina i višestruki sam ambasador poezije, kulture, i dobre volje u svetu. Izgradnja mostova i razumevanje kroz kulturu treba da bude naš viši cilj.
Inače, za pisanje čitajte što više a pre nego što nešto objavite i ostavite ga da miruje neko vreme da biste dobili kritičku distancu prema sopstevom delu što je najvažnije!
John P. Portelli is a Maltese-Canadian poet and fiction author, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. Besides 11 academic books he has published 10 poetry collections, 2 collections of short stories, and a novel. His literary work has been translated into English, Italian, French, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Romanian, and Spanish. His collection Here Was was short-listed for the 2024 Canadian Book Club Award. He lives between Malta and Toronto.
1. Please share your thoughts about the future of literature.
For me literature is an essential part of being human. Its future? I am not a fortune teller! But I am afraid that the ultra capitalist and individualist mentality of our present way of living, to me, does not augur well for a healthy future for literature. For example, it is getting even harder to sell poetry books, and publishers are feeling in the pinch. But there will always continue to be literary authors. Whether they will be appreciated is another story.
2. When did you start writing?
I started writing poetry when I was 16 years old. My initial interest was in poetry and essays.
3 . The Good and the Bad. Who is winning nowadays?
It depends in which area of life? In general, however, I think we are on the verge of a new fascist period in the West. When I read authors like John Dewey and Bertrand Russell who wrote about the conditions in the West in the 1930s, unfortunately I see lots and lots of similarities to what is happening today. Unless you are part of the dominant conservative “culture” people are marginalised. Colonialism is still alive and strong! God help us.
4. How many books have you written and where can we find your books?
I have written 11 academic books, 10 collections of poetry (some published in translations), 2 collections of short-stories, and a novel. Some of my work is available from Amazon, others from Horizons Publishers in Malta and Word and Deed Publishers in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
4. The book. E books or hardcopies of books. What will be the future?
I think some people will still prefer hard copies of books. Given my weak eyesight, I prefer hard copies. But more and more people are used to reading on line. For me, as long as people read, that is fine.
5. A wish for 2025?
True and lasting peace in the Middle East. The Palestinians do not deserve what they have been going through since 1948! And this wish does not mean I support Hamas.
6. A phrase from your book or a book you like?
“The opposite of a civilised society is a creative one”. Albert Camus from his essay “Summer in Algiers”.
7. Recent and future publications?
In 2024 I have edited a collection of poetry in Maltese on Gaza. And also I published a collection of poems with Ahmed Miqdad, a poet from Gaza. The profits from the sale of these two books have been donated to Gaza. I am now also editing a collection of poems in English by international poems on Gaza and Palestine. Again, the money from the sales of this collection will be donated to Gaza. The book will be published later this year by Horizons in Malta and Daraja Press in Quebec.
Thank you so much.. …. EVA Petropoulou Lianou Author Poet Greece
Is justice an utopia? Yes, it is an elusive concept. Both power and money can play a decisive role to achieve it. Without which, justice remain beyond the reach of the poor. What about the poets? How best can the poetic languages dive deep into the abyss of the moral dilemmas and ethical challenges that justice raises? How can one preserve an optimal balance between mercy and punishment? And the eternal battle between injustice and justice! I want to curate all these observations and the insights of the poets around the world regarding this elusive concept of ‘Justice”.
Yes, the theme of the OPA Year Book 2025 is JUSTICE!
Please send only one poem written on the theme, “Justice” along with your short BiO with Country of Origin written in 3rd person narrative. All in English. A recent profile picture of the author is necessary, without that no poems will be published.
The email address of the poetry submission for the upcoming OPA Year Book 2025 is: opa.anthology@gmail.com
Last Date of Submission: 30th April 2025
Probable Date of Publication of the OPA Year Book 2025: 10th July 2025
*** .pdf document or file will not be accepted!
We congratulate the first 60 poets participating in this year book, whose poems have been selected for publication.
and it is only through love that all good things come
In this life, things are given and taken away
and in the end, riches will mean nothing…
Only Love will remain
Kristy Ann Raines is an American poet and author born, Kristy Ann Rasmussen, in Oakland California, In the United States of America.
She is an accomplished, International Poet and Writer. Kristy has two self-published books on Amazon titled, “The Passion Within Me”, and an anthology with a prominent poet from India, Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai, titled, “I Cross My Heart from East to West.”
She has one children’s book coming out soon, titled, “Tishya the Dragon”, and a few other Children’s Stories to follow. Kristy is also working on finishing two very special books that have been in the works for a few years titled, “Rings, Things and Butterfly Wings” and “Princess and The Lion”.
Her biography and a collection of thoughts on her life called, “My Very Anomalous Life”, will be the last to publish.
Kristy has received many awards for her unique writing style and also for her work as an Activist and Humanitarian around the world.
Kristy also enjoys painting, making pottery, writing song lyrics, and being with her family. She is married, has two wonderful children, and is a proud Grandmother of three beautiful Granddaughters with one Great Grandchild on the way!
“Look at this BS on the TV,” cried Riley from the sofa, scoffing at the cable news report one evening before supper.
“What is it?” asked Tricia, pausing in front of the set to stare at the female anchor.
Riley snorted “Some nonsense about rape.” he replied, pausing to drink from what was his fourth bottle of beer. On the screen, the anchor was relating the story of the forcible rape of a starlet by a fellow actor.
“Why is it nonsense?” queried his wife.
Riley’s face assumed a look of contempt. “Because that’s what it is,” he retorted with some heat. “Forcible rape! Look it,” he said, “not a mark on her. Now, if it was statutory rape, then I could see it, but heck, she’s at least nineteen, if she’s a day. And look as who she’s accusing. Jason Jax is a handsome movie star. He can have all the babes he wants who are better looking than Jan Jeffers.”
“Just because she’s not beat up doesn’t mean it wasn’t forced.”
He shook his head, unconvinced. “Don’t believe it,” he said. “If a woman wants to, she can prevent a man from raping her. Don’t all women take some self-defense class these days? She could have stopped him.” He took another drink of beer.
Riley rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean, Trish. She gave it to him.”
“Next you’ll be saying she asked for it based on her movie roles or how she dressed.”
He shrugged. “You saying I’m wrong?”
“You’re living in a dream world, Riley,” she asserted. “Just because a woman isn’t covered in black and blue doesn’t mean she wasn’t forced to have sex.” She looked pointedly at her husband.
“What’re you,” he asked skeptically, “an expert on rape all of a sudden?”
“I did date men before I met you, you know,” she pointed out cryptically.
The effect was instantaneous. “We’re you raped!” he said, his voice rising a little.
“It’s happened more than once before and after we got married,” she told him with a nonchalance that he found infuriating. He stared angrily at her, as though he might next accuse her of responsibility for the assaults.”
“Before I knew you a date got me drunk and raped me while I was unconscious. I didn’t file charges because I didn’t think I’d be believed, and I was afraid of the reaction of people who think like you.”
“Who raped you after we got married?”
“I’ll tell you,” she said, “but you have to promise you won’t hurt him.” He started to strenuously object, but seeing the look of determination on her face, he inhaled a breath of surrender and nodded.
“The only other man who has ever forced me, against my will, to have sex with him… is you.”
The silence hung heavy in the air for some moments, before he responded.”Trish, I never….”
She nodded her head. “Yes, Riley, you have.” He stared at her, disbelieving. “Both times it’s happened, you’ve been drunk. As much as you drink, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened more times.”
“Then why don’t I remember it?” he insisted. “Because I don’t remember a thing, and….”
“I remember,” she said simply. “You don’t think I’d make up something like this, just to make a point or to win an argument, do you?” He shook his head no. “I can only guess that you blacked out the experience because you were so loaded, or your brain won’t let you remember. I read up on it. You don’t form memories when you are blackout drunk. But,” she went on, “you wanted sex and you were going to have it. You didn’t hurt me, much, but for the emotional damage.” There was deep sorrow and regret in Riley’s eyes.
“God,” he said, with self-loathing, “you must hate me. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“The first time it happened, when we were first married last year. Then, when it happened again over July 4th weekend. Both times, you’d been drinking. The first time, I told you I wasn’t in the mood, but you held me down and forced me. You hurt me. The second time I said no, but knew better than to fight. I asked my sister about it. She’s been married twice and said that’s never happened to her either time she’s been married. I was going to ask Mom but I was afraid she’d tell Dad and what he might do.” Riley gave her a hang dog look. “I love you, Riley, and I couldn’t let anything happen to you,” she said. “I was embarrassed, not sure you’d believe me. I’ve wanted so badly to….confront you about it. I wasn’t sure how.”
When Riley didn’t say anything for a long moment, Tricia broke the silence. She asked him, “What are you thinking?”
“I was remembering, when I was just a kid,” he said. “My brother and I used to listen to my Mom and Dad having sex in their bedroom. It was so loud! I remember thinking; he was forcing her to do it. I didn’t want to accept it and anyway, by the time I was a teenager, it had stopped.” She touched his shoulder. “Dad used to drink a lot, too,” he said quietly. He went on, “He also used to buy those magazines–you know, Penthouse, Oui, all the others. They’d have stories and letters and it always made it sound like the girl wanted it, she was a tease, and had a ‘rape fantasy’ I think they called it. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh? While we are being honest, I should tell you that I’ve been warned about coming into work drunk.”
Biting her bottom lip, Tricia only nodded. “There have got to be some changes, Riley,” murmured Tricia. He nodded gravely. She took a deep breath, released it. “Wash up, time for supper,” she said, walking back towards the kitchen. “Want another beer with supper?” she asked, turning back.
He shook his head no. “No,” he said, shaking his head no. “No,” he said. “That’s just one of the changes we’re going–I’m going to–have to make.”
