Poet Vasile Spinei has launched his eighth volume of haiku&senryu poems, in Japanese style, which he called “Eglantine Hedge”. The book is dedicated to his parents Iustina and Leon. The launch ceremony was held at the State University, where the author gives lecturers to students of the Faculty of Journalism, on October 18. This involved writers, ambassadors, relatives, colleagues, friends and students. The book appeared in 400 copies, IPN reports.
According to the authors, haiku means short verses about nature and a season. Senryu shows the relations between people with slight sarcasm. Vasile Spinei said he wrote the poems during almost six years, while the volume was prepared during nearly a year. The books will not be on sale. These could be given as presents and donated. Eighty copies were sent to Japan, 40 to the U.S., while a part will be donated to libraries.
Vasile Spinei related that he needed many years of reading and travel through the world to write poems in Japanese style. Many things in the poems are more understood than expressed, more hidden than apparent.
The poet, prose writer, essayist and dramatis Iulian Filip joked, saying Vasile Spinei is an unordinary poet who made his debut not at the right age. His poems are of a high quality. “It is left to the discretion of the reader to judge the value of this book,” he stated.
Poet, scriptwriter and editor Nicolae Dabija, ex-faculty colleague of Vasile Spinei, remembered that he competed in reading with the author of the book when they were students. He said Vasile Spinei is a correct man and his books deserve to be praised. “Many people write haiku poems, but I don’t know if they all write in an inspired way, with maximum concentration of thoughts when you can say a lot with few words,” he stated.
Attending the event, Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova Masanobu Yoshii reminded that this year it has been 25 years of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Moldova and Japan. The launch of the book fits into this anniversary. “I’m glad that the Japanese culture is promoted in the Republic of Moldova. The culture and language of a state are two very important elements in the relations of friendship,” stated Masanobu Yoshii.
Poet, prose writer, newspaperman, editor and playwright Vasile Spinei was born on October 15, 1948. He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the State University and worked as division head and editor-in-chief at a number of newspapers. He made his editorial debut in 1975 with the prose book “Faith” and in 1993 published his first volume of poems entitled “Fear of Bad Signs”. He is a member of the Writers Union and of the Union of Journalists. In 1998-2001, he sat on Moldova’s Parliament. He published 15 volumes.
