Bohumil Hrabal: Bambini Di Praga 1947

Bohumil Hrabal: Bambini di Praga 1947

“there are stains which cannot be cleaned without disrupting the structure of the fabric”

This quote demonstrates Hrabal’s art of aestheticization of banal phrases. The phrase is a a quote from an advertisement for a laundry detergent, but he gives it a completely different context and revives latent meanings in it, thus allowing it to come alive.

Hildegard von Bingen: O Ignee Spiritus

Hildegard von Bingen (ca. 1098–1179) was a Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher and scientist. Her spirituality was based on the idea of umbra viventis lucis (the reflection of the living Light).

This piece also contains some beautiful light imagery, for example in the line et eius lucerna est desiderium (and desire is its [=the soul’s] lamp), in which the first syllable of the word lucerna is sung on the highest note of the phrase, creating a shining effect in the melody as well.

"Academic Journals Doing Crime"

Jiří Kolář: ‘Vyvěs vyznač prodej’ in Návod k upotřebení (1969)

Hang a sign on your window: NOT WANTED: A STAMP COLLECTION NOT FOR SWAP: A FLAT PIANO LESSONS: NOT OFFERED DOG NOT FOUND

Write on your door: BE BACK IN A HUNDRED YEARS NON-STAFF ONLY DISTURB LITTERING NOT PROHIBITED PLEASE SPIT ON THE FLOOR ENTER WITHOUT PERMISSION

Place an advert: FOR SALE: A BABY CARRIAGE FOR OCTUPLETS LOOKING FOR AN UNINTELLIGENT MAN SMOKER, DRUNK, GAMBLER UGLY, PERVERTED, CONVICT WILL DEPOPULATE NEW YORK ON THE SPOT FOR SWAP: A MATCH BOX FOR A PYRAMID WILL TEACH TO WALK ON THE CEILING FOR FREE

nahým a bosým posléze a oblečeným v cárech zlosti ve chvíli čiré beztesknosti zasteskne se nám po něze

then, dressed only in our anger naked, barefoot, penniless in moments of pure longinglessness we will long for something tender

Jan Skácel in Naděje s bukovými křídly (1983)

Interesting etymologies: Part 1

Two creatures used in the Czech folkolre: Baba Jaga (left) and Jezinka (right)

Although it is not obvious at first glance, these two words are etymologically related. Both originate from the Old Slavic jędza < Proto-Slavic *ędza, *ęga meaning ‘disease’.

The latter name, jezinka, is derived by a suffix from the Old Czech jězě. The connection with jaga is obscured by the fact it underwent the third Slavic palatalization process in which velar consonants [k], [g], [x] became [ts], [(d)z], [s/ ʃ ] after front vowels. Thus, jězě has a [z] where jaga has a [g].

(Source: Jiří Rejzek – Český etymologický slovník)