Marin Mincu - a more than European spirit

Hidden among the crowd, professor Popescu, with his moustache and sickly curious nature, takes down notes on a small book. He writes down every student that "walks the downtown" so that the next day, in school, he will be able to remember all trespassers.

He will put some bad marks tomorrow. But what does this matter - the joy of provoking rage in the feared Geography teacher is much, much more important than a bad mark.

Among the students cutting classes those days, in the city of Slatina, was professor, writer and critic Marin Mincu, a true d'Artagnan of Romanian literature. He dueled with his brothers-in-literature, making many of them panic and he raised some awe with his articles published in pages of various magazines.

He had a picturesque childhood that he spent on the borders of the Olt River, at the circus, among the attractions.

Marin Mincu was always fascinated with flight; many times he climbed the "Wheel of Death" where one could always fall - as a matter of fact this is how one of his friends died. He survived a stupid accident when he almost drowned.

After that horrible experience he was left with a strong fear of water, although he has learned to swim. In love like any high school boy, he found the experience so traumatising that he left his literature class and joined a science one after harsh exams. All this just to be closer to the one he loved.

Marin Mincu's parents cared for him deeply and helped him a great deal even when distance came between them due to his leaving home for school.

His mother had an almost magical influence over him and she was convinced until her last breathing moment that her son was to have a brilliant career. The great writer Umberto Eco confirmed her hopes when he came to Romanian and declared his friendship and admiration for Marin Mincu.

Even though he worked in Italy, he always considered a good thing to keep the contact with the "motherland" and he did so through his articles that he published in various magazines: Romania Literara - Poezia tanara, Luceafarul - Semn si Amfiteatru - Confruntari critice.

He even "took the liberty" of publishing a book every year, much to the envy of his coworkers. The Italian period meant a great effort on his behalf to synchronise and integrate his values and ways into the European standards. When he returned to Romania he was "more than European."

In Italy he earned the respect of his Italian colleagues and became a teacher at the Firenze University. He also published a lot of books and he received many prizes.

Very energetic and with a volcanic temperament, an erudite and always paying close attention to what was going on in literature in general, a promoter of the "Textualist movement" and author of many books, Marin Mincu wishes to continue the work he started in Italy and he made public his intention to initiate a collection of Romanian masterpieces at an Italian publishing house and his willingness to take over the leadership of the "Academia di Romania."