Kazys Bradūnas : archyvai

LTKnygoje „Kazys Bradūnas. Archyvai“ pristatomas Nacionalinės premijos laureato, poeto, redaktoriaus, žemininkų lankininkų kartos atstovo Kazio Bradūno (1917-2009) gyvenimas ir kūryba. Pasitelkus leidinyje skelbiamas unikalias archyvalijas, esančias K. Bradūno ir kitų išeivių rašytojų rinkiniuose bei dukros Elenos Aglinskienės paskolintą Tėvų namuose, Vilniuje, likusią medžiagą: nuotraukas, dokumentus, epistolinį palikimą, rankraščius, knygas, spaudinius - atskleidžiama poeto asmeninio ir kūrybinio kelio raida istoriniame kontekste, individualios būties plėtojimo perspektyvos bei tarpusavio santykiai su kitais žmonėmis. Pateikti iki šiol mažai žinomi K. Bradūno biografijos faktai, išryškinti pasaulėžiūros ypatumai. Cituojami rašytojų, literatūros kritikų laiškai, straipsniai leidžia iš arčiau pažinti ne tik K. Bradūno, bet ir kitų išeivijos kūrėjų asmenybes, kultūrinę, literatūrinę bei visuomeninę aplinką. Ši knyga turėtų būti įdomi ir naudinga studijuojantiems literatūrą, lituanistams bei kultūra besidomintiems žmonėms. [Anotacija knygoje]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Kazys Bradūnas; Biografija; Archyvai; Dokumentai; Laiškai; Kazys Bradūnas; Biography; Archives; Documents; Letters.

ENKazys Bradūnas (1917-2009) -renowned poet, journalist, editor, magnetic personality-has left distinct footsteps in Lithuania’s cultural and literary history. He devoted his entire life to fostering Lithuanian heritage, intuiting when and where to sow seeds that might yield an abundant harvest. This is manifest in his editorial achievements: the journal Echoes {Aidai), which rallied young emigre writers and scholars abroad; the poetry anthology Earth (Žemė, 1951); the journal Sheets of Literature {Literatūros lankai, 1952-1959; a young writers’ almanac - Four {Keturi, 1986); Vytautas Mačernis’ Poetry {Poezija, 1961); Lithuanian Poetry, vol. III {Lietuvių poezija III, 1971); Lithuanian Literature Abroad {Lietuvių literatūra svetur. 1945-1968, 1968); and the exceptionally significant Lithuanian Exile Literature {Egzodo lietuvių literatūra. 1945-1990, 1990). The latter was со-edited by Rimvydas Šilbajoris. Remarkably prolific as a poet, K. Bradūnas published seventeen books of poetry, two collections of selected verse, and two volumes of his collected poems {Sutelktinė /-//, 2001). Most of his books won various prizes and awards. In 1944, during the second Soviet occupation of Lithuania, Bradūnas was forced into exile. For several years he lived in Germany, and from 1949 to 1992, in the United States of America. Shortly after Lithuania regained independence in 1991, K. Bradūnas and his wife, Kazimiera, returned and settled in Vilnius. In 1992 he received the National Prize in Culture and the Arts; in 2002 he was chosen laureate at Poetry’s Spring (festival) and won the Jotvingiai prize at Poetry’s Autumn in Druskininkai. For his services to Lithuanian culture, Bradūnas was awarded the Grand Duke Gediminas’ highest order.Bradūnas’ poetry has reached Lithuania through unofficial channels since 1957. For decades it was read secretly, passed hand to hand, and copied. Now his books are easily accessible; his poetry is widely known, reviewed, and discussed in scholarly articles. Professor and literary critic Victoria Skrupskelis has provided comprehensive studies; however, to date we have no monographs about Bradūnas’ life and work in the historical context of 1940-1990. The present author met K. Bradūnas in Chicago in 1989, when she initiated the transfer of his archives, including manuscripts, books, documents, and photographs, to the Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature. This museum, holding the archives of numerous exiled Lithuanian writers, facilitates research and publication and curates litera^ exhibits in an effort to preserve a unique cultural legacy. The celebration of K. Bradūnas’ 100th birthday in Feburary, 2017, provides occasion to publish selected material from his archive in the form of a book: Kazys Bradūnas. Archives. In the main, this volume comprises four chapters presenting Bradūnas’ life and work chronologically - in Lithuania (1917-1944), m Germany (1944-1949), in the USA(1949-1992), and again in Lithuania (1992-2009)-and a chapter featuring a survey and interpretation of his poetry. In keeping with the traditional model of literary history, the narrative text, based on selected and interrelated events, highlights essential factors in order to attain a meaningful composite portrait. The author strives to accentuate the poet’s aesthetic values and to reflect his authentic being, including his relation to the environments in which he thrived.Kazys Bradūnas. Archyvai draws not only from archival sources but also from the accounts of live witnesses, primarily the poet’s family and colleagues. The author-compiler maintained close contact with K. Bradūnas, Kazimiera' and their daughters Lione and Elena. She found invaluable sources in the testimonials of Bradūnas’ fellow writers and friends: A. Nyka-Niliūnas, K. Ostrauskas, B. Nagienė, J. Švabaitė-Gylienė, P. Visvydas, and others. She received generous, insightful advice from Prof. Victoria Skrupskelis. K. Bradūnas is one of the greatest 20th-century Lithuanian poets, distinctive in poetic voice and style. His poetry expresses an indelible bond with his native land, as well as its mythology, folklore, history, and culture. He truly merits the epithet “earth poet” {žemininkas), attributed to the trailblazing poets who contributed to the anthology Earth {Žemė, 1951, ed. K. Bradūnas) and Sheets of Literature {Literatūros lankai, 1952-1959): A. Nyka-Niliūnas, H. Nagys, J. Kėkštas, and (posthumously) V. Mačernis. Bradūnas’ wide-ranging modem verse influenced numerous' young writers in soviet Lithuania: J. Degutytė, J. Marcinkevičius, M. Martinaitis, S. Geda. Kazys Bradūnas. Archyvai is the first publication of its kind, offering a comprehensive survey of Bradūnas’ life and art, with an emphasis on his conception of modernism and the outstanding features of his poetry. K. Bradūnas’ legacy should stimulate scholars and teachers researching 20th-century literature to reconsider and interpret his distinctly original poetry. The book is intended not only for teachers and students of Lithuanian literature but for everyone interested in Lithuanian cultural and literary history. [From the publication]