MOROIUL by Nicolae Dincă ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: In "Moroiul", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 107, 2026), author Nicolae Dincă crafts a rich, atmospheric narrative steeped in the folklore, rustic mythology, and superstitions of the Olteț valley. Set against the bleak backdrop of a freezing November night, the story follows two local fiddlers, Vasile al lui Biță and Nelu, as they navigate a disorienting fog after performing at a raucous, decadent party hosted by a local politician. Blending dark rural realism with elements of the uncanny, the text captures the psychological descent of the two musicians into profound terror when they mistake a decaying, wind-beaten tree stump for a terrifying phantom or "moroi" demanding music. Through vivid dialogue, ancestral echoes of outlaws like Biță Duduveică, and a masterful shift from supernatural dread to sobering daylight realization, the narrative explores the fragility of human perception, the haunting weight of solitude, and the timeless power of folklore in the Romanian countryside.
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.
Arta de a opri timpul într-o lume care se grăbește să dispară, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
Arta de a opri timpul într-o lume care se grăbește să dispară, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: The Architecture of Resistance – A Manifesto for the 106th Issue of ALTCULTURE Magazine In this editorial, the author addresses a critical turning point for ALTCULTURE Magazine as it marks its 106th issue. Reflecting on nine years of intellectual pursuit, the piece serves as both a reflection on the state of contemporary society and a bold announcement regarding the publication's future strategy. The editorial explores the following core themes: • The Erosion of Depth: A sharp critique of how the "sacred intervals" of human reflection—patience, silence, and memory—are being sacrificed to the brutal speed of digital consumption and the "white noise" of screens. • The Sociological Diagnosis: A poignant observation on the transformation of the Romanian public from a collective with a cultural consciousness into a passive population, leading to the difficult decision to cease publishing dense literary works and essays exclusively for the domestic market. • The Language of Resistance: The author clarifies that while the medium of distribution is changing, the Romanian language remains the fundamental instrument of thought and the heart of the magazine. • The Act of "Building": The magazine is framed not as a nostalgic endeavor, but as an act of moral resistance. By standing against the tide of efficiency-obsessed digital culture, ALTCULTURE continues its mission to provide a space for the "slow time" where true human connection—and true culture—can still exist. The text serves as a manifesto for those who still value the sanctity of the "interval" and confirms the magazine's commitment to continue its journey wherever the spirit has room to manifest, beyond the confines of a stagnant digital wasteland.
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.
„SALVAȚI-MĂ, DOMNU’ TONY!!…”, de Nicolaie Dincă ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
„SALVAȚI-MĂ, DOMNU’ TONY!!...”, de Nicolaie Dincă ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract Title: “SAVE ME, MR. TONY!!...” Author: Nicolaie Dincă Publication: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE no. 106, 06/2026 “We still believe in culture!” Overview In this harrowing personal account, a veteran police officer reflects on the emotional toll of nearly three decades in law enforcement—particularly in rural areas. Guarding the invisible line between civilization and darkness, he confronts the stark reality of domestic abuse and systemic limitations before comprehensive legal protections were enacted. The author recount his desperate efforts to save Liliana, a seventeen-year-old girl, from the abusive grip of a career criminal known as "Cartoafă." Despite exhausting every legal, personal, and unconventional avenue—including confronting the abuser and pleading with the victim—he finds himself powerless against the perpetrator's manipulation, a lack of legislative framework, and a tragic misunderstanding of the offender's deadly intent.
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.
Arhitectura Verticalității în Era „Conținutului”, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲
Arhitectura Verticalității în Era „Conținutului”, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.105, 05/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Editorial: The Architecture of Verticality in the Age of "Content" "DO NOT LET THE WORLD DESIGN YOU – BUILD YOURSELF!" ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE No. 105, 05/2026 Abstract: In this issue’s editorial, the focus shifts from the mere responsibility of building within a chaotic world to an explicit declaration of war against the superficiality of the digital age. The text diagnoses a tragic confusion in contemporary society: mistaking the easy access to information for the mastery of knowledge. By critiquing the current educational and cultural landscape—which favors "surface competencies," algorithmic popularity, and hollow "engagement" over depth and character—the author calls for a return to the "pedagogy of effort." To counter the disintegration of values, the editorial proposes four radical gestures of resistance: the recovery of slow time, the embrace of rigorous discipline, the rejection of egalitarianism in favor of an authentic hierarchy of values, and the necessity of creative isolation. ALTCULTURE 105 stands not as a vessel for "content," but as a manifesto for those who refuse to be mere dust in the wind of algorithms. It is an urgent invitation to every reader to stop seeking shortcuts, to reclaim the right to think clearly, and to assume their duty as the Architects of their own destiny.