BAD BLOOD

IntervIew:

ANNIE WERSCHING

Robin and The backsTabbeRs

You aRe a disease NiNa Moskowitz

now we’ve goT pRoblemsMichela sereNi

YEAR 4 2015

ISSN 2284 – 6549 ISSN–L = 2284 – 6549

OUR TEAM

Editor-in-Chief: SimonA mihAlCA

Editors: Andreea Albulescu

hannah Blaga

nina moskowitz

Ruxandra Sevastin

mădălina Panduru

michela Sereni

Elena (The pretty reckless press)

Andreea Bădeu

Cover design: Andrada Galan

Design: Andrada Galan

We reserve the right to select the submissions received before publishing.

Contact:www.teen.artout.roteen@artout.ro

CONTENT

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR SIMONA MIHALCA

INTERVIEW ANNIE WERSCHING ROBIN AND THE BACKSTABBERS

BAD BLOOD BAD BLOOD (POEM) Andreea Bădeu

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG pLACES Ruxandra Sevastin

YOU ARE A DISEASE NINA MOSKOWITZ

CROSSROADS HANNAH BLAGA

NOW WE’VE GOT pROBLEMS Michela Sereni

TRUE LIES ANDREEA ALBULESCU

VALAR MORGHULISElena (The Reckless Press)

BOOK REVIEWSIMONA MIHALCA

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LETTER FROM

THE

EDITOR

BAD BLOOD

It might come as a surprising pick, compare to what we have had this far as themes, to pick something form Taylor Swift. Bad Blood was a phenomenon, just like its author. Beyond the lyrics there is a tremendous story of fight and survival. We have all had relationships break, fall apart. We have lost friends and made some new. We have wounds inside us that are waiting to get out, to tell their story, to write with the history of mankind

in dying sparks of memories.

It’s hard to keep your calm. It’s hard not to give in when you blood is boiling, fueled by hormones, fueled by emotions decomposing, when there’s … bad blood (see what I did there?) What do you do when someone betrays you? How can you fight them and yourself?

Surely, we have to stay positive. We have to tell you to let go, to be the bigger person and take the high road.

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And especially not to throw people through a window (see Taylor’s video for that). It takes time and patience, and a whole lot of maturity to rise above. Maybe you cannot do it now, but you will do it, little by little next time.

Anyway, that’s what I think. You can see for yourself what our editors have responded with to the call of bad blood. See their stories, their memories, their tales, their advice for you. Read them and put yourself in their place. Understand where they come from and maybe, just maybe, you will understand where you come from.

Simona MihalcaEditor-in-Chief

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INTERVIEW

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ANNIE WERSCHING

The newest face on

The Vampire Diaries

photos by Kate Rom

ero

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Annie Wersching

BY SimonA MihAlCA

S.M: Hello, Annie. How are you? Can you talk about landing the role on “The Vampire Diaries” and a bit about the interview process? Did you do anything unique to show you would be perfect for the role?

A.W.: When i auditioned for lily, i performed two scenes that ended up being mock scenes written just for audition purposes…i never actually did them on the show. The first was a scene where lily was helping her 18-year-old son named August (name change...Damon!) get ready for a cotillion-type dance. it showed her nurturing, , loving, protective side… The second was a scene in a bar in which lily was drunk and surrounded by young

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ mYSTiC FAllS WElComES photos by K

ate Rom

ero

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Annie Wersching

men; her traveling companions. her estranged husband (again with a name change) finds her there and they fight. her intense somewhat ferocious side was definitely seen here something her husband hand’t seen before. it’s nice to have two scenes that contrast each other like that…gives you a chance to show them you can do more than one thing...to show them the layers you can bring to the character.

S.M.: What are your thoughts on your character’s personality? S t r e n g t h s ? We a k n e s s e s ?

A.W.: There are so many faces to lily…i mean she has A loT going on! As a human, she always felt weak and unfulfilled. As a vampire, she finally found some strength. i love that in one moment lily can be incredibly fierce and intense and then a crumbly, emotional mess in the next! it was great fun to transition her from a proper lady of the past to a present day woman in mystic Falls. i can’t wait to see what they have in store for her for Season 7!

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S.M.: Can you talk about some of the challenges in filming? Any behind-the-scenes anecdotes you can share?

A.W.: I loved learning all the “Vampire” tricks and how they shoot all that crazy stuff! Turns out it’s really hard to say dialogue with fangs!After i attacked the mystic Grill waitress i turned to say “Sorry about the mess...” to Stefan and sounded just like Gilly from Snl!!! “Shorry about the mess…” ha! hard to keep a straight face after that one…. :)

S.M.:Any personal ambitions yet unattained? Directing? producing?Writing?

A.W.: I am one of the few

“It’s nice to have two scenes that contrast each other like that…”

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actors i know who has absolutely no interest in any of the other sides of the business…mostly because i have no talent for it whatsoever! i wish i had a talent for writing, but i most certainly do not. ha! ! i would like to some day run an animal rescue of some sort.

S.M.: The roles you have given life to in TV shows vary so much in genre, whether it’s medical, crime or drama. Was there one that remained closer to your heart?

A.W.: I actually haven’t done much in the medical genre yet, but i’d really like to! it’s hard for the thrill of “24” not to stand out. The race against the clock, real time aspect was so unique and unlike any other show i’d done previously or since. And Renee is the role i’ve played the longest so far so i’d have to say i feel the closest to her.

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photos by Kate Rom

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S.M.: Do you think the whole way of doing TV shows has changed? While most networks rely enor-mously on ratings, there are more and more cases of shows who were picked up for more episodes due to the incredible fan response.With such a big fan response, shows change their course to accommo-date those desires. How much creative input should the fandom have in a show, in your opinion?

A.W.: It’s pretty unbelievable to see a show gets cancelled and then renewed or switched to adifferent network or providerdue to an uprising by fans! i mean that’s incredible right?! i think it’s great to have a passionate fandom and i’m sure it’s helpful for writers and producers to gage fan response,but at the end of the day a show is in the hands the showrun-ners and the creatives who run it. But yes, i think a little of both can make everyone hap-py and make a show stronger.

S.M.: Sometimes,actors have a chance to meet

their fans and showcase their work in conventions and comic cons. What has your experience been with such events?

A.W.: i actually just did my first Comic-Con recently in london. it was really fun to see how the whole thing works! i loved meet-ing the fans. i’ve always loved in-teracting with fans of Twitter and instagram and so it was great to meet some in person. And they weren’t quite as crazy as i thought they might be…ha!! maybe it’s because they’re English :)

S.M.: If you could star in a re-make of a classic film,who would you want to play?

A.W.: Hmmmm. The first thing that popped in my head was “Pretty Woman”…is that “classic” enough?! if not then...…”Break-fast at Tiffany’s”!or“Annie hall”! or “The Wizard of oz”! Ahhh…there’s too many. :)

S.M.:W hich is the best va-cation you’ve ever had?

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A.W.: In 2009 i was able to take my mom to Europe and visit exact places and spots that she and my Dad had visited on a trip they went on in the early-70’s! my father passed away in 1989 and i had heard beautiful stories and tales of their trip to italy for 20-something years….and so to be able to go to all the places from the stories with my mom was unbelievably special. We had an amazing time!

S.M.: If you could have a luncheon with any three people (real or fictitious/from any time period/dead or alive), which three people would you choose and why?

A.W.: I ’m sure there’s a more interesting/creative answer, but the honest one…? i’d give anything to have a luncheon with my mom and Dad and Grandma! miss them all so terribly. Wow. how amazing that would be...

S.M.: What is your idea of fun? If given a chance to skip work for a day, how would you spend the entire day?

A.W.: Oooo let’s see…At the last second i’d get called back into work. i’d get to do one quick amazing scene with some amazing actor with amazing dialogue! Then the rest of the day and night i’d spend with my hubby and baby boys…Freddie is almost 5 and ozzie is almost 2. We’d go on some unbelievable adventure together, doing and seeing something we’d never done before….laughing and snuggling and playing all the way!

S.M.: Thank you very much and best of luck.

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photos by Kate Rom

ero

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inTERViEW

ROBIN AND THE BACKSTABBERS

BY MăDăLINA pANDURU

Robin and the Backstabbers is a melodramatic pop band, one of the best Romanian bands of the moment. The band enjoyed a high popularity since its debut, winning the Audience Award at the 2010 edition of newcomers Stufstock competition. They played in all important cities of Romania (Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, Galati, iasi, Brasov, Constanta, Targu mures etc.), checking and an appearance in moldova, at the festival Cultural Coverage and sang the in the opening for bands like Whitest Boy Alive, obits, British Sea Power and Reptile Youth.16

ROBIN AND THE BACKSTABBERS

Photo credits: Naluca

The band released two studio albums, Bacovia overdrive Vol. 1: Stalingrad and Bacovia overdrive Vol. 2: Arhanghel’sk win-ning the award for ‘Best Alternative Rock’ at on Air music Awards in 2013 and the award for Artist of the Year. With memorable lyrics and a radio-friendly sound, but not least a drop of irony and good humor, one of these charming boys may be the modern prince that you are looking for.

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inTERViEW

M.P.: Hello, guys and welcome to Teen Art Out! I am glad you accepted our invitation!

R&B: Thanks for having us. Great cookies too. homemade?

M.P.: You have a pretty eventful summer all over the country. Which places impressed you the most?

R&B: Aye…it’s not about the place, it’s a combo. Skype with dolphins at the seaside, reversing the Danube flow in the delta, it’s always good to find new things to do - while revisiting places.

M.P.: Which is the role of the artist in the technological fortress of XXI century?

R&B: To lead :) There would be no tech advancements without artists to envision them first. or…almost none :)

M.P.: how do you decide whichprojects to take and which not? Which are the criteria?

R&B: A lot of research, we have a meeting and we decide not to care too much :) We just do it by guts :)

M.P.: Do you think you learn something from your fans, from their vibe and emotion?

R&B: learn? We surely get something i’m not sure it’s education but we can detect the progress. Why?

M.P.: Can you share with us the funniest thing that ever happened at an event?

R&B: no :) We don’t kiss and tell :)

M.P.: The lyrics of your songs resemble with postmodernist movement in poetry but Bacovia is everlasting throughout the two volumes. What inspires youand what type of writers do youenjoy reading the most?

R&B: Yes, indeed.

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M.P.: have you thought to collaborate with some artists for the next volume or maybe album? Who would you choose?

R&B: Got lots of friends but there’s nothing set up yet. We love to play so... who knows what comes up?

M.P.: What is the status of the musician in Romania compared to the one from abroad, considering that we do not have an institution to discover, promote and create competition among true talents?

R&B: Artists and institutions…very complicated mix. We like it simple…so we’re touring and having fun and if people come to our concerts it’s good enough. no institutions in the middle hopefully.

M.P.: What would you like to be asked in an interview but the press never does?

R&B: What’s the favorite ice-cream?

Color of underwear? (we put so much effort into it and nobody cares…you see ?)

M.P.: What do people need to change the world?

R&B: people need… people need… people need… and some gas tanks.

M.P.: What have you planned to achieve with the band in the near future? What goals have you set?

R&B: no goals. lots of plans. We’d love to put out new videos, work on the nest album, have our yearly bandcamp and be cool about it.

M.P.: You said you used to rehearse daily early in the morning. You still manage to do that? What is the atmosphere at rehearsals?

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inTERViEW

R&B: Umm…we jam more now. it’s fun. not that early and not that daily but we have more shows now so it’s a bit more balanced. Winter is coming…so…yeah…probably the morning routine again.

M.P.: When and where are the following live performances with

“We like it simple…So we’re touring and having fun and if people come to our concerts it’s good enough.

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the band?

R&B: Just check our Facebook. We’re somewhere each weekend…so maybe in a place near you :)

M.P.: Thank you for the inter-view and keep up the good work!

R&B: Thanks, we will keep up the good work! :)

Photo credits: Naluca

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BAD BLOOD

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BAD BlooD

Believe it or notBut sometimes

i miss the sound of your voicesComing from the kitchen in the morning

When i was still in bed.once in a while

i wish we were killing timeTogether again

leafing through the portraits of some heroesi’ve never met

But whose noses closely resemble mine, Tiny and upturned.

now and then i yearn for the days When in the living-room

it felt like we were truly living

Being peaceful and feeling safeAnd being happy

Because we’re home.Sometimes i quietly long for the hours

We spent togetherDusting the curios

maneuvering them cautiously So that their history doesn’t break apart.

“oh, if only we could shake the dust off our hearts, too”i think from time to time.

And then i remember that we once broke themAnd since then

Bad blood has been pouring wildlyAnd home is now flooded.

Andreea Badeu23

Looking for Love in aLL the wrong pLaces

by Ruxandra Sevastin

Constantin noica used to say: people are defined by the way they lose them-selves. i believe i did exactly as the great philosopher said for a couple of years. Although it’s really difficult for me to talk about it, i think i can look back for a few moments and let you read about my bad blood type

relationship

When we are young and in love we don’t always (choose to) see

the true color of the things even if they are standing wide open in front of us. i cried, you cried, everybody cried at least once because of someone called “my sweetheart”. Tears were falling because that someone turned out to be way different than we thought he or she would be. We all are suckers for sweet love and maybe that’s why we’re playing with love sometimes.

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Although many years have passed by since then, i can remember how my child-ish mind determined me to fol-low my heart blindly without taking any cautions. i chose to ignore his flaws and see only the good things he would show me at the time. he made me believe i was in heaven and that he was the only one who could make me happy.Ten years ago, i met this boy through my friends. he seemed to be funny in a more realistic way, down to earth al-though he had that bad boy allure. his attitude did not im-press me much, i used to think that everybody has bad days and moments when side B acts out as a protection from any-one who’d want to hurt them.

now, the wounds are healed, things are looking

much clear to me. Deep down inside he was an unhappy per-son, he was a bad boy for real who had a lot of unanswered questions and i truly believe that his demons were too strong for him to face them. Finally it seemed that he had given up the fight and became as his demons wanted: cruel, merciless, a liar and a manip-ulative person. he never knew how to solve his personal prob-lems and that’s why he acted

that way to me.

i was really attached to him, and when we broke up for the last time i felt lost because my happiness was spent on him.i was too numb to feel i was in so much pain.

“[...]I should have asked myself whether it is worth the effort or whether we lead ourselves in vain.”

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my pain was overwhelming for everyone around me. That was the moment i come to realize that i was making myself going crazy and the others, that my relationship wasn’t as i wished it would be and the only thing we did together was stepping on each other nerves.

my ex relationship was a time of anxiety, sleepless nights

filled with tears and bad memories. if i could turn back the time, although i gained a lot of experience i would never ever fall in love again with someone like him. now i know that when things go wrong it’s time to stop and move on. no one should cry for someone else’s pleasure. When “i” becomes inexistent it’s time to find a new path because that road will bring only sorrow.

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BAD BLOOD

page 2727

You Are A Disease

by nina moskowitz

It’s all your fault. Everything hap-pening, everything that is, that shouldn’t be; it’s all your fault. Before you, everything was perfect. Loud bouts of laughter, hands waving in the air, screaming at the top of our lungs with the joy of simply being alive.

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That’s all gone now.

Rooms are quiet. Lights are dimmed. Hands sit folded neatly, occasionally

brushing away a stray hair. There is no laughter. There is no screaming.

All that’s left are tears.

You came in and debilitated all of us. You were a storm that took friend-

ships and blew them out of the water, to islands thousands of miles apart.

You snapped your fingers to an-nounce your existence, and watched

as everything fell to pieces..

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Proud of your work, you let your tendrils work their way through, making a quick and thorough job of the scene. The pieces continued to fall apart.

People were pushed away from each other, though they tried to pull themselves closer. You found a way to put yourself between us all, and made sure we wouldn’t live to see the light. I have been grasping at straws for days now. My lights are on until the dark hours of the morning. My pen keeps moving until it runs out of ink. I am trying to find the correct things to say, but none of it is right. None of it is good. None of it is okay. You are not something I can consider okay. You are not something I even want to acknowledge. You cause barriers, divides, canyons of miles between people that sit across the table from each other. You create caverns of silence among those who had never before been quiet. You leave destruction in your path.

No one has ever said no to you before. You are unavoidable, and when you latch onto someone, you do not want to let go. Many have tried to escape your grasp, yet the iron fist in which you hold them is impenetrable by the strongest of wills.

I want this to be the first time. I want this to be the time that takes you by surprise. You have not seen what we are capable of, you have not seen what we can do. Saying we won’t go down without a fight is an understatement for how we feel. You have the audacity to tell us we have no control, that we are going to lose to this. I have the audacity to tell you that you’re wrong. Sitting on the floor, my head against the door, I watch a light flicker on across the way. I hear a television play, a home video begins. There are voices. Lots of them. Loud, playful, bantering with wit sharp enough to cut glass. They are the sounds that have been missing.

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Proud of your work, you let your tendrils work their way through, making a quick and thorough job of the scene. The pieces continued to fall apart.

People were pushed away from each other, though they tried to pull themselves closer. You found a way to put yourself between us all, and made sure we wouldn’t live to see the light. I have been grasping at straws for days now. My lights are on until the dark hours of the morning. My pen keeps moving until it runs out of ink. I am trying to find the correct things to say, but none of it is right. None of it is good. None of it is okay. You are not something I can consider okay. You are not something I even want to acknowledge. You cause barriers, divides, canyons of miles between people that sit across the table from each other. You create caverns of silence among those who had never before been quiet. You leave destruction in your path.

No one has ever said no to you before. You are unavoidable, and when you latch onto someone, you do not want to let go. Many have tried to escape your grasp, yet the iron fist in which you hold them is impenetrable by the strongest of wills.

I want this to be the first time. I want this to be the time that takes you by surprise. You have not seen what we are capable of, you have not seen what we can do. Saying we won’t go down without a fight is an understatement for how we feel. You have the audacity to tell us we have no control, that we are going to lose to this. I have the audacity to tell you that you’re wrong.

Sitting on the floor, my head against the door, I watch a light flicker on across the way. I hear a television play, a home video begins. There are voices. Lots of them. Loud, playful, bantering with wit sharp enough to cut glass.

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They are the sounds that have been missing. The sounds of a time that is passed, one that I

refuse to let go of simply because you tell me to. They are the sounds

of love.

You are poison. You are greed. You are dirty and vile and you will not be claiming another to your side.

You are a disease, and you will not take her away from us like you

have taken so many before.

You are a disease, and you are nothing. We will all make sure of

that.

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Crossroads by hannah Blaga

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Time has taught us that people wear and change masks faster than you could change a pair of jeans. i often think about naivety of young aged people that still believe in the goodness of the world. Sadly you keep on losing your trust while other let you down over and over again.

Is bad blood in our DnA, are we programmed to deceive and to disappoint? if you stop and think about it, how many times did you do something cruel? how did it feel to turn your back around and walk straight ahead? We need violence to feel good, but without a reaction to its existence it just becomes a banality.

Do we live on this substance that flows through our veins? is it vital to our well-being? Schopenhauer once said that mankind needs violence, sadness to be happy, nonetheless appreciate it’s existence. So, we all have inside of us a brutal beast waiting to come out. Freud once said that human beings are monsters with animal brut instincts that come out in the peaks of chaos and excitement for utter violence.

If we start putting the pieces together, violence, sadness, animalistic urges evolve around the same topic – bad blood. Are we no better than a pack of wolves? 35

of course, we are smarter, we talk, think consciously, we paint, we cook, we create, but when it comes to analyzing ourselves to the naked bone, we truly resemble them. of course, we don’t literally tear each other’s skin apart, but we try to damage people’s wise social reputation or destroy a person mentally for power and wealth. in the most metaphorical way we destroy other to fill our empty spaces.

Our natural e m ot i on s are based on fire, intensity whether it is pointed in a positive direction or the complete opposite. For example it’s hard to love a person but easy to hate them. it’s hard to understand one but easy to judge. We jump into hostility, putting ourselves above other, but is that what humanity really needs in today’s world? Shouldn’t we work together to change our way of being? our instincts to change with time? isn’t it the moment to change radically?

Only time will tell.

“[...]we destroy others to fill our empty spaces.”

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ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

BUT SOME ANIMALS

ARE MORE EQUAL THAN

OTHERS

George Orwell- Animal Farm

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NoW WE’vE Got PRoblEmS

by michela Sereni

In 1937, George orwell (not his real name, kids. That was, Eric. So basic, it could almost be Ken’s best mate’s nickname) got the idea for his infamous book, “Animal Farm”. however, it was written down starting from 1943 (and throughout 1944, then published in 1945). This fable-at-first-impact deep down so filled with politics you can almost choke on it. Even just by reading the first few pages, it’s clear that there’s something subtle going on, and the happenings sound familiar (your subconscious knows that you,well..know already, about this plot. it’s just like when you start a rom-com and in 0.54 minutes you’ve already figured out which characters will end up being the we-used-to-hate-each-other-but-it-was-all-foreplay white hetero

couple. Except this time it’s more tricky because it’s history-based and there really aren’t any Julia Roberts in it).

The story starts off with pigs, cows, horses, chickens and others overthrowing The mean Farmer (mr.Jones). This fast, unpredicted and brutal action of the beasts taking power in their paws is a result of their ugly living conditions, described openly in the opening speech by the old major, a pink and, incidentally, old, pig: all the hard work or daily struggle has little meaning to the owner; their only purpose, in his eyes, is to produce (especially edible goods that they could naturally use in other ways.

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milk, for example example: the cows have to give it up to the old man so that he can sell it at the market, while they actually need it to feed their calves) and then be killed in order to be consumed as meat. obviously, this doesn’t sit well with the four-legged (or wing-provided) creatures: they start to feel rebellious and quite surely at some point “Bad Blood” starts to be blasted. or not.

Fast forward: a (honestly sort of forseeable) riot, a battle, pigs in charge, read the damn thing if you want to know how it ends. no spoilers here. Even though it’s a more-than-half-a-century old book that talks about real events so you might as well just dust off your knowledge of the URSS’ history. or, you know. Read it.

As it often happens with ground-breaking novels, orwell had to face harsh criticism and a

freedom-of-speech-killing censorship. in an appendix (present in many, if not most, editions) which was initially born as an introduction, the author openly discusses his issues with the publishing of the paperback. he admits that during the course of the war, the British (yes. he was from the UK. The island where they record Bake off UK. That’s probably why he had the time and resources to write during shootings and endless atrocities, to begin with) government tried not to hush down any kind of opinion: in times of international conflict, that’s really not something very usual. Ask italy or Germany or Russia. Anyhow, what worried him greatly was the fact that the troubles he was facing, were presented spontaneously by the British Smart Folks. “The sinister fact about literary censorship in England is that it is largely voluntary. Unpopular

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ideas can be silenced, and inconvenient facts kept in dark, without the need for any official ban” (orwell). Specifically, he pointed out that what was going on with his writing had been the norm for anything URSS-related (important to remind that a UK/Russia allegiance existed): “The issue involved here is quite a simple one: is every opinion, however unpopular — however foolish, even — entitled to a hearing? Put it in that form and nearly any English intellectual will feel that he ought to say ‘Yes’. But give it a concrete shape, and ask, ‘how about an attack on Stalin? is that entitled to a hearing?’, and the answer more often than not will be ‘no’, in that case the current orthodoxy happens to be challenged, and so the principle of free speech lapses[...]“.

If we leave for a moment the unique social and historical critique masked as a metaphor

metaphor held within these pages behind (and that is taking out a lot of it), and we shift our focus on the introduction, the book still has ideas worth standing for, and is unbelievably up-to-date. in fact, it is every socially-involved speaker and/or human’s daily experience that is portrayed in it. The “dos and don’ts” of public talks against which the artist takes a stand are still alive, in amorphous and vicious ways. Because it is not polite, because it feels useless, because it stirs up arguments, because mama said you don’t, “[...]because of a general tacit agreement that ‘it wouldn’t do’ to mention that particular fact” (Go: The Freedom of Speech). it is socially and widely accepted to simply and swiftly avoid certain subjects. of course, thanks to the endless platforms of communication available today, it’s impossible for any idea to go viral, or to, at least, have an impact on a few people.

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Still, this doesn’t take away the consolidated notion that world hunger, injustice, sexism, racism, ableism etc have to be either Very Adult Tabloid-material, or included in nice Speeches and Small Talk on Which We Can All Agree.

The frustration and anger that comes when in-real-life chats don’t go as smoothly as Tumblr posts because the other party isn’t interested, differs from our opinion, or merely wants us to shut up about topics that are touchy and awkward (since they’re real and it’s more comfortable to sit in a dim-lit dungeon of ignorance) are little spots if compared to orwell’s hard road out of censorship; anyhow, today’s tiny aggressions keep on aiming at hushing those who have things to say. Exactly as it was back then. history is a cycle.

It comes as no surprise then that it’s essential to stay active,

informated, and spread articles/pieces/whatever about relevant themes like they’re as hot as nicki minaj at the VmAs (or ever, let’s be honest). The automatic and go-to-when-it-gets-deep censorship we carry around is strictly rooted, blurry and hard to recognize. moreover, it’s closely linked to privilege and unaccepted/not-yet-realized forms of oppression (see:the reactions you get by defending or more simply celebrating WoC). Therefore, getting shh-ed can not be the end of the fihgt. Freedom of expression is a right that gets violated on a daily basis by oppressive behavoir: it’s up to us to hold on and speak out.

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“ <<The sinister fact about literary censorship in England is that it is largely voluntary. Unpopular ideas can be silenced, and inconvenient facts kept dark, without the need for any official ban>>

(orwell).”

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True liesby Andreea Albulescu

I know i usually start my articles by jumping straight to the main point, but this month’s issue made me want to step out of my comfort zone and try something new, especially because it leaves much space for creativity and can be interpreted in so many ways.

So, first of all, hi! What you need to know about me is that i’m a senior high school student, and also a bookworm. i wouldn’t mind getting married to one of my favourite book characters, one day. Fortunately, or unfor-tunately, (depends on how you look at it) love has never kept my

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by Andreea Albulescu

head in the clouds for more than half a year, and whenever i wanted to give my teenage heart a rest, i would have just drowned into a juicy novel.

There were times when i found it hard to understand what really

hard to understand what really happens when you fall in lovewith a real person, and not a book character. i couldn’t get the part in which X would tell Y they loved them to the moon and back and would do any-thing for them, and a couple of months later, X would break up with Y because they met Z.

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“lies!” i thought back then. “Why would someone say such things if they don’t mean them in the first place?”

puzzled by this strange phenomenon called “Teenage love”, i continued my silent observation. i saw many couples breaking up and easily moving on, as if all that happened was meant to become a memory. Did they really believe in all the “i love you”’s and all the promises they made to each other?

Then it struck me like a good novel! Being a teenager is all about experimenting. it’s all about pushing yourself to the extreme, learn where your limits are and what you really want from yourself and from others. it is only natural to feel the first sparks of love and act accordingly, lose your head and become a daydreamer.

When you speak to your boy/girlfriend, you really mean what you say. Every single word of it.You even imagine a bright future drenched in happiness and passion. But, at some point, you realize that what you’re actually looking for doesn’t lie in the person you fell in love. So you move on. You need something new. You need to find what you’re looking for. And during the time you still search, you discover new things about yourself too. As you get more mature, you find the answers to your questions and start making different choices. naturally, the second time you’ll fall in love, the feeling would be different. Your choice won’t be based just on a spark, but it will have solid reasons behind, and it will definitely turn into a more complex feeling.

Maybe this is why most love stories that start in high school are meant to find their end in the same place.

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Young, and still a bit foolish, in the most beautiful way, we all tell lies that we believe in, at some point. Still, if we believe them, are they still lies? maybe they are, but in a positive way. The line between truth and lies is so thin and so easy to argue upon, that i came to the following conclusion: they are the most passionate true lies we will ever tell in our teenage years.

“As you get more mature, you find the answers to your questions and start making different choices. “

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VALAR MORGHULIS

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by Elena (The Reckless Press)

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Even though death has always been a taboo topic, it still is a part of our lives, and it should not be ignored. We see death around us, we hear about death everyday, and eventually we are the dead ones. Fear of death. A lot of people fear death, they fear the unknown. They must overcome and conquer this fear. As montaigne wrote in That to philosophize is to learn how to die, we have to think about death all the time, even in the most happiest moments of our lives. For him and the Stoics in general, we have to be prepare ourselves to an inevitable death, and not be afraid of it. i personally disagree with the fact that we should constantly think about death, but i still think people should think about death more often. We all should take some time to sit down and meditate and realize that death is the only certainty in our future, it is the end to our journey.

Saying that we should think about death does not mean we should not think about now and does not prevent us from living in the present. Everyone should live their life at its fullest, so when death comes they would not regret the way they lived their life. living your life at its fullest does not mean going on crazy adventures everyday and having epicurean type of lifestyle. it means seizing as much opportunities as you can, in the life you are leading. our society does not permit us to be free, so you have to adapt our freedom, and pile it up inside the lines. Even with these boundaries, if you try to get the best out of your life (from studying hard everyday to be able to reach your dream job, to taking the time to enjoy what is surrounding you and the nature around you), you will know you did not waste your time alive.

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“Everyone should live their life at its fullest, so when death comes they would not regret the way

they lived their life. “

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You work hard to reach a dream, and if death comes along, crossing paths with you, at least you tried.

All men must die. That is the truest thing we have known since the day we were born. Death can be very sudden, and can appear in a very stupid way, that’s why we have to overcome the fear of it. Even if not thinking of death, people should at least realize that life is fragile. once you realize and understand that, you won’t fear death because of the unknown, you will fear death because of the lost and unfinished you are going to « leave » behind. life should not be taken for granted.

I am not saying we should wait for death, see it everywhere and become paranoid. i am saying we should accept the fact that someday we will die eventually and that day might

come sooner than we expected. of course it takes a lot of thinking and courage to accept death, but it is primordial in someone’s life. To not feel powerless at the last moment of your life, when you see death in front of you but cannot do anything about it. You know you are going to die but you still feel conscious. The worst part would be to regret your life, even at the last second of it. That last second of consciousness sums up your entire life and the way you lived it. The natural instinct would be not to accept the reality, and wanting to fight until the end, but we are thinkers. And this ability to think must bring acceptance and surrendering. We fought until the end but, in the end, we have to accept death as a part of our lives. Thinking about death is not only accepting our own death, it also permits to accept others’ deaths, as hard as it is.

Thinking about death and

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accepting it is only a theoretical approach to life because with extreme situations come feelings that we often cannot control: fear, anger, sadness, and so on. Feelings are a part of our instincts. instinctive people are the opposite of thinkers. it is easier to think when we are not under some kind of pressure. Death is pressure, and before death we are not thinkers. only a few can accept a situation they cannot return from, the suicidal and the real philosophers.

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BooK REViEW

by Simona Mihalca

Powered by Editura litera

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Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel

To me, the Tudor history is one of the, if not the most interesting periods in history. i am partial because i love British culture and history. Elizabeth i is my favourite historical figure. naturally, i jumped at the chance to read some more. Wolf hall, written by hilary mantel, is considered one of reference books on this period and they are right.

it can be hard to get a historic book somehow accurate but interesting, keep it fun but make it something from which you can learn. Wolf hall manages to do that. Word of advice, don’t be discouraged when you get the book. it might have 736 pages, but they are worth it (especially at 15 lei).

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Arta. Istoria vizuală a artelor plastice (ed. a ii-a)

You all know we are called Teen ART out, so every now and then we like to sneak in some art, maybe without you noticing. Do not be fooled by the religious cover. This book really does all that it promisese. it takes you through visual art through the milennia. You can go see Ancient Greece, Reneissance or modern Art. You have so much to learn from it.

it’s the perfect pocket book to make you classier and smarter, to teach you something about art, history and beauty. You’d be surprised how often seemingly simple conversations can turn into “smart” ones, about art, history, the kind of paintings you like, the museums you have visited. now you have a small guide to help you navigate that. We recommend it.

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Secretul reginei. Intrigi şi iubiri la curtea Elisabetei I

Victoria Lamb

I think we established that we i love the Tudor history, but, honestly, what is there not to love? You have a story about Elizabeth i, Gloriana. She did not get that (nick)name for nothing. Such an incredible figure, such an incredible queen, in a time when women were not allowed to have anything, were not allowed to be anything. most importantly, in a time when women were defined by their husbands.

And then, there’s her.The second daughter of King henry Viii, who has ruled England and made it a world power, without a husband by her side. She was known as The Virgin Queen, but she lived a life of love and intrigue and this book tells you just that. A story of romances that were and that could be, romance that we wish to see, romances we love to hear.

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SECREtElE CREIERuluI umAN: DE CE PIERDEm CHEIlE DE lA mAşINă, DAR Nu uItăm Cum Să

CoNDuCEm şI AltE ENIGmE AlE vIEţII CotIDIENE Sam Wang - Sandra Aamodt

There are self help boks, there are psychology books and there are quacks. You never know which one you are going to get. Still, i try every now and then to dabble in things like this. And i do not regret picking this one. There are many myths, many movies and shows that claim some sort of theory about the brain

how it works, how it doesn’t work, how we use it or how we don’t. it’s time to debunk them all, se which ones are dead wrong, which ones could happen, which ones are definitely false. learn about the way you are build. it’s not so much a book of secrets as it is a book of fun stories, of tips and tricks, of try and fail.

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BAD BLOOD

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