She was not beholden to emotions, she did not carry love to the other shore. Instead, she salvaged statues and the human-faced, self-carved gods. The fulfilment of our knowledge and our moral stance as a momento of lucky and less fortunate times. Even today, her qualities stand tall, unblemished, still visible from afar. She demonstrated us pure ideals and bore both the weight of rationality and the temptation of mysticism, while never once losing her internal standards, faith or common sense. Instead of raising Nemes Nagy on a pedestal, this event will show her human side alongside her image as a poet, from her childhood as a ponytailed girl to her wild and devoted love, her mature friendships, her travels and the malaise of old age. It will illuminate the mark of femininity and Transylvanian heritage to be found in her poems, as well as the sharpening of her sensuality, the feeling of suffocation and political pressure, the trials of attempting to organise her literature, her humour, playfulness, anger, faith and faithfulness, and also her fear and pain - the fascinatingly beautiful arc and the background details of a rich and exemplary career. Anna Szabó T. discovered the poet for herself as a teenager. She learnt the whole of Nemes Nagy's Összegyűjtött versek (Collected Poems) by heart, and today would gladly hand every (female) student a copy of the book so they can learn to write and live from it - boldly, forcefully, freely.
Featuring:
actors from the József Katona Theatre
guitar: Gábor Juhász
Programme compiled and introduced by: Anna Szabó T.
Director: Réka Pelsőczy