By The Slovak Writers' Society
Edited by Alexander Halvonik, Pavol Janik
Translated by Heather Trebaticka, Lucy Bednar

Description

In Search of Homo Sapiens represents the crystallization of the thinking and writing of the Slovak intelligentsia. For the first time the English-speaking world will see the output of some of the most prominent Slovak thinkers and writers, their reflections on contemporary life, world politics, personal lifestyles, and social ideologies. A welcome contribution to current literature, social commentary, and philosophy of life.

Comments and Reviews

In search of Slovak Literature

A NEW ANTHOLOGY of Slovak short stories, elegantly translated into English, offers foreigners a peek at some of the country's best literary talents and will give Slovak culture a global audience, say the book's backers.

In Search of Homo Sapiens, an anthology containing 23 short stories by contemporary Slovak writers, was published recently in Slovakia by the Slovak Writers Society (SSS), while the English version was issued in the US by an Illinois-based firm.

The older, 1960s generation of Slovak writers are represented by Vincent Šikula with 'Grannie', a story of a young boy in the care of a dying woman, as well as 'The Order of Wolves' by Hana Zelinová, who became known for her historical novels and children's books. Among the younger writers we find the dreamy 'Love as a Crime' by Peter Holka, or 'A Sky Full of Migrating Birds', Etela Farkašová's expressive recounting of a woman's memories. Former Culture Minister in the 1994-1998 Vladimir Meciar government, Ivan Hudec, contributes 'The Undeniable Likeness of Twins'.

While the target group for the ambitious project is readers in the United States, to a great extent Americans of Slovak descent, Heather Trebatick?'s skillful translation will also appeal to a European audience and expatriates living in Slovakia.

It is from domestic readers, however, that the book has taken some criticism, particularly for its choice of writers.

The editor of In Search of Homo Sapiens, Pavol Hudík, has worked for four decades covering literature as a journalist with the state-run Slovak Radio. In selecting the book's 23 writers, he was allowed by the SSS to choose only from the membership list of the Slovak Writers' Society.

"I tried to chose the short stories with an eye on the foreign reader, as well as to have different kinds of stories represented. I think I succeeded in presenting the entire range of Slovak story tellers from the past few decades," Hudík said.

However, other domestic literature experts questioned Hudík's claim in the book's epilogue that "the selection presented here is an adequate testimony to the variety, intellectual depth and aesthetic appeal of Slovak prose writing."

"It's surprising that names like Dušan Mitana, Dušan Dusek and Rudolf Sloboda are missing from the anthology. It's as if the book wanted to present some kind of dead Slovak literature, a dead culture. It's the very opposite of the Poviedka short story competition organised by the LCA publishing house. None of the new names that emerged from that competition, such as Tom?? Horv?th or Rado Olos, is represented in this [SSS] book. Not to mention Michal Hvoreck?, one of the most original young writers at the moment, whose books are published in the Czech Republic and Poland. What the SSS is offering us is a 'second league' of writers," said Jozef Dado Nagy, a journalist with the privately-owned Twist Radio's Literary Revue programme.

Other critics have been even more unkind. In addition to the presence of former minister Hudec on the SSS list, former members of parliament J?n Tu?insk? (sitting for Meciar's opposition HZDS party) and Gabriela Rothmayerov? (of the ruling former communist SDL party) also had stories included. Gustav Mur?n, the chairman of the Slovak PEN writers' centre, says this is evidence of "obvious political connections and a nationalist undertone in the SSS."

According to Hudík, the SSS is preparing an anthology of poetry entitled In Search of Beauty, as well as a second instalment of short stories.

— By Sa?a Petr??ov?
The Slovak Spectator staff member [8/19/2002]

These fine stories, most written over the last two decdes, culled from a body of literature largely unknown to Western readers, represent a sampling of the best Slovak writers at the height of their craft. Pavol Hudik, a leading figure in disseminating the gowing body of writing by his countrymen to the rest of the world, provides a short essay on the historical context of Slovak literature as well as brief biographical sketches and a short prefatory passage or two.

— Pinker Michael
Review of Contemporary Fiction
2/2/04