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04. 11. 09. - 17:00

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04. 11. 09. - 17:00

Alan Elsner recalls 1989 Romanian revolution in his latest book

Anca Enoiu

Reuters journalist Alan Elsner’s latest book, "Romance Language", takes a step back in time and deals with the Romanian revolution of 1989 that ended the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu.

Elsner’s book tells the story of 17-year-old Petra O'Neill, who begins a quest to find her unknown father. Back in 1989, her mother, Liz, a magazine writer, is assigned to write a story about the Communist regime and meets Stefan Petrescu, a dissident poet.

As the action swings between 1989 and 2007, the book follows Petra through her own, first love and Liz, caught at the centre of a revolution that has turned the capital into a deadly battlefield.

In an interview with Romanian Times, Elsner said his decision to place the plot of the book in Romania had been the result of his visits to it.

Elsner was US State Department correspondent for Reuters News Service in 1989. He travelled with US Secretary of State James Baker to Berlin, Prague, Moscow and Bucharest and was present during tense negotiations and dramatic street events.

His 30-year career with Reuters included stints in Jerusalem, London, Stockholm
and Washington.

In 2007, Elsner was a Knight International Journalism Fellow in Romania, where he
promoted free media in an emerging democracy.

Elsner told the Romanian Times: "I was transfixed by the events of 1989 and greatly admired the courage of the Romanian people."

"When I had a chance to go to Romania to teach journalism, I thought it would be the perfect time to explore the subject in a novel."

"My idea was to relate a love affair between a Romanian poet and an American journalist – and also to have part of the plot take part in 2007. That way, I would be able to contrast the old Romania to the new."

Elsner taught journalism courses in Romania from October 2006 to the end of summer 2007 in eight cities, including capital Bucharest.

During that time, he interviewed scores of people – "almost everyone I met "– about their lives under Communism and their experiences during the revolution.

For foreign readers, the book is a good opportunity to find out about daily life under Communism.

Alan Elsner explains: "Daily life under Communism meant life in cold, unheated apartments, endless lines for food, constant surveillance by the Securitate, TV under Ceausescu, posters and propaganda and Kent cigarettes used as money."

"Almost all the anecdotes I described really happened. The climax of the book is the revolution, and I worked very hard to create a meticulous and accurate picture of events."

The author remembers his first impression in visiting Bucharest in 1989: "My first impression in Bucharest was seeing the massive Palace of the People and the boulevard  leading to it (Bulevardul Unirii) – which in those days had almost no traffic and almost no trees."

"I learned the dictator had ordered a large part of the historic city to be destroyed to accommodate his crazy dream of constructing the largest building on earth."

"Seeing that building still has a powerful impact on me – it is a monument to human folly, cruelty and self-importance."

His presence in Romania also featured some bad experiences. Elsner said: "I was bitten by a dog – which was not a pleasant experience. I had to seek emergency medical care and have rabies shots. I also had my computer and personal effects stolen from my office in Bucharest."

Back to Romania in 2006-2007 to teach journalism, the changes in the former Communist country were obvious.

"All the new construction, the terrible traffic jams and lack of parking, the casinos, the sex stores, the fancy stores and many restaurants and cafes. The city is very lively with a vibrant youth scene."

" The young people I met no longer lived in fear. But of course, there were new problems – corruption, pollution, crime and so on."

The experienced Reuters journalist says Romania has changed a lot since the Communist period: "I believe Romanian democracy is secure and the country has a bright future, but there is still a psychological legacy from the past, especially among older people."

Still, more changes are needed: "Fight corruption, restructure the economy so that the inefficient agricultural sector moves into the 21st century and invest in education and new technologies to create jobs for the future.

"Politically, the country should sort out its confusing constitution and more clearly define the powers of the president vis-à-vis parliament."

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For more information about the book, visit: www.alanelsner.com

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