Horia-Răzvan Gârbea or Gîrbea (; born August 10, 1962) is a Romanian playwright, poet, essayist, novelist and critic, also known as an academic, engineer and journalist. Known for his work in experimental theater and his Postmodernist contributions to Romanian literature, he is a member of the Writers' Union of Romania (USR), its public relations executive and the head of its Bucharest chapter. Also recognized for his contribution to Romanian humor and his essays, he has published regularly in journals such as Contemporanul, Luceafărul, Ramuri, and Săptămâna Financiară. His career in the media also covers screenwriting for Romanian television stations and the popularization of contract bridge. The author of several scientific works on engineering, Gârbea is also a faculty member at the University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.
The recipient of several national awards for literature, he received critical attention for plays, short stories and novels which merge intertextuality and parody with neorealistic elements. In his work for the Romanian stage, Gârbea has primarily reworked motifs from Anton Chekhov, Ion Luca Caragiale, Gustave Flaubert, Costache Negruzzi, and various other of his predecessors, addressing contemporary realities. He is also the other of tragicomedies with themes borrowed the 1989 Revolution and his country's post-1989 history. The latter focus is complemented by his works in novel and short prose, which often take the form of political fiction or satire aimed at his writer colleagues. Such contributions have consolidated Gârbea's success with the general public, but have divided critical opinion on the issue of their ultimate literary value.
Biography
Early life and career Born in Bucharest, Horia Gârbea is the grandson of Titus Gârbea, a Land Forces general and diplomat of the Kingdom of Romania. Alina Boboc, "Profesia de scriitor are nevoie de recunoaștere" , in Revista 22, Nr. 973, October 2008 Bianca Burța-Cernat, "Să rîdem cu Horia Gârbea?!", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 348, November 2006 He recalls that his grandfather's passion for literature was passed onto him from an early age, when he first heard him reciting poems by Dante Aligheri. The future writer attended the Mihai Viteazul High School, opting for a sciences-based curriculum, but envisioned becoming a writer.Horia Gârbea, "Meseria de a scrie (la comandă)" , in Revista 22, Nr. 992, March 2009 At around age 17, as one of the adolescent guests on a Romanian Television talk show hosted by author Mircea Sîntimbreanu, he stated his intention of having two books published by the year 2000 (he recalls: "[Sîntimbreanu], who was a witty but skeptical man, did not encourage me").
Gârbea made his debut in 1982, at age twenty, his poems being published by the student magazine Amfiteatru. Alex. Ștefănescu, "Un prea-plin al inspirației, o voioşie literară", at Editura LiterNet, June 13, 2007; retrieved September 9, 2009 He graduated from the Agronomical Science University's Department of Landscaping and Environmental Engineering (1986). Curriculum Vitae , at the Writers' Union of Romania site; retrieved September 9, 2009 A member of the teaching staff at his alma mater since 1987, he received a Doctor of Science diploma from the Politehnica University in 1999. A regular of Cenaclul de luni ("The Monday Literary Club"), founded by literary critic Nicolae Manolescu and journalist Radu Călin Cristea, Gabriela Adameşteanu, "Revista presei culturale", in Revista 22, Nr. 630, April 2002 Gârbea later moved on to the Universitas circle, founded and led by critic Mircea Martin. His early poetry was awarded a 1986 prize by Spain's University of Bilbao (1986).
A turning point in Horia Gârbea's writing career was the Romanian Revolution of 1989, which put an end to the communist regime. In 1990, one of his first works in drama, translated into English as The Serpent, was performed by the British Royal Court Theatre. A year later, Pescărușul din livada cu vișini ("The Seagull in the Cherry Orchard") was first staged at the Victor Ion Popa Theater, followed in 1992 by the premiere of Funcționarul destinului ("The Clerk of Destiny") with the Bucharest experimental theater company Inoportun. He made his editorial debut in the genre with the 1993 volumes Doamna Bovary sînt ceilalți ("Madame Bovary Are the Others") and Mephisto (a Romanian-language variant of Klaus Mann's 1936 novel). Alina Nelega, "Despre Matei Vișniec, Saviana Stănescu, Radu Macrinici...", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 57, March 2001 Another one of his plays, Stăpânul tăcerii ("The Master of Silence"), was staged in 1994 by Pitești's Alexandru Davila Theater.
Gârbea's first volume of lyric poetry, ("Biographical Text"), saw print in 1996, earning him an award granted by the Sighet Poetry Festival. Also that year, the writer followed up with a second collection of poems, Proba cu martori ("The Confrontation of Witnesses"), which was awarded the yearly prize of the Bucharest Association of Writers (a section of the USR). In 1996, he wrote the script for Ils emménagement ("They Are Moving On"), a French-language street theater performance, which premiered in France. Proba cu martori was followed in 1997 by the short story volume Misterele Bucureștilor ("The Mysteries of Bucharest") and the multiple award-winning novel Căderea Bastiliei (Romanian for "Fall of the Bastille"). Paul Aretzu, "D-ale carnavalului literaturii", in Ramuri, August 10, 2007
Gârbea returned to drama with the 1999 book Decembrie, în direct ("December, Live Broadcast"). Ruxandra Cesereanu, "Imaginea Securității în literatura română în comunism și postcomunism. Studiu de caz", in Caietele Echinox, Vol. 1, 2001, at the Babeș-Bolyai University's Center for Imagination Studies It received the Writers' Union Prize for Theater. The student theater company Calandrinon featured his Cărțile ("The Books") in its 2000 program, and the Toma Caragiu Theater in Ploiești did the same with Cafeaua domnului Ministru ("The Minister's Coffee"). Mihaela Michailov, "Gîndiți, Domnule Ministru!", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 43-44, December 2000 In 2001, he published an anthology of texts for the stage: titled Cine l-a ucis pe Marx? ("Who Killed Marx?"), it was a recipient of the Romanian Academy's Ion Luca Caragiale Award with a three-year delay. "Premii peste premii...", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 201-202, January 2004 Also in 2001, his short story collection ("Enigmas in Our City") saw print. Dan-Silviu Boerescu, "Postmodernismul sau soluția finală" (XXX) , in Cuvântul, Nr. 296 These were followed the next year by Rață cu portocale ("Duck à l'Orange"), a volume of essays, and, in 2003, by two other books: Vacanță în infern ("A Holiday in Hell"; literary criticism, 2 vols.) and Creșterea iguanelor de casă ("Raising Pet Iguanas"; poetry). Nicolae Oprea, "Texte poetice", in Ziua, July 17, 2004 The former was shortlisted for the USR Award.
His career in the post-Revolution press began early in 1990, when he was among the writers published by Nouăzeci, a magazine founded by Laurențiu Ulici, Cristian Popescu, and Cătălin Țârlea. UN Cristian, "Ioan Es. Pop: 'A început să-mi pese de viață' ", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 434, July 2008 Active as a theater critic and chronicler, as well as a contract bridge popularizer, Daniel Cristea-Enache, "Un joc de societate" , in România Literară, Nr. 34/2008 he later had permanent columns in Luceafărul (1990–1995, and again 1998–2001), ArtPanorama (1997–1998), Scena (1998–2001), Monitorul de Iași (1998–1999), Contemporanul (1999–2001), Săptămâna Financiară (after 2005) and the Craiova-based literary magazine Ramuri. Beatrice Lăpădat, "Debut. Orbitor – Aripa nebună", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 430, July 2008 His articles were also published by other venues, among them Convorbiri Literare, Cuvântul, România Literară and Ziarul Financiar. In 2001, he joined the editorial staff of Okean, a specialized magazine co-founded by three Romanian theater companies: Bulandra, Nottara, Odeon, and the National Theater Cluj-Napoca. "Numărul 2/2001 al revistei de teatru Okean", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 54, March 2001 He was also among the first Romanian authors to publish fiction in the new wave of lifestyle magazines, being an early contributor to the local version of Playboy (together with George Cușnarencu, Răzvan Petrescu, and Jean Lorin Sterian). Marius Chivu, "Literatură glossy" , in Dilema Veche, Vol. VI, Nr. 282, July 2009 Between 2002 and 2003, he published several works related to his field of expertise in engineering: ("Structures and Constructions with Dynamic Insulation", 2002), Structuri şi construcţii – noţiuni şi calcule de fiabilitate ("Structures and Constructions—Notions and Calculations in Reliability", 2002), Structuri și construcții – curs universitar ("Structures and Constructions—University Lecture", 2003; revised edition 2004).
Literary consecration and Writers' Union activities An active member of the Writers' Union since 1994, Horia Gârbea was elected president of its Bucharest chapter in 2003, and appointed head of the Union's public relations branch two years later. As a representative of the Bucharest section, he worked closely with Editura Nouă publishing house in helping to popularize the writings of his fellow association members. Having joined the UNITER association of theatrical professionals in 1993, he also works as a dramaturge, and has first been employed as such by the Toma Caragiu Theater since 1998. His contributions in this field include translations and adaptations of plays by Anton Chekhov (The Cherry Orchard), Pierre Corneille (L'Illusion comique), Dario Fo (We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!), Pierre de Marivaux (Le Triomphe de l'amour), Molière (The School for Wives), Ayn Rand (Night of January 16th), Fernando Arrabal, Jacques Copi, Eugène Ionesco, John D. MacDonald, Niccolò Machiavelli, Gérald Sibleyras, Tennessee Williams and Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz. In 1998, Gârbea also began working in screenwriting, collaborating with several national television stations. He was first employed by Pro TV from 1998 to 2001, working on the variety show Ministerul Comediei and the sitcom La Bloc. He was then affiliated with Prima TV, writing for Romică Țociu and Cornel Palade's Alomania sketch comedy show, and later Național TV, where he contributed to a similar production, Naționala de bere. In 2001, Gârbea was also involved in writing for Antena 1's sitcom Clanul Popeștilor. Between 2002 and 2003, he worked with the public broadcaster TVR Cultural, where he hosted a talk show on cultural issues.