Svetlana Makarovic Poet, writer, actress Date of Birth: 01.01.1939 Country: Slovenia

1. Svetlana Makarovich: A Multifaceted Literary Figure
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Career and Personal Life
4. Later Life and Legacy
5. HELLO

Svetlana Makarovich: A Multifaceted Literary Figure

Svetlana Makarovich is a poet, writer, actress, and singer-songwriter, making her one of the brightest and most versatile personalities in contemporary Slovenian literature. She is known for her strong opinions and uncompromising attitude towards human and societal flaws. While her categorical nature may repel some, even those who do not particularly like her acknowledge her undeniable talent and unique place in literature. Her poems have always intrigued me, but they proved to be quite difficult to translate. They are too complex, too distinctive, and passionately written. They require not just reading, but rather "living" to fully grasp their meaning. They shock and demand a deep immersion into her world, leaving readers questioning why she writes the way she does. Many of these answers can be found in her biography.

Early Life and Education

Svetlana Makarovich was born on January 1, 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Her family history already contained contradictions. Her mother grew up in a devout Catholic family but was disowned when she decided to marry a staunch atheist. The couple had two more children together. The post-war devastation and a life of poverty affected Makarovich's education, and she struggled in many subjects, except for Russian. She excelled in piano class, often using music as a way to drown out her parents' arguments. Her mother insisted on regular church attendance and adherence to religious rituals, and Makarovich complied. However, her belief in the sanctity of confession was shattered when her parents discovered that she had stolen twenty dinars from a drawer, bought two candy balls with them, and shared them with the neighborhood children. Makarovich eagerly awaited confirmation as she was promised a wristwatch as a gift. However, she was denied the present, with her parents saying, "Isn't God's grace enough for you?"

As a teenager, Makarovich attended an art school but was expelled due to her poor academic performance. She decided to become a nursery school teacher but was assigned to an institution for mentally disabled children. Feeling disillusioned with her own future, she even considered undergoing sterilization, but the medical board denied her request. Nonetheless, Makarovich never had children, stating, "This world is too unkind to bring children into."

Early Career and Personal Life

Makarovich published her first poetry collection, "Twilight," at the age of seventeen. At eighteen, she began studying psychology but later abandoned it. Her parents had divorced by that time, and her mother couldn't support her. Makarovich made a living playing piano in cafes during winter and performing in seaside hotels during summer. At the age of twenty, she was engaged but decided to run away just before the wedding, horrified by the thought of the life she was about to lead. She hitchhiked without money or belongings. She spent some time as a wanderer, living like a stray cat, and then attempted to pursue a degree in art history. She passed the entrance exam for the acting academy but was ultimately unsuccessful due to unfortunate circumstances that seemed to follow her relentlessly.

In 1964, Makarovich published her first poetry collection, "Twilight." She then embarked on a tumultuous affair with Gregor Strnisa, an established writer who was ten years her senior. However, strong emotions rarely last long. Makarovich continued to struggle and wander, living behind the scenes of theaters where Strnisa led her. She helped him write plays, wrote her own work, and even played the lead role in one of his productions, which became a hit in 1968 and received a prestigious award. Yugoslavia at that time bore a striking resemblance to the Soviet Union, and despite her talent, Makarovich struggled to find roles due to her lack of party affiliation. She managed to live in Austria for a while, in Graz, where she found temporary respite from the political climate. There, she taught Slovenian to traveling salesmen, directed radio plays with a group of students, and acted in movies alongside Hana Shigula in "A Home for Strangers," as she saved money for an apartment. These years proved to be the most productive of her life. In 1968, she published her collection of poems, "Night of Ivan Kupala," followed by "Wolf Berries," "Artemisia," "Time to Fight," and others in the mid-1970s. Makarovich became the laureate of several awards, including the F. Presern Foundation Award and the F. Levstik Award. Her later collections were titled "The Bill," "The Neighbor Mountain," and "That Time." In Slovenia, Makarovich performed at poetry evenings, which provided her with a means of subsistence. Ivan Potrc, the chairman of the Writers' Society, offered her party membership and a brilliant career. Although Makarovich was sympathetic to the idea of communism, she rejected the offer, fearing that once she succumbed to the "undeniable" authority, she would never be able to stand up for herself. The consequences were swift, as all her planned performances were canceled. Makarovich turned to writing fairy tales, creating stories featuring fictional creatures called "Kosovirs" ("Kosovirs on a Flying Spoon"). These and other tales, such as "Mouse's Bakery" and "The Janitor Cat," became immensely popular. She read them to children in schools and kindergartens for a symbolic fee. Makarovich explained, "I write primarily for myself, and then for children. I don't agree that children are the most demanding audience. It is actually easier to please children. It is much harder to write a fairy tale that deeply affects adult readers." In addition to fairy tales, Makarovich wrote plays for children and became the author of the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. Her plays, with over a thousand performances, achieved great success, and the theater toured around the world with them. Simultaneously, she led a group of songwriters and reciters and joined the satirical group "Cabaret 13." She performed chansons in the elite Hotel Lev in Ljubljana, and later, compact discs featuring her songs were released in Slovenia.

Later Life and Legacy

In the early 1980s, a progressive social movement emerged in Slovenia, laying the ideological groundwork for the country's independence. Its members, including Grafenauer, Novak, Rupel, Hribar, Inkret, and Makarovich, founded the "New Journal." However, Makarovich did not publish in it because she detested the publication's clerical position. Learning that sixty percent of the readers supported the death penalty for homosexuality, she publicly defended the rights of sexual minorities. "No one has the right to pry into someone else's personal life. Everyone has the right to engage in sexual relationships with whomever they please, even with wall clocks," she stated. In 1983, Makarovich moved to an old castle, invited by the "Lashko" Cultural Society. She was promised that the funds she invested would be used for restoration. However, the restoration work was sabotaged, and Makarovich decided to leave the castle. She bought a tiny cottage in a place called Frog Village, where she still lives today, surrounded by nature and in complete seclusion.

In 2002, deciding to bid farewell to poetry, Makarovich published a limited edition of her best poems, titled "Selfness." The book had a luxurious silk binding and a price tag of $1000. One-third of the edition sold, while Makarovich hoped that the remaining copies would be sold after her death, with the proceeds benefiting an animal shelter for abandoned pets in Maribor. Makarovich envisions her death as a fiery cremation, with a Slovenian archbishop igniting the pyre. This is not just a joke. Her rebellion and free-thinking nature have caused the Catholic Church to particularly dislike her. In 2000, during the ceremony for the most prestigious national art award, named after the prominent Slovenian poet France Preseren, Makarovich publicly rejected the award. The award was also bestowed upon a Jesuit priest for his work on a chapel in the Vatican, which received the highest praise. Makarovich commented, "We didn't know that Slovenia's territory extended all the way to the Pope's quarters and that the Pope is the supreme arbiter in the field of art." Several weeks later, as another act of protest, she returned the highest state award, the Order of Freedom, and officially renounced the Church.

The themes of many of Makarovich's poems revolve around desolation, discord, and decline. She immerses readers in a depressing and shocking environment, forcing them to experience the pain of others. Her heightened sense of protest compels her to speak out not only against injustice but also against pettiness, hypocrisy, arrogance, and servility. She coined the term "Slovenesque" to describe those of her compatriots who displayed these qualities. Another word she often uses is "microcephalus": "Microcephalics always need someone to spit on – whether they are Jews, homosexuals, smokers, or anyone else – just to reinforce their own sense of security, purity, and decency." Since 2001, Makarovich has been an advocate against draconian anti-smoking measures imposed by the state.

The last book Makarovich published is called "Highlighted with a Claw." It is a collection of essays she wrote over twelve years for various periodicals.

Svetlana Makarovich is a revered figure in her home country. Her works for children have become an integral part of the school curriculum. Many people dream of meeting her in person. Her name sparks debates, and she is either loved or condemned. Online youth forums are dedicated to her. Here are some comments from those forums:

"Svetlana reminds me of a rare, endangered bird stuck in thick, black oil spilled from a tanker that brings profit to fools."

"She stands out from the crowd because we Slovenes, as a whole, are too 'decent' and 'normal.' This woman knows and sees a lot. People fear her because she doesn't indulge in hints, insinuations, euphemisms, and flattery. She speaks directly what she thinks. People find her threatening because she doesn't soften her judgments. She despises social conventions. Striving to hide behind 'decency' and 'normality' is a prevalent Slovenian trait."

"The psychopathology of Slovenian everyday life is the subject of her research. Yes, Makarovich is eccentric. But she provokes not for the sake of provocation. She advocates for the humanity of human life, for the right to live as one pleases without causing harm to the world. And when asked why her poetry is so dark, she responds, 'When you write about what oppresses you, it becomes easier, and you can smile and go on living.'"

HELLO

Hello, unattractive one,
seen through a colorful windowpane.
Hello, world, soaked to the brim with blood.
Mountains without forests, rolling like a ball.
Hello, miraculous bird with tattered feathers.
Sewers of impurity, stench, spit, and dirt.
Hello, neighbors with heads devoid of eyes.
Hello, men with emptiness in their trousers,
women with bodies covered in fresh bruises.
Hello, misshapen, nameless cattle,
with singed fur, will you breed?
Wind, the scent of fallen leaves dispersing across the field.
Hello, hello, song of my homeland.
Hello, sea and hunger, slaughter, and poverty.
Hello, cradle. May you remain empty.