CONVOIUL (XV) by Gheorghe Schwartz
Translated by Eugene Matzota
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi încă mai credem în cultură!
Abstract: In „The Convoy (XV)”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Gheorghe Schwartz’s visionary speculative work, the narrative plunges deeper into the disorienting, meticulously engineered realities of life outside the collective march. Against a backdrop of silent surveillance, pervasive self-censorship, and automated transportation, the protagonist reflects on a tense encounter at a secluded niche table with a nervous, polarized-lens-wearing youth who has similarly abandoned the serpentine procession.
Blending sharp existential philosophy with Orwellian institutional critique, the text examines the friction between assigned covert missions, the illusion of free will, and the haunting psychological vacuum left behind by erased memories and cashless societies. As the protagonist navigates urban traffic toward a rendezvous at Konrad’s—haunted by fleeting glimpses of women seemingly vanished from the Convoy—the excerpt resonates as a profound exploration of human alienation, systemic control, and the desperate quest for individual identity in a totally programmed world.
Maria (I), Nicholas Jordan
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
Abstract: In „Maria”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Nicholas Jordan’s work ASHMAN, the narrative follows the tour group’s ascent into the picturesque yet austere landscapes of Bukovina, arriving at Vatra Dornei against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tension. As rumors of civil unrest and historical uprisings filter in from the outside world via anxious transatlantic phone calls and foreign journalists, the narrator navigates eccentric interpersonal dynamics among the travelers—notably the mismatched, reluctant pairing of Moira and Geoffrey Johnston.
Blending vivid travelogue with evocative reflections on sacred art and spiritual pilgrimage, the text captures the group’s visit to the legendary painted monasteries of Moldovița. Amidst stunning Byzantine frescoes and discussions of medieval theology with local monastics, the narrator encounters Maria, an enigmatic and brilliant tour guide whose sharp intellect and intersecting paths with foreign reporters hint at deeper cultural and spiritual currents just beneath the surface of a changing Romania.
GLUME PROASTE by Nicolae Dincă
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
ABSTRACT
Title: Glume proaste (Bad Jokes)
Author: Nicolaie Dincă
Source: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE, No. 108, 08/2026
Synopsis and Themes
This darkly comic, satirical rural short story blends elements of local folklore (specifically the myth of the moroi or vampire) with domestic farce and heavy drinking. Set in a village cemetery and the households nearby, the narrative explores marital infidelity, neighborhood gossip, and the absurd misunderstandings between a heavy-drinking husband, his unfaithful wife, and her lover.
Key Ideas
• The Cemetery Awakening: Ionel, heavily intoxicated, wakes up naked inside the tomb of his recently deceased, alcohol-preserved friend Gogu. Finding a pair of dark underwear and a white tank top under a nearby walnut tree, he puts them on and walks home.
• The Secret Encounter: The clothes actually belong to Ionel’s wife, Gigela, and her lover/cousin, Marcel, who had rushed to the cemetery to look for Ionel and ended up distracted by a romantic interlude under the moonlight, leaving their clothes behind.
• The Supposed Vampire: Amid rumors that Gogu has risen as a moroi (vampire) taking revenge on his enemies, another local rival dies suddenly. Spurred by fear and local superstition, Ionel and a band of villagers break into Gogu’s tomb to drive a wooden stake through his heart.
• The Comedic Twist: Inside the crypt, Gogu is found wearing Ionel’s missing clothes, holding a photograph of Gigela and Marcel. Just as Gogu opens his eyes and seems ready to reveal the truth, the villagers strike the stake, forever silencing the „vampire” and preserving the awkward domestic status quo.
moartea face cu mâna… nebuna, de Doria Șișu
▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108 8/2026 ▲
ABSTRACT
Title: moartea face cu mâna… nebuna (death waves its hand… the crazy one)
Author: Doria Șișu
Source: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE, No. 108, 8/2026
Synopsis and Themes
This poem is a striking, fragmented, and highly meta-textual exploration of trauma, repressed memories, and the agonizing process of writing poetry itself. It masterfully blends brutal, surreal imagery with an intruding, cynical voice—acting either as an internal critic or an imagined editor—that constantly interrupts, mocks, and judges the poetic act.
Key Ideas
• Visceral Trauma and Memory: The poem opens with violent, surreal metaphors—a giant blade rolling through the streets and blood-stained hands that represent „forgotten and murdered memories.” It later addresses the chilling normalization of trauma and assault, describing them with a jarring sense of detachment.
• The Meta-Poetic Dialogue: What makes the piece unique is the continuous disruption by a second voice. This critical presence breaks the fourth wall, demanding „mystery” and „poetic breath,” calling out „clichés,” and pitying the author who is „thinking she makes poetry” while stealing words from her past.
• Dissociation and Defense Mechanisms: The speaker exhibits profound emotional disorientation, questioning their own subconscious reactions („I realized I laugh in my sleep / or is sleep laughing in me?”).
• Isolation as a Conclusion: The final lines shift to a poignant, quiet resignation. The narrator retreats into darkness, building walls of stones around their knees in a futile, heartbreaking attempt to speak of love to inanimate objects.
De la iunie 1990 la România fără cărți, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
Noi încă mai credem în cultură!
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
Editorial — by Eugene Matzota
Abstract
From June 1990 to a Bookless Romania:
A society that trades libraries for screen-fed anger and packaged ignorance willingly condemns itself to short memory and voluntary servitude. Drawing a parallel to the social pathology of June 1990—shifting from physical violence in the streets to mass hysterical applause for the manipulation of primal instincts—this essay critiques the modern collective cowardice and rejection of reason. Abandoning books turns humanity into its own executioner, leaving those who embrace darkness with no right to complain when they are ruled by shadows.
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CULTURE TO THE PEOPLE!
▲ ANOTHER KIND OF CULTURAL MAGAZINE / Un alt fel de revistă de cultură ▲ 64 pag. color, MONTHLY / lunar ▲ Director&FOUNDER / fondator: EUGEN MATZOTA ▲ALTCulture (Online) = ISSN 2601 – 159X ISSN-L 2601 -159X ▲ PUBLISHED BY / editată de Asociația ECOULTOUR – OAMENI, FAPTE, IDEI
EDITORIAL BOARD / Colegiul de redacție: ciprian cristea, CORINA GHEORGHEZA, ADRIAN GRAUENFELS, CLAUDIU IORDACHE, NICHOLAS JORDAN. BOGDAN MARTIN, EUGEN MATZOTA (redactor-șef), CRISTIANA MIRANCEA, MARIUS OANȚĂ, EUGEN D. POPIN, GHEORGHE SCHWARTZ, NICOLAE ULIERIU
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CONVOIUL (XV) by Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by Eugene Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In „The Convoy (XV)”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Gheorghe Schwartz’s visionary speculative work, the narrative plunges deeper into the disorienting, meticulously engineered realities of life outside the collective march. Against a backdrop of silent surveillance, pervasive self-censorship, and automated transportation, the protagonist reflects on a tense encounter at a secluded niche table with a nervous, polarized-lens-wearing youth who has similarly abandoned the serpentine procession. Blending sharp existential philosophy with Orwellian institutional critique, the text examines the friction between assigned covert missions, the illusion of free will, and the haunting psychological vacuum left behind by erased memories and cashless societies. As the protagonist navigates urban traffic toward a rendezvous at Konrad’s—haunted by fleeting glimpses of women seemingly vanished from the Convoy—the excerpt resonates as a profound exploration of human alienation, systemic control, and the desperate quest for individual identity in a totally programmed world.
Maria (I), Nicholas Jordan ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: In „Maria”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Nicholas Jordan’s work ASHMAN, the narrative follows the tour group’s ascent into the picturesque yet austere landscapes of Bukovina, arriving at Vatra Dornei against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tension. As rumors of civil unrest and historical uprisings filter in from the outside world via anxious transatlantic phone calls and foreign journalists, the narrator navigates eccentric interpersonal dynamics among the travelers—notably the mismatched, reluctant pairing of Moira and Geoffrey Johnston. Blending vivid travelogue with evocative reflections on sacred art and spiritual pilgrimage, the text captures the group’s visit to the legendary painted monasteries of Moldovița. Amidst stunning Byzantine frescoes and discussions of medieval theology with local monastics, the narrator encounters Maria, an enigmatic and brilliant tour guide whose sharp intellect and intersecting paths with foreign reporters hint at deeper cultural and spiritual currents just beneath the surface of a changing Romania.
GLUME PROASTE by Nicolae Dincă ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! ABSTRACT Title: Glume proaste (Bad Jokes) Author: Nicolaie Dincă Source: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE, No. 108, 08/2026 Synopsis and Themes This darkly comic, satirical rural short story blends elements of local folklore (specifically the myth of the moroi or vampire) with domestic farce and heavy drinking. Set in a village cemetery and the households nearby, the narrative explores marital infidelity, neighborhood gossip, and the absurd misunderstandings between a heavy-drinking husband, his unfaithful wife, and her lover. Key Ideas • The Cemetery Awakening: Ionel, heavily intoxicated, wakes up naked inside the tomb of his recently deceased, alcohol-preserved friend Gogu. Finding a pair of dark underwear and a white tank top under a nearby walnut tree, he puts them on and walks home. • The Secret Encounter: The clothes actually belong to Ionel’s wife, Gigela, and her lover/cousin, Marcel, who had rushed to the cemetery to look for Ionel and ended up distracted by a romantic interlude under the moonlight, leaving their clothes behind. • The Supposed Vampire: Amid rumors that Gogu has risen as a moroi (vampire) taking revenge on his enemies, another local rival dies suddenly. Spurred by fear and local superstition, Ionel and a band of villagers break into Gogu’s tomb to drive a wooden stake through his heart. • The Comedic Twist: Inside the crypt, Gogu is found wearing Ionel’s missing clothes, holding a photograph of Gigela and Marcel. Just as Gogu opens his eyes and seems ready to reveal the truth, the villagers strike the stake, forever silencing the „vampire” and preserving the awkward domestic status quo.
moartea face cu mâna… nebuna, de Doria Șișu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108 8/2026 ▲ ABSTRACT Title: moartea face cu mâna… nebuna (death waves its hand… the crazy one) Author: Doria Șișu Source: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE, No. 108, 8/2026 Synopsis and Themes This poem is a striking, fragmented, and highly meta-textual exploration of trauma, repressed memories, and the agonizing process of writing poetry itself. It masterfully blends brutal, surreal imagery with an intruding, cynical voice—acting either as an internal critic or an imagined editor—that constantly interrupts, mocks, and judges the poetic act. Key Ideas • Visceral Trauma and Memory: The poem opens with violent, surreal metaphors—a giant blade rolling through the streets and blood-stained hands that represent „forgotten and murdered memories.” It later addresses the chilling normalization of trauma and assault, describing them with a jarring sense of detachment. • The Meta-Poetic Dialogue: What makes the piece unique is the continuous disruption by a second voice. This critical presence breaks the fourth wall, demanding „mystery” and „poetic breath,” calling out „clichés,” and pitying the author who is „thinking she makes poetry” while stealing words from her past. • Dissociation and Defense Mechanisms: The speaker exhibits profound emotional disorientation, questioning their own subconscious reactions („I realized I laugh in my sleep / or is sleep laughing in me?”). • Isolation as a Conclusion: The final lines shift to a poignant, quiet resignation. The narrator retreats into darkness, building walls of stones around their knees in a futile, heartbreaking attempt to speak of love to inanimate objects.
De la iunie 1990 la România fără cărți, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Editorial — by Eugene Matzota Abstract From June 1990 to a Bookless Romania: A society that trades libraries for screen-fed anger and packaged ignorance willingly condemns itself to short memory and voluntary servitude. Drawing a parallel to the social pathology of June 1990—shifting from physical violence in the streets to mass hysterical applause for the manipulation of primal instincts—this essay critiques the modern collective cowardice and rejection of reason. Abandoning books turns humanity into its own executioner, leaving those who embrace darkness with no right to complain when they are ruled by shadows.