Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1982 (10. évfolyam, 31-34. szám)
1982 / 31-32. szám
MEETINGS The Discussion Group on Hungarian Literature held its annual meeting and presented a panel on humor and satire in Hungarian literature at the convention of the Modern Language Association in New York City, on December 28, 1981. Anna Katona (Coll, of Charleston) chaired the session. Papers were presented on “humor in Petofi’s Poetry,” by Enikő Molnár Basa (Library of Congress), “Of Cockroaches and ‘Civilizing’ Hungary: Imre Madach as an Aristophanic Satirist” by Dieter Lotze (Allegheny Coll.), and on István Örkény and contemporary Hungarian satire by Steven C. Scheer (St. Meinard Coll.) Juliette Victor Rood (U. of Pennsylvania) is in charge of the 1982 program which will focus on ethnic literature. (EMB) □ “Effects of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956” was the title of a symposium held at Brooklyn Coll., on October 23,1981. It was sponsored by the Program on Society in Change, the Graduate Center of CUNY (both represented by Bela K. Király), and by the AHEA (represented by Barbara Lotze, Allegheny Coll.). A panel chaired by Ivan Sanders (Suffolk County Comm. Coll.), who also gave a review of literature in the early fifties, included Tama's Aczél (U. of Massachusetts), Tibor Meray (Paris), Karoly Nagy (Rutgers U.) and Thomas Szendrey (Gannon U.). Barbara Lotze keynoted a panel with a report on the press coverage of the Revolution, and the panelists covered the political coping of Hungary, the Eastern block, as well as the impact of the new wave of immigration in the West. Paul Jonas (U. of New Mexico) chaired a session on social and economic repercussions. The panel discussed with some vehemence the question of whether the Revolution was directly or indirectly responsible for the reasonably good economic climate of present day Hungary. Charles Gati (Union Coll.) steered a discussion on international repercussions of the Revolution. The proceedings were taped by WHBI-FM of New York City, and will be published by the East European Quarterly Press in conjunction with papers presented at the Sixth Annual Conference of the American Hungarian Educators Association. (EMB) □ RESEARCH IN PROGRESS Sociolinguist Joshua A. Fishman, well known for his writings on Hungarian language maintenance in the U.S. (his 1966 volume of Language Loyalty in the U.S. has just been republished by Arno Press) launched a research program on “Non-English Language Resources of the USA: A Vital National Resource.” The program enjoys the support of the U.S. Department of Education. When completed the study should present a detailed description on the size and fluency of America’s non-English languages. His first task is to obtain the names and addresses of institutions and persons fostering the use of Hungarian, such as publishers of periodicals, producers of radio and TV programs, principals and teachers of Hungarian language schools, and leaders of community organizations and churches. Once addresses of institutions and key persons are known, they will be approached for data on their programs. Send names and addresses of appropriate persons and institutions you are associated with or aware of to Dr. J.A. Fishman, Language Resources III, Yeshiva U., 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. □ Theordore Schoenman (Santa Barbara, Calif.) informed us that he and Mrs. Schoenman just completed the translation of Milan Fust's Feleségem története (The Story of my Wife), which is now being considered for publication by W. W. Norton & Co. A translation of Endre Vészi’s Angi Vera and fourof his othershort stories being considered for publication by Harper & Row. A Ve'szi novel, The Story of a Horse, is now being translated. The HSN reported on earlier translations of the Schoenmans in issues 13 and 22. Geza Charles Paikert, prof, emeritus at Syracuse U., is working on a project for the Syracuse U. library seeking to identify literary works which treat the problem of aging. Anyone who could supply information is asked to contact Dr. Paikert at 107 Ferris Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13224 or by telephone: 315-446-8612. (EMB) □ IREX REPORT 1981-1982 The thirteenth annual report of the International Research and Exchange Board, issued recently, describes collaborative projects for calendar year 1981 and American nominations of scholars and scientists to study in Hungary. Nomination of Hungarians had not been made at the writing of this report. A major reorganization in structure of the supervision and coordination of cultural and educational affairs in Hungary resulted .in the dissolution of the Kulturális Kapcsolatok Intézete (KKI). The successor organization, the Nemzetközi Kulturális Intézet (NKI) pledged to continue the established exchange relationship. During a visit to the IREX offices in May 1981, György Na'dor, the director of the NKI, negotiated and signed a two-year agreement with a quota of 55 months for the first year and an open quota to be negotiated for the second year. Activities sponsored by the IREX outside the framework of this agreement included an international symposium titled, “World History - Hungarian History,” at Indiana U. in April 1981, and supportforthree Hungarian economists at a workshop on U.S. - Hungarian relations held at Mt. Kisco, New York in October 1980. COLLABORATIVE GRANTS Special Grants Programs in the Social Sciences and Humanities for collaborative and new exchange projects in calendar year 1981 were as follows. Bela K. Király, Brooklyn Coll. Travel and per diem for 18 East European historians who participated in the third and final international conference on “War and Society in East Central Europe,” held in New York. Hungarian participants were József Borús, Domokos G. Kosáry, and Karoly Vörös, all of the Institute of History, HAS; György Szabad and Aladár Urban of the Eötvös L.U. (March 1981). Paul Marer, Indiana U. Travel and perdiem for East European participants in a conference on multinational corporations in Latin America, the U.S., and East Europe, held at Indiana U. A Hungarian scholar who received support from IREX was: András Blaho, Marx K.U. Budapest. (March 1981). Malcolm W. Pennington, Society of Applied Economics, New York. Travel and perdiem for Tama's Ba'cskai, National Bank of Hungary, György Oblat, Intercooperation for Trade Promotion, Ltd. Budapest, and Be'la Szikszai, Marx K.U. Budapest, to attend a workshop on U.S.-Hungarian economic relations at Mt. Kisco, New York. (October 1981). Alexander L. Ringer, U. of Illinois. Travel to Hungary at the invitation of Zolta'n Falvy, acting director of the Institute of (Continued on Page 14) NO. 31-32, SPRING-SUMMER. 1982 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER 13
