"You are so gentle! In times of strong faith, I know that people adored the Blessed Virgin; she would let the lame, the blind, the lepers, the paralytic, all the unfortunate people approach her robe. But you are still better and, with every new revelation of your great, infinite heart, I understand better the eternal, unshaken foundation of your genius. And if being a better Blessed Virgin should upset you, I'll say that you are like that Carthaginian goddess who stirred luscious ideas in everyone, and pious desires in some."This hyperbolic passage, reminding of Mihail Eminescu's poem Venus and Madonna ("Blond beams around her pale face – an angel's, yet a woman's / For woman is the prototype of angels in Heaven"; "My love! Were you a demon, you'd still be saintly due to love") is from a letter written by Marcel Proust to Anna, Countess of Noailles, author of The Uncountable Heart, The Shadow of Days, The Living and the Dead and many other volumes, whose ancestry strewed Romanian history with illustrious names such as Brancovan, Bibescu and Mavrocordat.Initially, the editors envisioned an issue dedicated to female characters in Romanian literature. Predictably, the selection was laborious, as opinions on how representative one heroine or other is vary widely. We decided we would once again tip the balance in favor of the classics, which is no more than a secure way to avoid too much contemporary criticism, while stirring too many contemporary passions. However, suggestions poured in, and we found ourselves facing the inevitable: portraits, quotes and impressions were added, giving birth to a richer, though far from comprehensive, picture of Romanian womanhood which could be pursued indefinitely.
by Adrian Solomon
