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) – Fragment din ”Omul de cenușă” ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
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.
moartea face cu mâna… nebuna, de Doria Șișu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲
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 ▲
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.
Polul de Putere (IV) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
Polul de Putere (IV) de Claudiu Iordache ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! ABSTRACT Title: The Pole of Power (Part IV) Author: Claudiu Iordache ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE, No. 108, 8/2026 (excerpt from the volume Polul de Putere, IRINI Publishing House, 2002) Synopsis and Themes The essay analyzes the deep mechanisms of political and social power, viewing it not merely as a structure of domination, but as an autocratic "monster" and a fundamental source of existential nonsense. The author highlights the shift from old class conflicts to a revolt of dispossessed nations and masses against predatory globalization. Key Ideas - The Revolution of the Future: Massive migration from impoverished populations is interpreted as a form of retaliation against global inequalities and the unyielding privileges of the developed world. - Critique of Globalization and the American Model: Drawing on thinkers such as Riccardo Petrella, Octavian Paler, and René Guénon, the text warns against the danger of cultural uniformity, arid consumerism, and the loss of humanity's profound restlessness for being. = Original Violence and the Structure of Power: The author explores the connection between violence, libido, power dynamics, and birth (invoking Françoise Dolto), emphasizing that power is always an excess exercised over a deficit of autonomy. - The Decay of Despotism: The essay concludes with a powerful literary metaphor inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s The Autumn of the Patriarch, illustrating the absolute loneliness, degradation, and moral void into which the pole of power ultimately collapses.
Geometria luminii dincolo de ecran, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 07/2026 ▲
Geometria luminii dincolo de ecran, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 07/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! The Geometry of Light Beyond the Screen Editorial — by Eugene Matzota Abstract: In the editorial of this issue, the author points out that the order of the world has never depended on the whims of the powerful or the scale of characterless technology, but rather on the right angle preserved by a man in silence. From the ticking of brass in 1900 to the cold silicon of our century, the "Great Sifting" continues unabated, while Altculture positions itself as a form of spiritual hygiene and a workshop of the ancient Architecture. Using the square and the compass as living instruments of measure, this editorial is a call to lucidity in an era dominated by noise and screens: an open construction site where the rough ashlar still awaits us all.
The Vanishing Aromanian Today, Eugene Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 07/2026 ▲
The Vanishing Aromanian Today, Eugene Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! The Vanishing Aromanian Today — recently launched on Amazon! Abstract: Written for those brothers of mine who are close to me, but far from their identity, this book offers a comprehensive journey through the history, resilience, and modern challenges of a remarkable people without a state, yet never without an identity. Tracing the thread of Aromanian history from Antiquity to the present, the work explores the diverse etymology and background of their names through Theodor Capidan’s lens, contrasts simplistic stereotypes with nineteenth-century accounts of flourishing urban and commercial communities by travelers like William Martin Leake, Gustav Weigand, and Ami Boué, and confronts the silent, contemporary threat of globalized assimilation. It stands as a vital call to action for each new generation to preserve its language, traditions, and collective memory.