Culture
Ivan Burnik Legiša’s poetry collection: An ode to the Slovenian language
On the last Thursday in May, the headquarters of the Slovenian Emigrant Association hosted an evening literary event for a select group of poetry lovers who got to know Ivan Burnik Legiša’s poetry collection entitled Ta jezik naš (This Language of Ours). In a thoughtful and insightful manner, the life story and literary oeuvre of the Slovenian-born and poet, who now lives in the Australian city of Adelaide, were presented by Marjan Pungartnik.
The poetry collection features the poet’s latest works, which Pungartnik believes stand out for their beautiful language. Legiša’s work is characteristically humorous, sharp, bitter and sarcastic. One of the constants in his poetry is homesickness. “His stylistically most notable device is rhythm, which people from the Karst plateau have inherited from Italian. It imbues the language with a rich sound,” Pungartnik voices his observations.
Generations
Marie Černe Prisland’s invaluable contribution to preserving Slovenianhood in America
On 15 May 2023 at 3 PM, the small and picturesque village of Rečica ob Savinji hosted a celebration to commemorate Marie Černe Prisland, who emigrated from Slovenia at the tender age of 15. The event entitled Proclamation honors Marie Černe Prisland took place in the local primary school. It was attended by numerous Americans who were connected to the honoree one way or another. Among them were also her two granddaughters, who spiced up the celebration by sharing their memories.
In her address, Mary Lou Deyak Voelk, the National President of the Slovenian Union of America, stated, “Your attendance at this event is a major contribution to the appreciation of our Slovenian heritage.”
Slovenians in business
The prestigious award and daring plans of Bookshop Haček
Based on the decision of the professional jury, Bookshop Haček from Klagenfurt is among the top Austrian bookshops of 2023. Since 2017, the awards for the best Austrian bookshops have been presented by the Association of Austrian Book Trade and the Austrian Ministry of the Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport.
This year, the award was given out to five bookshops. Aside from Bookshop Haček, it was also awarded to Buch & Boot from Altaussee, Orlando from Vienna, Rapunzel from Dornbirn and Stephan Lauf from Braunau. Each of the awarded bookshops will receive a grant of EUR 10,000.
Slovenian wonders
The idyllic Park Idila near Lake Bloke
If you want to see a pristine Inner Carniolan landscape that looks as if it were taken straight from a fairytale, then you have to visit Lake Bloke. It is a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction at the heart of the Inner Carniolan forests. After seeing ten bears made of wood, a myriad of other wood sculptures, and fairytale houses in Park Idila, you will undoubtedly fall in love with it. And you will most definitely return time and time again…
Slovenian landscape
In search of the culprit for peer violence
The radical form of peer violence in Serbia, which took the form of mass shootings, shook not only Serbians but the entire region. In Slovenia, the active search for the causes of and solutions to violence among the youth spanned over the entire month. In other news, while seeking financial aids to support our flagging economy, we have been wondering how lobbying a month prior to the vote for Slovenian membership in the United Nations Security Council will pay off.
Within the framework of the project entitled Descendants of Slovenian emigrants and the preservation of the Slovenian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the ZRC Atrium hosted an international scientific conference entitled Slovenian migrations and the connections between Slovene emigrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meanwhile, in the third week of May, Slovenia – especially the northeastern part of the country – was struck by torrential rains and avalanches that endangered many families. In the last week of May, we finally saw warmer temperatures, which were accompanied by severe traffic jams on the Slovenian highways.
On 22 May 2023, Slovenian poet, playwright, essayist, translator and editor Veno Taufer passed away at the age of 90. Taufer was one of the most radical poets of Slovenian modernism and the founder of the Vilenica International Literary Festival.
In a swift climb to the Monte Santo di Lussari, Slovenian cycling champion Primož Roglič defeated his competitors, winning both the overall Giro d’Italia race and the hearts of countless Slovenian fans cheering at the venue.
Kristijan Radikovič
