Nichita Stănescu

Nichita Stănescu (Romanian pronunciation: [niˈkita stəˈnesku]; born Nichita Hristea Stănescu) (March 31, 1933 – December 13, 1983) was a Romanian poet and essayist.

Stănescu's father was Nicolae Hristea Stănescu (1908-1982). His mother, Tatiana Cereaciuchin, was Russian (originally from Voronezh, she had fled Russia and married in 1931). Nichita Stănescu finished high school in Ploieşti, then went on to study Romanian language and literature in Bucharest, graduating in 1957. He made his literary debut in the Tribuna literary magazine.

Stănescu married Magdalena Petrescu in 1952, but the couple separated a year later. In 1962 he married Doina Ciurea. In 1982 he married Todoriţa "Dora" Tărâță.

For much of his career, Stănescu was a contributor to and editor of Gazeta Literară, România Literară and Luceafărul.

His editorial debut was the poetry book Sensul iubirii ("The Aim of Love"), which appeared under the Luceafărul selection, in 1960. He also was the recipient of numerous awards for his verse, the most important being the Herder Prize in 1975 and a nomination for the Nobel Prize in 1980. The last volume of poetry published in his lifetime was Noduri şi semne ("Knots and Signs"), published in 1982. A heavy drinker, he died of cardiopulmonary arrest.

He left behind poems such as:

• O viziune a sentimentelor - "A Vision of Feelings"
• Dreptul la timp - "The Right to Time"
• 11 Elegii - "11 Elegies"
• Necuvintele - "The Unwords"
• Un pământ numit România - "A Land Called Romania"
• Epica Magna
• Opere imperfecte - "Imperfect Works"
• Noduri şi semne - "Knots and Marks"

• Parrish Lantern Nichita Stanescu to Parrish Lantern
• "SCRIITORII ȘI ALCOOLUL Nichita Stănescu bea două sticle de vodcă pe zi, Marin Preda a murit după o beție cruntă" (in Romanian). Adevărul. June 19, 2011. 

• The Romanian Writers' Union Award (1964, 1969, 1972, 1975)
• Herder Prize (1975)
• Romanian Academy's “Mihai Eminescu” Award (1975)
• Golden Wreath laureate of the Struga Poetry Evenings (1982)
• He was elected post-mortem member of the Romanian Academy

There is a national poetry festival and an award named in his honor.

In Ploieşti, there is a high school named in his honor.

In Pipera (Voluntari) a new road has been named in his honor.

• 1960 - Sensul iubirii ("The Meaning of Love")
• 1964 - O viziune a sentimentelor ("A Vision of Feelings")
• 1965 - Dreptul la timp ("The Right to Time")
• 1966 - 11 elegii ("11 Elegies")
• 1967 -
  • Roşu vertical ("Vertical Red"),
  • Alfa,
  • Oul şi sfera ("The Egg and the Sphere")
• 1968 - Laus Ptolemaei
• 1969 -
  • Necuvintele ("The Unwords"),
  • Un pământ numit România ("A Land Called Romania")
• 1970 - În dulcele stil classic ("In Sweet Classical Style")
• 1972 -
  • Cartea de recitire ("The Re-reading Book")
  • Belgradul în cinci prieteni ("Five Friends in Belgrade")
  • Măreţia frigului (ro) ("The Greatness of Cold")
• 1978 - Epica Magna
• 1979 - Opere imperfecte ("Imperfect Works")
• 1980 - Carte de citire, carte de iubire ("Book for Reading, Book for Loving")
• 1982 - Oase plângând ("Crying Bones")
• 1982 - Noduri şi semne ("Knots and Marks")
• 1982 - Respirări ("Breaths")

Presence in English language Anthologies

• 2012 - "Testament - Anthology of Modern Romanian Verse - Bilingual Edition English/Romanian" / "Testament - Antologie de Poezie Română Modernă - Ediție Bilingvă Engleză/Română" - (Daniel Ionita, Editura Minerva 2012).

Posthumous volumes

• 1984 - Album memorial ("Memorial Album")
• 1985 - Antimetafizica - Nichita Stănescu însoţit de Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu ("Antimetaphysics - Nichita Stănescu accompanied by Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu")
• 1985 - Nichita Stănescu - Frumos ca umbra unei idei ("Nichita Stănescu - Beautiful as the Shadow of an Idea")
• 1993 - Cântece la drumul mare, 1955-1960 ("Songs on the Open Road, 1955-1960")
• 1993 - Tânjiri spre firesc ("Longings toward the Usual")
• 1995 - Cărţile sibiline ("The Sibylline Books")
• 1998 - Fel de scriere ("A Kind of Writing")
• Noua frontieră a sufletului uman ("The New Frontier of the Human Spirit")
• Scrisori ("Letters")