Elena Vlădăreanu and the Americans as Family

Th In the next episode of our online series  "My First American: Transatlantic Encounters and Portraits", where some of the best-known contemporary Romanian writers recall through vivid vignettes and memorable portraits their encounter with the very first American seen in flesh and blood, author and journalist Elena Vlădăreanu talks about the "the Americans" in her family, relatives she never met but who became the subject of anxious expectations. English version of the text by Diana Manole.

Watch on our Facebook, YouTube, IG and Website on Tuesday, September 20, 2 p.m. EST or any time later.

“My First American: Transatlantic Encounters and Portraits” is an online program developed in partnership with the National Museum of Romanian Literature in Bucharest. Next author in the series:  Caius Dobrescu.

Elena Vlădăreanu (b. 1981) is a writer and journalist who lives and works in Bucharest. She debuted with poetry in 2001/2002 and since then she has published several volumes of poems, including Europa. Zece cântece funerare / Europe. 10 Funerary Songs (Cartea Românească, 2005; 2nd edition, Tracus Arte, 2018, volume translated into Hungarian), spaţiu privat. a handbook / private space. a handbook (Cartea Românească, 2009, with drawings by Dan Perjovschi, volume translated into Italian and Bulgarian), Non Stress Test (Casa de Pariuri Literare, 2016), Bani. Muncă. Timp liber / Money. Work. Free time (Nemira, 2017), and minunata lume Disney / the wonderful Disney world  (Nemira, 2019). In 2021 she published the short stories collection titled August (Nemira). In 2011-2021 she collaborated on several performative theatre projects with director Robert Bălan, including În numele tatălui / In the Name of the Father, Secrete de familie / Family Secrets, and Habemus bebe. Fade In/ Fade Out, a project she designed together with Bogdan Mustață, won the call for laboratory performances launched by Teatrelli Theatre in 2021. Elena studied Letters (Romanian-French) at the University of Bucharest, has a Master's degree in Visual Studies from the Center of Excelence in the Study of the Image (CESI) Bucharest and is currently working on a doctoral thesis on biographies and autobiographies in theatre, also at CESI. She is the host of "Scena și ecranul" / "The Stage and the Screen" show on Radio Romania Cultural, where she talks about recent movies. In December 2018, she initiated the interdisciplinary micro-festival Zilele Sofia Nădejde / Sofia Nădejde Days, for promoting literature and arts created  by women.

Photo by Andreea Lăcătuș