absolute blues, de Corina Dașoveanu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Absolute Blues ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026 ▲ By Corina Dașoveanu Abstract This poetic cycle by Corina Dașoveanu explores urban alienation, raw sensuality, and deep emotional resonance through a sequence of evocative lyric pieces ("Absolute Blues," "Sălbatic," "Lumini," "Înfruptarea," "Ora joi," and "Poate chiar"). Merging the rhythm of urban jazz, metropolitan coordinates, and Tom Waits’s melancholy cadence with fierce, elemental imagery of wild landscapes, horses of the wind, and primal instincts, the poems navigate the tension between the modern city and visceral nature. The verses trace an intense cartography of love, desire, and vulnerability—where body and landscape merge, blood beats upon the anvil of time, and absence becomes an absolute blues.
Mate-fizică și meta-fizică, de la astronomul sfânt Dionisie dobrogeanul și până în zilele noastre ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026 ▲
Mate-fizică și meta-fizică, de la astronomul sfânt Dionisie dobrogeanul și până în zilele noastre ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem în cultură! Math-Physics and Metaphysics: From Saint Dionysius the Humble of Dobruja to the Present Day By Cristian Horgoș Abstract This essay explores the deep intersections between mathematics, fundamental physics, philosophy, and Christian faith, bridging classical thought with modern metaphysical inquiry. The author examines how iconic thinkers and mathematicians—such as René Descartes, Kurt Gödel, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Blaise Pascal—sought to demonstrate the existence of God or divine order through logic, probability, and advanced mathematics, aligning with the perspective of Nobel laureates like Paul Dirac that "God is a mathematician of a very high order." Highlighting Romanian contributions, the text honors Saint Dionysius the Humble (Dionisiu cel Smerit*), the 6th-century astronomer and mathematician from historical Dobruja who calculated the Anno Domini Christian era and the Easter calendar, alongside modern Romanian scientists like Caius Iacob, Gheorghe Țițeica, Nicolae Popescu, and Daniel Onofrei. Furthermore, the article contrasts secular philosophy and fundamental physics—both of which struggle to answer ultimate questions—with theological frameworks such as Karl Heim’s theory of multidimensional time. Finally, it links these concepts to the archetypal symbolism of the Neolithic Cucuteni culture's spirals and Mircea Eliade’s views on cyclical time and immortality, reflecting on how future breakthroughs like the Theory of Everything (TOE) might ultimately reveal deeper metaphysical truths.
Rădăcini de dor: Ciobănița, poezia de la stână și Calea deschisă spre lumină, de Eugen Matzota ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026 ▲
Rădăcini de dor: Ciobănița, poezia de la stână și Calea deschisă spre lumină, de Eugen Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 9/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract Roots of Longing: The Shepherdess, Pastoral Poetry, and the Path to Light By Eugen Matzota This article explores the authentic literary phenomenon of Neta Timaru ("Neta the Poet"), a shepherdess from Bughea de Sus, Prahova County, and the enduring editorial journey behind her poetic creation. Far removed from the artificial styling of salon literature, true poetry is born in the deep silence of the mountains, amidst the daily hardships and spiritual clarity of pastoral life. Tracing a cultural collaboration that spans nearly a decade—from the initial publication of her work and the 2018 review in AltCulture to the release of her latest volume, Rădăcini de dor (Roots of Longing)—the essay highlights the vital role of local community support, spearheaded by Teișani Mayor Gheorghe Stanciu, in preserving rural memory. Furthermore, the text reflects on the editorial philosophy of guiding an unadorned, divinely gifted voice without altering its raw purity. Structured around the raw realities of sheep-herding, nature, village life, and faith, Neta Timaru’s poetry stands as a testament to an unfiltered human experience. Accompanied by her handwritten confidences and a visual chronicle of community life, this piece reaffirms the editor’s commitment to bringing hidden literary gold out of the mountain silence and into the enduring light of culture.
Maribella ▲ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026▲
Maribella ▲ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.109, 09/2026▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! ABSTRACT Title: Maribella In the short prose piece "Maribella" (published in ALTCULTURE Magazine no. 109, 09/2026), Ion Bogdan Martin delivers a sharp, self-deprecating, and darkly comedic narrative about identity, social facades, and the bizarre absurdities of contemporary Romanian life. Triggered by an imaginary medical crisis and an eccentric souvenir from Baku—sour cherry (dogwood) jam—the protagonist navigates a freezing Bucharest morning only to be dramatically swept off his feet by a long-forgotten fifth-grade classmate, Maribella. Transformed over three decades through a lucrative marriage to a much older Swedish aristocrat and descendant of King Gustav I, Maribella now lives a hyper-luxurious, ostentatious life among the elite on Londra Street. Mistaking the narrator for his affluent twin brother—a high-ranking government official—she attempts to leverage his supposed political influence to resolve a massive real-estate restitution dispute in the Bihor Mountains. Blending rapid-fire dialogue, social satire on newly-rich parvenus, and surreal plot twists involving 3D cinematic illusions and sudden bumps from a smart remote control, Martin's story offers a brilliantly cynical yet charming reflection on missed opportunities, class divides, and the unpredictability of fate.
Nu v-au furat libertatea. Ați renunțat la ea, de Lucian Ciuchiță ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
Nu v-au furat libertatea. Ați renunțat la ea, de Lucian Ciuchiță ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In "They Didn't Steal Your Freedom. You Gave It Away", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026), Lucian Ciuchiță delivers a scathing, uncompromising critique of contemporary social and political apathy in Romania. Addressing the public as an amorphous, easily manipulated mass, the author dissects the systematic erosion of national dignity and honor, arguing that modern servitude has been disguised in polite attire and false sophistication. The essay frames elections not as genuine democratic choices, but as the mere periodic selection of new administrators for an ongoing captivity managed by competing factions of the deeply entrenched security establishment. Drawing sharp existential and civic conclusions, the text asserts that liberty is rarely stolen overnight in a dramatic coup, but rather surrendered piecemeal through thousands of daily compromises, indifference, fear, and resignation. By exposing the illusion of political reform across four decades of recycled power structures, Ciuchiță holds the citizenry directly accountable for their present powerlessness. Ultimately, the piece serves as a bitter wake-up call and an indictment of a society that traded critical thinking for comfortable lies, reminding readers that a population that voluntarily abandons its responsibility and dignity inevitably ends up being treated as slaves.
Cum apărăm Fraternitatea într-o societate care transformă adesea diferența în ostilitate? ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: How Do We Defend Fraternity in a Society That Often Transforms Difference into Hostility? Author: Adrian Scriminț In a public discourse increasingly fragmented by suspicion and fed by the seductive narratives of grand conspiracy theories—ranging from the mysteries of ancient Luxor to contemporary claims of hidden power structures—Adrian Scriminț undertakes a rigorous anatomy of Fraternity and the search for Truth. Warning that unexamined distrust steadily erodes the fundamental bond between human beings, the author contrasts dogmatic, easy certitudes with the Masonic exercise of inner labor: the discipline of questioning, the proper reverence for symbols as interior compasses, and the acceptance of mystery as a catalyst for reason rather than a tool for paranoia. The essay argues that genuine Fraternity is not built on forced uniformity or the total possession of absolute truth, but rather on our willingness to transform difference from a source of conflict into the very raw material of dialogue. By accepting that truth is fragmented and incomplete, the seeker avoids easy suspicion and refines their inner discernment. Ultimately, this article offers a profound ethical reflection on active listening, humility, and the courage to abandon comfortable illusions in order to walk alongside the Other toward a cleaner mind and a straighter heart.
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.