Drumuri la mănăstiri (II) by Nicholas Jordan ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: In "Drumuri la mănăstiri (II)", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 107, 2026) as an excerpt from "Omul de cenușă", author Nicholas Jordan chronicles a tour group's journey through the winding roads of the Prahova Valley, Brașov, Bran, and Sighișoara. Set against the stark backdrop of late-communist Romania, the narrative follows an eclectic mix of Western tourists obsessed with vampire myths and Count Dracula, led by an observant guide named Nic and a silent, enigmatic driver. Blending sharp sociological observation with atmospheric travelogue, the text explores the clash between romanticized literary expectations and the grim, melancholic realities of local daily life. From chaotic medieval banquets and damp lodgings to encounters with historical landmarks like the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș and the wooden staircase of Sighișoara, the narrative reflects on isolation, systemic oppression, and the peculiar ways foreign travelers seek out fantasy within a deeply constrained world.
Dar viața ta?, de Doria Șișu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲
Dar viața ta? de Doria Șișu ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: In the excerpt from "7 ani", titled "Dar viața ta?" and authored by Doria Șișu, the text delivers an intense, deeply introspective monologue on existential solitude, maternal love, and the heavy burdens of memory. Framed through a poignant dialogue with an unseen interlocutor, the narrative explores a life viewed as accidental and uncelebrated, haunted by the realization of lost time and the painful weight of self-reckoning. The excerpt captures a raw emotional reckoning with regret, focusing on an unconditional, all-consuming love for a daughter and a partner—the two beings for whom the narrator would sacrifice everything. Through lyrical vulnerability and poignant imagery of longing, the text reflects on the inevitability of mortality, the desire to transcend physical absence to remain a comforting presence like rain or wind, and the quiet exhaustion of a soul coming to terms with its own deeply felt destiny.
CONVOIUL (XIII) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
CONVOIUL (XIII) de Gheorghe Schwartz Tradus de / Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract Title: “THE CONVOY (XIII)” — Part I: The Body of the Snake (23) Author: Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by: Eugene Matzota Publication: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE no. 106, 06/2026 “We still believe in culture!” Overview Sitting isolated in a quiet hotel lobby, the protagonist observes former members returning from the massive, collective entity known as "The Convoy" to rejoin civilian life—reunions that appear noticeably devoid of warmth or joy. With only three days of accommodation vouchers remaining, he faces growing uncertainty about his future while grappling with the reality of his covert recruitment by a secretive system. Through a communication device concealed as a business card, the protagonist learns why Convoy attire is heavily targeted by criminals: impostors use the uniforms to pose as law enforcement, carrying out robberies and murders under the guise of official authority. As he continues his assigned mission to investigate why individuals abandon the security of the Convoy for a life of hardship, the protagonist discovers that his own thoughts—and those of all marchers—are constantly harvested, processed, and analyzed by advanced computer algorithms, revealing a pervasive system of total surveillance.
Drumuri la mănăstiri (I) – Fragment din ”Omul de cenușă” ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
Drumuri la mănăstiri (I) - Fragment din ”Omul de cenușă” ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract Title: “Monastery Tours (I)” — Excerpt from “The Ashman” Author: Nicholas Jordan Publication: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE no. 106, 06/2026 “We still believe in culture!” Overview This excerpt follows a seasoned tour guide for "Globe" as he prepares to lead a Christmas circuit through the famous painted monasteries of Moldavia—renowned for their brilliant four-century-old blue frescoes. He delves into the unique, often difficult dynamics of holiday travel, where buses are filled not with typical vacationers, but with lonely solo travelers and dysfunctional couples seeking an escape. Before setting off, the protagonist meets in Malta with Red Ericson, an influential company figure, to lobby for a promotion to tour controller. Red bluntly denies the request, citing the protagonist's Eastern European background, his non-Western name (Ursache), and subtle physical mannerisms as invisible barriers to advancement within the company. Despite the rejection, the protagonist asks for a final favor, leaving the meeting with a challenging passenger list of 43 tourists—mostly single occupancy rooms—setting the stage for a demanding journey to Romania.
dacă e să subliniem iubirea, de Doria Șișu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 6/2026 ▲
dacă e să subliniem iubirea, de Doria Șișu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 6/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: The Subversive Architecture of the Everyday – A Reading of Doria Șișu’s Poetry In this poem featured in issue 106 of ALTCULTURE Magazine, Doria Șișu proposes a radical reconfiguration of the great human themes—love, war, death, and longing—through an aesthetic of the "red marker" and playful subversion. The author does not question these concepts from a distance; instead, she intervenes directly in their mechanics, proposing a "therapy of the absurd" as a form of resistance. The poem functions as a manifesto against the gravity with which we are accustomed to viewing tragedy: - Love becomes a matter of public signaling, a necessity that must be displayed "strategically on highways." - War and violence are countered with an armor of harmlessness ("gingerbread," "lollipops"), a strategy of "brainwashing" with gentleness that exposes, by contrast, the cruelty of reality. - Death is met not with resignation, but with the playful defiance of one who understands that life, being "free of charge," is a gift worth capturing in a "photo of us laughing." The poem's ending, marked by a liberating forgetting, functions as a philosophical conclusion: true freedom does not reside in preserving pain or the past, but in the capacity to erase the traces of everything that constrains us. Doria Șișu transforms the page of poetry into a workspace where, with a red marker, the reader is invited to rewrite the priorities of an existence often stifled by convention.
CONVOIUL (XII) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲
CONVOIUL (XII) de Gheorghe Schwartz Tradus de / Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! The Convoy (XII) by Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE No. 105, 05/2026 Abstract: In this introspective chapter, the protagonist navigates the unsettling reality of life after exiting the "Convoy"—a regimented, utopian-like structure he refers to as the "Body of the Serpent." Trapped in a city that feels both alien and hauntingly familiar, he seeks refuge in a hotel lobby during a relentless rainstorm, searching for answers among other defectors. His attempt to decode the motives behind their "unthinkable" abandonment of a secure life culminates in a strained, enigmatic encounter with a fellow exile—a man of refined, diplomatic demeanor who embodies the very contradictions of their shared past. Through their dialogue, the story masterfully explores the existential cost of uniformity, the illusion of personal initiative in a world governed by rigid hierarchies, and the subtle, psychological surveillance that transcends the boundaries of the Convoy itself. This segment serves as a profound meditation on the struggle to maintain one’s individuality—and the "small habits" that anchor it—within the crushing pressure of a controlled society.
Romanian Blues (IV) – Fragment din ”Omul de cenușă” ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲
Romanian Blues (IV) - Fragment din ”Omul de cenușă” ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Romanian Blues (IV) – Excerpt from "The Ash Man" by Nicholas Jordan ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE No. 105, 05/2026 Abstract: In this vivid segment from The Ash Man, the narrative shifts from the intimate disillusionment of a weary guide in Scandinavia to the high-stakes, gray-market world of 1989 international tourism. As the Berlin Wall falls, signaling the end of an era, the protagonist navigates the precarious boundary between his professional persona and the "black tours" that sustain the elite cadre of guides—modern-day conquistadors trading in everything from illicit goods to lost souls. The narrative reaches a metaphysical climax aboard a cruise ship in Malta, where, amidst the secret geopolitical maneuvers of the Bush-Gorbachev summit, a chance encounter with a mysterious Knight of Malta challenges the protagonist’s perception of destiny, identity, and the cyclical nature of suffering. Merging historical reality with the esoteric, Jordan crafts a haunting reflection on the role of the "witness" in a degrading world, ultimately leading the protagonist to accept the most daunting assignment of all: a "Blue Christmas" pilgrimage through the monasteries of northern Romania.