The Literary Chamber of the Writers House in Chisinau hosted today the launch of a special issue of the Viata Basarabiei (Life of Bessarabia) magazine themed “A Century of American Literature”. Published with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, the issue features translations in Romanian (from the Russian and English languages) of some landmark works by the most important American writers of the XX century, Info-Prim Neo reports. Writer Valeriu Matei, the initiator of the idea and also program coordinator at the Moldovan Writers Union, says that idea of publishing such an issue originated last year at a literary event dedicated to the American literature in Bessarabia during 1918-2007. The idea eventually bore fruits with the support of the U.S. Embassy. “We decided to devote each of Viata Basarabiei's number to a dialogue with a foreign literature. We decided to dedicate this first dialogue to the American literature, and the first to react to our invitation was the U.S. Embassy”, explained Matei. The issue features poetry by 26 poets, a novel, a short story, an essay and a theatrical play – all translated into Romanian. In addition, the issue contains studies on the American literature: a study authored by Academician Mihai Cimpoi on the American prose, poetry and playwriting in the XX century; an article by Valeriu Matei listing all the works written by American writers and translated in Bessarabia; and a study by Mihaela Constantinescu on the American post-modernism. The foreword is signed by U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Michael Kirby. Literary translators like Serafim Belicov, Musata Matei, Igor Cretu, and Iulian Filip contributed to the issue. “This way we have covered an entire century of American literature. Of course you can cover all the literature. We have translated what has never been translated before in Moldova, take for instance poets like Ezra Pound, John Berryman, Ogden Nash, and others”, Valeriu Matei remarked. With the American literature opening the series, French, German, Spanish and Italian follow-ups are expected to appear. The magazine is issued in 1,300 copies and is destined for the cultural and literature community, libraries and educational institutions.