Atunci c?nd Iisus le spune ucenicilor, ?n Evanghelia dup? Matei, 5:14, enun??nd ?fericirile“ (?n Cuv?ntarea de pe munte) c? ?voi sunte?i lumina lumii. O cetate situat? pe un munte nu poate s? r?m?n? ascuns?“, accep?iunea e strict metaforic?, la fel cum se ?nt?mpl? ?i ?n foarte cunoscuta scen? a Schimb?rii la fa??, tot ?n Mat. 17:2, unde se spune c? ?El s-a schimbat la fa?? ?naintea lor; fa?a lui a str?lucit ca Soarele ?i hainele i s-au f?cut albe ca lumina“. ?n Evanghelia dup? Marcu, mai aspr? ?i – dup? cum ?tim – mai veche dec?t aceea a lui Matei, lumina are, de asemenea, o accep?iune metaforic?, fiind asociat? cunoa?terii ezoterice pe care, prin credin??, o vor dob?ndi cre?tinii, spre deosebire de celelalte neamuri, c?rora le este rezervat? doar o cunoa?tere exoteric?. ?tefan Borbély

Actorii ne druiesc generos gnduri despre viaa pe care i ei o triesc ca orice oameni, cu necazuri i bucurii. Alexandru Arinel – fiind definit n timp de Marele Public drept o valoare artistic naional – se destinuie acum, cu privire la drumul parcurs din satul de batin Dolhasca pn pe Calea Victoriei. Citind amintirile sale sincere, vei cunoate un om, nu numai un artist, care evoc trei epoci istorice prin care a trecut, fiind prin argumentele invocate mai convingtor dect orice carte de istorie banal. i pune pe tav sufletul prin relatarea unei biografii netiute de nimeni. n aceste destinuiri, Alexandru Arinel ne propune discret s gndim atent la calea profesiei alese, de actor sau de orice fel, i s nu uitm nicio clip de cei din preajma noastr, de familie.“ – Ileana Lucaciu

Starting from the dialogue initiated by historian Filip-Lucian Iorga, this e-book introduces Prince Nicholas (Nicolae), the grandson of His Majesty King Michael I, from his first visit to Romania in 1992 to his decision to settle down in Romania, in 2012. The reader has the opportunity of knowing Prince Nicholas from his earliest childhood, a fan of knightly stories, but also willing to explore the world, a dynamic adolescent with a passion for cars, just like his royal grandfather, recounting with a genuine sense of humour the adventures he went through in his attempt to obtain a driver’s license in Kenya. As a young man, Prince Nicholas went to a traditional British college and studied management in England, while keeping to his passion for sports: he played football, cricket, grass hockey, lacrosse, and rugby, went scuba diving into the ocean and worked as a rafting instructor in Africa. Moreover, this is a young man who sat at the same table as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, with his uncles and cousins of the European Royal Families, but also with homeless children and within charitable institutions. The same young man has assumed at present the duties of Prince of Romania.

Lirica Aurei Christi s-a format i s-a modelat iute, ferm, cu o ndrzneal i o gravitate rar a tonului, mai ales n jurul poeziei de meditaie post-romantic, de la Rilke la vetaieva, de la Blaga la Nichita Stnescu. Necznd prad ispitelor culturale i mondene post-decembriste, ntre care aa-zisul post-modernism romnesc, ce afia cu o anume suficien refuzul valorilor clasice i moderne n favoarea unei lirici descompuse i uneori barbar improvizate sub scuza autenticismului, poeta noastr a uimit critica de specialitate prin ample volute metaforice, calde, ndrznee, abordnd, n cteva volume, printr-o splendid frond, clasicul sonet poetic i dovedind o excelent stpnire a limbii, a mijloacelor specifice, ntr-o liric a meditaiei grave, adnci, exprimat n metafore, n care modernitatea i sensibilitatea secolului se confund, cu vigoare clar, de o marcat originalitate, tumultuos i muzical aproape, ntr-o subtil rezonan eufonic, cu trimiteri, accente i imagini simbolice, cu marele torent al liricii europene de nalt nivel, de la Rimbaud i Baudelaire, la Rilke i Blaga. i, nc odat, la vetaieva i Nichita Stnescu.“ (Nicolae Breban)A scrie cderea apocaliptic nu e uor. E un merit al Aurei Christi faptul de a gsi singura soluie la aceast cdere fatal, dat din pornire: cel care o scrie o i oprete, incitnd rigoarea/ celui din urm frig. Doar un fel de zeu al poeziei, o divinitate descoperit cu greu, contient de destrmarea mitului, poate s impun din nou mitul: instituirea mai viului este cu putin doar datorit morii. nvierea nu e posibil dect datorit ei. Sensul celei mai mari dintre taine se dezleag, astfel, paradoxal, prin rsturnarea negativitii generale a sensului. (...) Descoperirea fcut de poet este c realul nsui are origine poetic (nu real!), prin cderea n emisfera cealalt, de parc Dante nsui ar fi acum reeditat n alt semantic: Ah, calul e fiu al pegailor dintotdeauna. Fiinele existente i au obria n himere, iar realitatea ia fiin din metafor. (...) Alt descoperire poetic: ntreg mitul temporal al omenirii poate fi ranversat. (…) Iat, deci, cum se poate recupera mitul ntr-o epoc n care toat lumea postmodern a visat la demitizare i dez-iluzionare pentru a se apropia de realul ca atare.“ (tefania Mincu)http://aurachristi.ro/

Iat?, ?n cuvintele Aurei Christi, curg?nd abundent, din surse ascunse, fluidul vivifiant al poeziei, s? nu ne temem de retorica majusculelor, al marei Poezii. (Nicolae Balota).Aici totul e grav. Nici ludicul, nici parodicul, nici oboseala contextului postindustrial ?i nici tendin?ele destructurante ale postmodernilor nu au trecere. Modernitatea Aurei Christi e una esen?ial?, organic?, refractar? modelor, n?zuind spre reinterpretarea semnelor ?i universaliilor; ?ntreb?rile pe care ?i le pune ea au fost ?i ale inainta?ilor, iar r?spunsurile transcend achizi?iile, relev?nd evolu?ia con?tiin?ei ?n mers, relev?nd evolu?ia unei creatoare de m?na ?nt?i, cu totul personal?. Scrieri mai noi, Labirintul exilului (2000), Elegii nordice (2002) ?i altele confirma consecven?a cu sine a unei con?tiin?e exemplare. (Constantin Ciopraga)M? auzi tu, oare, ?nstr?inato? Am citit poeziile tale la ceas de sear?, pe o teras?, av?nd ?n fa?? colinele Ierusalimului. Eu nu sunt un bun comentator de poezie, cei care au scris despre poezia ta te-au “prins“ foarte bine, ai for??, un sim? rar al tragicului ?i antene pentru transcenden??, f?r? s? cazi (din fericire) ?n ceea ce se cheam? “poezie religioas?“. E un instinct p?g?n care te fere?te de o excesiva “cre?tinare“ a poeziei chiar ?i ?n Psalmi. (Leon Volovici). (fragment dintr-o scrisoare)E simplu: ?l vad pe Dumnezeu ca pe un partener de dialog, cu care ma cert nu rareori. Citesc adesea serile din Noul Testament mai ales; ei, ?i atunci ?ncepe fierberea... Nu prea merg la biseric? dec?t atunci c?nd simt imperios nevoia – adev?r pentru care Mama de pilda m? ceart? c?teodat?. Duc biserica mea cu mine; a?a pot s? m? rog oriunde, oric?nd. Spre deosebire de Cioran, eu cred ca nu Diavolul a f?cut lumea, ci Dumnezeu; doar c? spre sf?r?itul Facerii a obosit un pic; se ?nt?mpl? ?ntruc?tva c? ?ntr-o proza a lui Rilke, ?n care cele doua m?ini ale Domnului se iau la ?ntrecere ?i se pare ca st?nga profit? de oboseala dreptei... M? ?i ?ntreb uneori, pe urmele lui Unamuno: cine sunt eu s?-i cer socoteala lui Dumnezeu pentru ca lumea ?n care tr?im e a?a cum e? (Are dreptul, oare, o g?nganie s?-?i aroge obr?znicia de a se ciond?ni cu El, cu nimeni altcineva dec?t cu El?!!) ?i tot ca Unamuno, invoc?ndu-l pe Oberman, ?mi r?spund: da, c?ci pentru lume, pentru univers eu sunt nimeni, nu ?nsemn nimic, pentru mine ?ns? sunt totul.Gr?dini austere a stat – da, incredibil – ?n sertarele c?torva edituri circa ?apte ani; ani de izolare atroce, de singur?tate dorit?, iubit?, hulit? ?i, iar ?i iar, iubit?... E un volum publicat dup? o perioada de secet?, c?nd mi se p?rea – p?n? la o neagr? m?nie! – ca nu voi mai scrie niciodat? poezie... Nici cartea de debut n-am a?teptat-o at?tea... secole. E un volum care a circulat pe internet, prietenii trimi??ndu-mi mesaje, scrisori, cronici ad-hoc despre cartea mea de psalmi ?n r?sp?r. (Aura Christi)Faptul c? Gr?dinile austere au trecut prin PC-ul meu mi-a prilejuit o bucurie, o tulburare de zile aurorale. Nu m-am putut ab?ine ?i am citit c?teva poeme. N-am mai putut apoi s-o las din mana. M-a ?nv?luit ?i m-a luat pe sus cutremurata spiritualitate vital? care str?bate versurile. Asta nu mi se ?nt?mpl? prea des, citind poezie contemporan?. (Zoltan Terner)Mignona ?i b?t?ioas?, cheltuind pasionalitate, r?zboinic? ?n pofida fragilit??ii, ?mpr??tiind texte curajoase pe care amicii internau?i nu ezit? a le califica “dinamit? curat?“, sup?r?nd pe mul?i, scriind febril, asum?ndu-?i riscurile Balcaniei (“lin?at?“, pedepsit?, izolat? etc.), Aura Christi, cit?nd “vorbele atroce“ ale iubitului Nietzsche, vrea s? devin? ceea ce este: poet?. (...) Metamorfoza e izbitoare; discursul a devenit sincopat, auster, de o incanta?ie adumbrit?, celebr?nd “via?a de vis“, test?nd – prin “poemele de iubire“ – temele grave (rela?ia cu maestrul, divinitatea, moartea, poezia) pentru a conchide c?, doar povestit?, via?a e tr?it?. Mul?i dintre exege?ii Aurei Christi au subliniat “fulminant? ascensiune“ a poetei. Penetrant?, Aura Christi a avut ?ansa de a fi fost v?zut? ?n mediile bucure?tene. Dar meritele poetei, dincolo de suportul valoric, stau ?i ?n tenacitatea autoconstruc?iei, promov?nd – programatic – “ruptura“. (Adrian Dinu Rachieru)

Poeta, eseista ?i prozatoarea Aura Christi propune o radiografie a vie?ii literare ?i a celor mai interesante c?r?i ap?rute ?n ultimul deceniu literar. Cartea se adreseaz? elevilor, studen?ilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

“Prima edi?ie din Jurnalul lui Lev Tolstoi a ap?rut la Editura Univers, ?n dou? volume (?n anii 1975 ?i 1976 – vol. I: 1847-1895, vol. II: 1896-1910), incluse ?n colec?ia ?Coresponden??, memorii, jurnale“. Traducerea a realizat-o Janina Iano?i; prefa??, tabelul cronologic, notele ?i comentariile – Ion Iano?i. Respectiva edi?ie a reprezentat o selec?ie din textul integral al edi?iei academice ruse?ti Polnoe sobranie socinenii (iubileinoe izdanie), Opere complete (edi?ie jubiliar?). Din volumele 1-90 (Moscova-Leningrad, 1928-1958), am folosit cele treisprezece volume de jurnal, 46-58 (ap?rute ?ntre 1934 ?i 1958). Orientativ, am consultat ?i o edi?ie de Opere ?n dou?zeci de volume (din 1965) – volumele 19 ?i 20. ?n alegerea textelor am urm?rit devenirea ?i dominantele cople?itoarei personalit??i a marelui scriitor, ?in?nd seama ?i de interesele publicului cititor rom?nesc. Edi?ia a II-a i s-a datorat Editurii Elit (tip?rit?, f?r? specificarea datei, ?n 2000). Ea a urmat, cu unele renun??ri ?i c?teva complet?ri, varianta ini?ial?, dar ?i pe baza confrunt?rii textelor cu cele re?inute ?ntr-o selec?ie ruseasc? ulterioar?, ?n dou?zeci ?i dou? de volume, Sobranie socinenii v dvadtati dvux tomah (Moscova, 1985), Opere ?n dou?zeci ?i dou? de volume, volumele 21 ?i 22. Am constatat cu acel prilej coinciden?a ?ntre majoritatea textelor re?inute ini?ial de noi ?i de alc?tuitorul respectivei edi?ii ruse?ti, dar ?i unele deosebiri: sunt acolo prezente fie pasaje ?teoretice“ mai ample, fie altele cu adres? recognoscibil? doar de c?tre cititorii autohtoni familiariza?i cu mediul specific vremii – ?n schimb, sunt omise at?t detalii biografice considerate a fi prea intime (mai ales erotice, ?n genere legate de starea corporal?, de s?n?tate ori boal?), c?t ?i multe accente sociale considerate de editorul rus de atunci ca indezirabile prin ascutisul lor critic (cu deosebire, cele la adresa revolu?iei, marxismului, socialismului). ?n ceea ce ne prive?te, le-am p?strat ?i pe unele, ?i pe celelalte, ?n schimb nu am dorit – cu rare excep?ii – s? ?nc?rcam selec?ia noastr? cu expozeuri lungite, care oricum variaza idei cunoscute. Amintita edi?ie rus? ne-a servit, mai degrab?, pentru suplimentarea acribiei de care am ?ncercat s? d?m dovada ?nc? din anii ?aptezeci ai secolului trecut. Am urmat aceea?i cale ?i la revederea ?i ?mbun?ta?irea textului pentru prezenta edi?ie, a III-a, finalizat?, dup? al?i cinci ani, prin bun?voin?a Editurii Ideea European?.“ (Ion Iano?i)

Un fascinant atelier de crea?ie unde sunt convocate c?r?ile cele mai importante ap?rute ?n perioada postdecembrist?, meritul acestei monografii fiind acela de a aborda un domeniu marginalizat ?n ultimii ani ?i tratat pe nedrept ca o cenu??reas?. Rostul acestui studiu monografic este acela de a informa lectorul asupra poeziei majore scrise ?n Rom?nia, redeschiz?ndu-i apetitul pentru Poezie. Cartea se adreseaz? elevilor, studen?ilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Monumentala monografie dedicat? unuia dintre cei mai mari romancieri ai lumii are avantajul de a sintetiza o bun? parte din bibliografia scris? pe marginea operei uria?ului care a semnat, ?ntre altele, capodopera Crima ?i pedeaps?. Ion Iano?i plaseaz? ?ac?iunea“, firul epic al cercet?rii ?ntreprinse ?n contextul secolului al XIX-lea, astfel ?nc?t eroii vie?ii literare de atunci se contureaz? pregnant, provoc?tor de viu.

La zece ani de la moartea lui Emil Cioran – un studiu aplicat ?i incitant despre viata ?i opera sa, rela?ia filosofului de la R??inari cu marii g?nditori ai lumii, dar ?i cu ?ara ce l-a d?ruit lumii, cu care parisianul nu ?nceteaz? niciodat? controversele. Un studiu de teorie ?i istorie literar? extrem de interesant ?i util ce se adreseaz? elevilor, studen?ilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Volumul de versuri Elegii parisiene este scris ?n anii 1986-1987, la Paris, reprezent?nd – conform confesiunii autorului – ?alcoolul unei veri“. Este un volum dens, scris ?n siajul Elegiilor… rilkeene, de factur? expresionist?, volumul fiind menit sa ne aduc? ?n fa?? o alt? posibil? imagine a romancierului Nicolae Breban.

De la fulminantul s?u debut ca poet ?i teoretician al futurismului, Vladimir Maiakovski s-a dovedit a fi un n?valnic emanator de energii artistice, ideatice, un generos creator de metafore surprinz?toare, ?nc?t cople?ea, hipnotiza o parte a publicului; las? cu gura cascat? sute ?i sute de in?i… Era un adev?rat retor (cu ?glas de arhidiacon“, cum scria Pasternak) al noii literaturi, al futurismului rus; retor clam?nd ?n gura mare!… Acest poem tot Pasternak l-a definit ca fiind un ?nemuritor document din preclipele mor?ii“… Vladimir Maiakovski face parte din spi?a nu prea numero?ilor poe?i c?rora li se potrive?te calificativul de uria?. (Leo Butnaru)

Un roman textualist, un roman-experiment propus de o scriitoare care are un stil aparte, abrupt, dens, av?nd for?a de a recurge la mari desf??ur?ri epice, situate ?n siajul textuali?tilor europeni. ?Hidrapulper este o metafor? terifiant?, o bolgie ?n care se f?r?m?, se topesc deopotriv? destine, cuvinte, c?r?i, momente istorice, natura ?ns??i... toate trec?nd ?ntr-o past? inform?. Un roman "negru", unic, al adev?ratei atmosfere de “fabric?““. (Christian Cr?ciun)Cartea este destinat? unui public larg, iubitorilor de romane ce fac parte din onorabila tradi?ie a romanelor de citit ?n tren.

Pata-Tata. ?ah nu este o carte de critic? literar?, nu este un experiment critific?ional hibrid, nu este nici o fic?iune pur?, ci este, ?n cel mai autentic sens pe care ?l permite literatura ast?zi, confesiunea unei sensibilit??i ?b?ntuite“. Despre paginile care ??i ?ntind umbrele prelungi asupra propriei vie?i ?i despre absen?ele care se strecoar? imperceptibil din autobiografic ?n c?r?ile pe care le cite?te, Diana Adamek scrie ?ntr-o tonalitate silen?ioas?, hipnotic?, cu talentul incontestabil al unui romancier. Evit?nd conven?iile obosite ale textualismului, sau problematiz?rile conceptuale ale teoriei literare, Pata-Tata. ?ah este romanul unei credin?e poetice care configureaz? deopotriv? spa?iul clipei vii ?i cel al memoriei livre?ti ?n liniile de for?? ale unei vibra?ii pasionale. ?ntre c?r?ile rom?ne?ti ale primului deceniu, acest eseu confesiv al Dianei Adamek r?m?ne cea mai patima?? ?i mai provocatoare m?rturie de credin?? a unui cititor avizat, ?i, dup? cum avea s? se dovedeasc? c??iva ani mai t?rziu, a unui excep?ional prozator.Ovidiu Mircean

ber Zsófi, a harmincas, okos és sikeres mfordító egy nap arra ébred, hogy ki akar szállni a hétkznapok mókuskerekébl. Krnyezete legnagyobb dbbenetére vidékre kltzik, hogy birtokba vegye a nagymamájától rklt, mesébe ill házat. A titokzatos Nagyi azonban, akirl faluszerte azt suttogták, boszorkány, mást is tartogat unokája számára. Zsófi krül egyre sokasodnak a megmagyarázhatatlan események és a véletlen egybeesések. Mintha a ház – vagy valaki más – üzenni akarna neki. Vajon mit jelentenek a külns dátumok a nagypapa fényképének hátoldalán Mi minden rejtzhet az ódon, sokrekesz szekreterben Kinek a horoszkópját rizgette féltett kincsként a Nagyi és miért Bauer Barbara generációkon átível regénye arra keresi a választ, honnan jvünk, és milyen terheket halmoztak ránk felmenink. Talán nem is tudunk róluk, mégis egy életen át cipeljük ket Vagy elég bátrak vagyunk ahhoz, hogy megszabaduljunk a kéretlen útravalóktól Mialatt Zsófit mindinkább magába szippantja nagymamája naplója, melynek lapjain egy idtlen szerelem felemel és szívszorító trténete bontakozik ki, saját sorsa is gykeres fordulatot vesz egy férfi váratlan felbukkanásával. Nagyon úgy fest, hogy Szoboszlai András az igazi – de lehet, hogy egy kicsit még annál is tbb. Mieltt kzs jvjük tervezgetésébe vágnának, szembe kell nézniük saját múltjukkal, és kiderül, hogy trténetük szálai a felszín alatt szorosabban fonódnak ssze, mint azt bármelyikük is gondolta volna…

lmában nem, de életében egyszer kinyílik az ajtó az írón eltt. Szeredás Emerenc ajtaja, amely mások számára rkre zárva marad. A megingathatatlan jellem, erklcséhez és hiedelmeihez tántoríthatatlanul ragaszkodó asszony házvezetnnek áll az írónhz, ám els perctl nyilvánvaló, hogy diktál. Gazdája megmérettetik, és nem találtatván knnynek, Emerenc nem csupán otthona, hanem lelke ajtaját is megnyitja eltte, ha csak résnyire is. gy sejlik fel Magyarország huszadik századi trténelmének kulisszái eltt egy magára maradt n tragikus, fordulatos sorsa. Vajon mit rizget az ids asszony a hét lakatra zárt ajtó mgttAz ajtó a ki- és bezártság, a születés és a halál si jelképe. llandó kettsség jellemzi a két fhs áhítatosan odaadó, máskor szinte gyllkd kapcsolatát is. A szeretet kapujában állnak. Sikerülhet-e végül beljebb vagy elengedni egymást Az ajtó Szabó Magda talán legismertebb regénye: Szabó István forgatott belle filmet, és 2015-ben felkerült a The New York Times sikerlistájára.

Graff Angéla és Encsy Eszter élete és sorsa oly szorosan tartozik ?ssze, akár a nappal és az éjszaka – s ?k ketten éppen ennyire ellentétei is egymásnak. Komor korban t?ltik együtt gyermekéveiket, amelynek s?tétségér?l Angéla mit sem tud, s amely ?r?kre feketére festi Eszter lelkét. Angéla gondtalan áhítattal mosolyog a hajnali fénybe, mik?zben széthulló családja életük romjait menekíti, Eszter pedig tehetetlen irigységgel zokog, amiért nem láthatja szenvedni ezt az ártatlan angyalt. ?vekkel kés?bb találkoznak ismét, a kapocs kettejük k?z?tt egy férfi ? férj és szeret?. Eszter ünnepelt színészn?, mégis boldogtalan: a lelkében izzó démoni gy?l?let lassan elpusztít mindent, ami boldoggá tehetné. Angéla ?r?k gyermek, fogalma sincs a k?rül?tte munkáló gyilkos indulatokról, emészt? szenvedélyekr?l. Nem sejti, hogy akiket a legjobban szeret, háta m?g?tt megcsalják, élete f?lforgatására készülnek. Az ?z?egy szerelmi háromsz?g és egy élethosszig tartó, engesztelhetetlen bosszú kegyetlen t?rténete. Szabó Magda magával ragadó, kíméletlen regénye mé.ltán tette egy csapásra híressé és elismertté szerz?jét: t?bb mint húsz nyelvre fordították le, és máig sem veszített elementáris erejéb?l

Nagy élmény ez az éjszaka! Felettem zldell faág és a csillagos ég.” A csndben zek, dámvadak osonnak le a kopolyához”… – írja naplójában tizenévesen a majdani kutató, a nvénybiológia professzora, két teljes napot egyedül eltltve a Nagynyíri erdben. Folytatódik a sor nyári diákmunkaként egész megyéket feltérképez kerékpártúrákkal, ifjúkori nyaralásokkal, majd eljutunk a már felntt férfi, családapa kutatói munkáival sszekapcsolódó utazásaihoz, tanulmányútjaihoz. Egyszer turista számára elérhetetlen oldalát láthatjuk Hollandiának, Japánnak, megtudjuk, hol van Fokhagymaország”, van-e, volt-e rabszolgaság a 20. sz.-ban, mit mond a távolról jtt magyarnak Dél-Amerika… Megismerhetjük más népek szokásait, vallását, gynyrkdhetünk természeti és épített kincseik szépségében. Ismeretekben gazdag leírások, pontos információkkal az adott ország fldrajzi adottságairól, társadalmáról, olykor trténelmérl is – érzékletesen, élményszeren. Nem hagyva ki a korabeli Magyarország külfldi utakkal kapcsolatos hozzáállását sem... Szülfldjérl, Trtelrl indul, és vissza is tér oda. Bár Szegeden él, mégis tevékenyen vesz részt a település mindennapjaiban. E. L. tudósként gondolkodik, de a hétkznapok nyelvén fogalmaz. Visszaemlékezéseit olvasva knnyedén, szinte észrevétlenül gazdagodik tudásunk, emelkedik lelkünk… Szafián Zsuzsanna tanár, író

The Divine Comedy describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and of another of his works, La Vita Nuova. While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and knowledge to appreciate. Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" — "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142). "IN the midway of this our mortal life, I found me in a gloomy wood, astray Gone from the path direct: and e'en to tell It were no easy task, how savage wild That forest, how robust and rough its growth, Which to remember only, my dismay Renews, in bitterness not far from death.." (Dante) IN the midway of this our mortal life,I found me in a gloomy wood, astrayGone from the path direct: and e'en to tellIt were no easy task, how savage wildThat forest, how robust and rough its growth,Which to remember only, my dismayRenews, in bitterness not far from death.Yet to discourse of what there good befell,All else will I relate discover'd there.How first I enter'd it I scarce can say,Such sleepy dullness in that instant weigh'dMy senses down, when the true path I left,But when a mountain's foot I reach'd, where clos'dThe valley, that had pierc'd my heart with dread,I look'd aloft, and saw his shoulders broadAlready vested with that planet's beam,Who leads all wanderers safe through every way. Then was a little respite to the fear,That in my heart's recesses deep had lain,All of that night, so pitifully pass'd:And as a man, with difficult short breath,Forespent with toiling, 'scap'd from sea to shore,Turns to the perilous wide waste, and standsAt gaze; e'en so my spirit, that yet fail'dStruggling with terror, turn'd to view the straits,That none hath pass'd and liv'd. My weary frameAfter short pause recomforted, againI journey'd on over that lonely steep,The hinder foot still firmer. Scarce the ascentBegan, when, lo! a panther, nimble, light,And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd,Nor, when it saw me, vanish'd, rather stroveTo check my onward going; that ofttimesWith purpose to retrace my steps I turn'd. ? ?About Dante: ? Durante degli Alighieri, simply referred to as Dante (1265–1321), was a major Italian poet of the Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called La Comedia and later called Divina by Boccaccio, is widely considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. In Italy he is known as il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") or just il Poeta. He, Petrarch and Boccaccio are also known as "the three fountains" or "the three crowns". Dante is also called the "Father of the Italian language".

The girl had been an orphan from childhood, and Rowland Trowbridge had been almost as a father to her. Avice loved him and watched over him as a daughter; at least, that had been the case until lately. A few weeks since, Mr. Trowbridge had succumbed to the rather florid charms of Mrs. Black, his housekeeper, and told Avice he would marry her in a month. Though greatly surprised and not greatly pleased, Avice had accepted the situation and treated the housekeeper with the same pleasant courtesy she had always shown her. The two “got along” as the phrase is, though their natures were not in many ways congenial. Avice remained at the window till she saw at last Leslie Hoyt’s tall form approaching. She ran to open the door herself. “Oh, Judge Hoyt,” she cried, “Uncle hasn’t come yet! There must be something wrong! What can we do” THE MARK OF CAINBY CAROLYN WELLS AUTHOR OF “A CHAIN OF EVIDENCE,” “THE GOLD BAG,” “THE WHITE ALLEY,” ETC.WITH A FRONTISPIECE IN COLOR BY GAYLE HOSKINS

Of all the myths which have come down to us from the East, and of all the creations of Western fancy and belief, the Personality of Evil has had the strongest attraction for the mind of man. The Devil is the greatest enigma that has ever con-fronted the human intelligence. So large a place has Satan taken in our imagination, and we might also say in our heart, that his expulsion therefrom, no matter what philosophy may teach us, must for ever remain an impossibility. As a character in imagi-native literature Lucifer has not his equal in heaven above or on the earth beneath. In contrast to the idea of Good, which is the more exalted in proportion to its freedom from anthropomor-phism, the idea of Evil owes to the presence of this element its chief value as a poetic theme. The discrowned archangel may have been inferior to St. Michael in military tactics, but he cer-tainly is his superior in matters literary. The fair angels—all frankness and goodness—are beyond our comprehension, but the fallen angels, with all their faults and sufferings, are kin to us. There is a legend that the Devil has always had literary aspi-rations. The German theosophist Jacob B?hme relates that when Satan was asked to explain the cause of God’s enmity to him and his consequent downfall, he replied: “I wanted to be an author.” Whether or not the Devil has ever written anything over his own signature, he has certainly helped others compose their greatest works. It is a significant fact that the greatest im-aginations have discerned an attraction in Diabolus. What would the world’s literature be if from it we eliminated Dante’s Divine Comedy, Calderón’s Marvellous Magician, Milton’s Paradise Lost, Goethe’s Faust, Byron’s Cain, Vigny’s Eloa, and Lermon-tov’s Demon? Sorry indeed would have been the plight of litera-ture without a judicious admixture of the Diabolical. Without the Devil there would simply be no literature, because without his intervention there would be no plot, and without a plot the story of the world would lose its interest. Even now, when the belief in the Devil has gone out of fashion, and when the very mention of his name, far from causing men to cross themselves, brings a smile to their faces, Satan has continued to be a puissant personage in the realm of letters. As a matter of fact, Beelzebub has perhaps received his greatest elaboration at the hands of writers who believed in him just as little as Shake-speare did in the ghost of Hamlet’s father.