Centrul nu se mai susține. Ceea ce ne desparte

Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu and Vasile Ernu debate the role of books. They ask what works of prose and verse mean and do. The two men come from different backgrounds and read in different ways. But their shared faith in books binds them. This book of debate suits readers drawn to such questions. It asks how books shape thought and bring people together.

Ernu draws on theory and looks at a work’s context. Stănescu looks within the text for meaning and beauty. For Ernu, poetry is a matter of life and death. For Stănescu, its power spreads through the reader.

They test the views of Bloom and Nabokov. They question why Nabokov thought so little of Dostoevsky. They also ask why he paid Bulgakov so little heed. They discuss Grossman and Platonov, and Stalin’s role as a book critic. Their debate takes in Philip Roth, Orwell, and Mandelstam. They draw on Gogol and Joyce in their arguments, too. They do not aim to name one writer the best. Nor do they seek to pick a winner between themselves. Their dispute stays open.

Ernu was born in the USSR in 1971. He trained in philosophy in Iași and Cluj. He has worked for journals on culture and in publishing. He also writes opinion pieces. He helped found the platform criticatac.ro. His nonfiction has won awards in several forms. His books have reached readers in more than ten languages.

Stănescu was born in 1979. He writes fiction, poetry, and essays. He also translates and edits books. He leads Pandora M and runs the Anansi. World Fiction series. His work on Emil Botta earned him a doctorate in literature. His fiction has won several prizes. He has translated works by Joyce and Faulkner, among others. His range also includes Arendt and Jung.