Andrei Codrescu 365694 206428080 2008-04-18T04:45:03Z Wassermann 3443648 Category:Romanian-American Jews [[Image:Andrei codrescu.jpg|thumb|Andrei Codrescu]]'''Andrei Codrescu''' (born '''Andrei Perlmutter''' on [[December 20]], [[1946]]) is a [[Romania|Romanian]]-born [[United States|American]] [[poet]], [[novelist]], essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for [[National Public Radio]]. ==Biography== Born to a [[History of the Jews in Romania|Jewish Romanian]] family in [[Sibiu]], he published his first poems in [[Romanian language]] under the [[pen name]] ''Andrei Steiu''. In 1965 he left the country to escape from the [[Communist Romania|communist regime]]. After time in [[Italy]], he emigrated to the [[United States]] in 1966, where he immediately sought out [[Allen Ginsberg]] and was part of the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] art scene. In 1981, Codrescu became a [[Naturalization|naturalized citizen]] of the United States. He is an editor of the online journal ''Exquisite Corpse'', and is a MacCurdy Distinguished Professor of English at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. He lives in [[New Orleans]]. Codrescu's coverage of the [[Romanian Revolution of 1989]] for [[National Public Radio]] was critically acclaimed. He was featured in the [[film]] ''[[Road Scholar]]'' which won a 1995 [[Peabody Award]]. He reigned as King of the [[Krewe du Vieux]] for the 2002 [[New Orleans Mardi Gras]] season. Codrescu writes a regular column for ''[[Gambit Weekly]]''. ==Works== ===Essays=== *''The Life and Times of an Involuntary Genius'', G. Braziller, 1975 (ISBN 0-8076-0773-8) *''In America's Shoes'', City Lights Publishers, 1983 (ISBN 0-87286-148-1) *''A Craving for Swan'', Ohio State University Press, 1986 (ISBN 0-8142-0415-5) *''Raised by Puppets, Only to Be Killed by Research'', Addison-Wesley, 1989 (ISBN 0-201-12183-2) *''Disappearance of the Outside: A Manifesto for Escape'', Addison-Wesley, 1990 (ISBN 0-201-12194-8) *''The Hole in the Flag: A Romanian Exile's Story of Return and Revolution'', William Morrow and Co., 1991 (ISBN 0-688-08805-8) *''Road Scholar: Coast to Coast Late in the Century'', co-authored with David Graham, Hyperion Books, 1993 (ISBN 1-56282-878-9) *''The Muse Is Always Half-Dressed in New Orleans : and Other Essays'', St. Martin's Press, 1993 (ISBN 0-312-09354-3) *''Zombification: Stories from National Public Radio'', St. Martin's Press, 1994, (ISBN 0-312-11107-X) *''The Dog With the Chip in His Neck: Essays from NPR and Elsewhere'', St. Martin's Press, 1996 (ISBN 0-614-95760-5) *''Hail Babylon!: NPR's Road Scholar Goes in Search of the American City'', St. Martin's Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-312-18107-8) *''The Devil Never Sleeps: And Other Essays'', St. Martin's Press, 2000 (ISBN 0-312-20294-6) *''An Involuntary Genius in America's Shoes: (And What Happened Afterwards)'', Black Sparrow Books, 2001 (ISBN 1-57423-160-X) *''Ay, Cuba: A Socio-Erotic Journey'', co-authored with David Graham, St. Martin's Press, 2001 (ISBN 0-312-19831-0) ===Prose fiction=== *''Monsieur Teste in America & Other Instances of Realism'', Coffee House Press, 1987 (ISBN 0-918273-32-3) *''The Blood Countess: A Novel'', Simon & Schuster, 1996 (ISBN 0-684-80244-9) *''A Bar in Brooklyn: Novellas & Stories 1970-1978'', Black Sparrow Books, 1999 (ISBN 1-57423-098-0) *''Messiah'', Simon & Schuster, 1999 (ISBN 0-684-80314-3) *''Casanova in Bohemia : A Novel'', Free Press, 2002 (ISBN 0-684-86800-8) *''Wakefield'', Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2004 (ISBN 1-56512-372-7) ===Poetry=== *''The History of the Growth of Heaven'', G. Braziller, 1973 (ISBN 0-8076-0692-8) *''A Serious Morning (Yes! Capra Chapbook Series; no. 9)'', Capra Press, 1973 (ISBN 0-912264-61-6) *''Necrocorrida'', Panjundrum Press, 1980 (ISBN 0-915572-53-2) *''Diapers on the Snow'', Crowfoot Press, 1981 (ISBN 0-936462-52-3) *''Selected Poems: 1970-1980'', 1983, Sun Books *''Comrade Past and Mister Present'', Coffee House Press, 1986 (ISBN 0-918273-21-8) *''Belligerence: New Poems'', Coffee House Press, 1991 (ISBN 0-918273-85-4) *''Alien Candor: Selected Poems, 1970-1995'', Black Sparrow Press, 1996 (ISBN 1-57423-013-1) *''Candoare străină: Poeme alese, 1970-1996'', Editura Fundaţiei Culturale Române, 1997 (ISBN 973-577-123-3) *''License to Carry a Gun'', Carnegie-Mellon University Press, 1998 (ISBN 0-88748-280-5) *''It was Today'', Coffee House Press, 2003 (ISBN 1-56689-150-7) ===Editing=== *''American Poetry Since 1970: Up Late'', [[Four Walls Eight Windows]], 1988 (ISBN 0-941423-04-2) *''The Stiffest of the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader'', Consortium Book Sales & Dist., 1989 (ISBN 0-87286-213-5) *''American Poets Say Goodbye to the Twentieth Century'', co-edited with [[Laura Rosenthal]], [[Four Walls Eight Windows]], 1996 (ISBN 1-56858-071-1) *''Thus Spake the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998. Volume 1, Poetry & Essays'', co-edited with Laura Rosenthal, Black Sparrow Books, 1999 (ISBN 1-57423-102-2) *''Thus Spake the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998. Volume 2, Fictions, Travels and Translations'', co-edited with Laura Rosenthal, Black Sparrow Books, 1999 (ISBN 1-57423-101-4) ===Other contributions=== * Big River Blues, Doubleday Production * [[Christopher Felver]], ''The Importance of Being'', Arena Editions, 2001 (ISBN 1-892041-48-0) * Introduction to [[John Kennedy Toole]], ''[[A Confederacy of Dunces]]. 20th anniversary edition'', Louisiana State University Press, 2000 (ISBN 0-8071-2606-3) * [[David Graham]]: ''Land of the Free: What Makes Americans Different'', Aperture, 1999 (0893818712) ===Chronological Publications List=== '''Books:''' *’’2007: Submarinul Iertat. with [[Ruxandra Cesereanu]]. A long collaborative poem, Timisoara, Romania: Editura Brumar. *’’2007: Femeia neagra a unui culcus de hoti, Bucharest: Editura Vinea. An art-book of early poetry recovered via the Rare Books collection at Emory University. *’’2006: New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writing from the City, New York and Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books. Essays, stories. *’’2006: Miracol si Catastrofa: Dialogues in Cyberspace with Robert Lazu, Timisoara, Romania: Editura Hartman. A book-length interview in Romanian. *’’2004: Wakefield: a novel New York and Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books. *’’2003: It Was Today: New Poems Minneapolis: Coffee House Press *’’2002: Casanova in Bohemia, a novel New York: The Free Press *’’2001: An Involuntary Genius in America’s Shoes (and What Happened Afterwards) Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, Re-issue of The Life & Times of an Involuntary Genius, 1976, and In America’s Shoes, 1983, with new forward and coda-essay.. *’’2000: The Devil Never Sleeps & Other Essays. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Essays. *’’2000: Poezii Alese/Selected Poetry, bi-lingual edition, English and Romanian Bucharest: Editura Paralela 45, 2000) Poetry. *’’1999: A Bar in Brooklyn: Novellas & Stories, 1970-1978 Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press. *’’1999: Messiah, a novel. New York: Simon & Schuster. *’’1999: Hail Babylon! Looking for the American City at the End of the Millennium. New York: St. Martin's Press 1999, New York and London: Picador, 1999. Essays. *’’1999: Ay, Cuba! A Socio-Erotic Journey. With photographs by David Graham. New York: St. Martin's Press, New York and London: Picador. Travel/Essay. *’’1997: The Dog With the Chip in His Neck: Essays from NPR & Elsewhere. New York: St. Martin's Press, New York and London: Picador. *’’1996: Alien Candor: Selected Poems, 1970-1995 Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press. *’’1995: The Muse Is Always Half-Dressed in New Orleans. New York: St. Martin's Press. New York and London: Picador,1996. Essays. *’’1995: The Blood Countess, a novel. New York: Simon & Schuster. New York: Dell. *’’1995: Zombification: Essays from NPR. New York: St. Martin's Press. New York and London: Picador. *’’1994: The Repentance of Lorraine, a novel. New York: Rhinoceros Books. Reprint with new introduction of 1976 Pocketbooks edition by “Ames Claire”) *’’1993: Belligerence, poems. Minneapolis: Coffee House Press. *’’1993: Road Scholar: Coast to Coast Late in the Century, with photographs by David Graham. A journal of the making of the movie Road Scholar. New York: Hyperion. *’’1991: The Hole in the Flag: a Romanian Exile's Story of Return and Revolution (New York: Morrow. New York: Avon. *’’1991: Comrade Past and Mister Present, poetry Minneapolis: Coffee House Press. *’’1990: The Disappearance of the Outside: a Manifesto for Escape. Boston: Addison-Wesley Co.1990; reissued by Minneapolis: Ruminator Press, 2001, with new essay) *’’1989: At the Court of Yearning: Poems by Lucian Blaga, translation of Romania's modern poet. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. *’’1988: A Craving for Swan, essays. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. *’’1987: Monsieur Teste in America & Other Instances of Realism, stories. Minneapolis: Coffee House Press. *’’1987: Raised by Puppets Only to Be Killed by Research Boston: Addison-Wesley. *’’1983: In America’s Shoes San Francisco: City Lights. *’’1983: Selected Poems 1970-1980 New York: Sun Books. *’’1982: Necrocorrida, poems. San Francisco: Panjandrum Books. *’’1979: The Lady Painter, poems. Boston: Four Zoas Press. *’’1978: For the Love of a Coat, poems. Boston: Four Zoas Press. *’’1975: The Life & Times of an Involuntary Genius, memoir. New York: George Braziller. *’’1974: The Marriage of Insult & Injury. Poems. Woodstock: Cymric Press. *’’1973: The History of the Growth of Heaven, poems. New York: George Braziller. *’’1973: A Serious Morning, poems. Santa Barbara: Capra Press. *’’1971: Why I Can’t Talk on the Telephone, stories San Francisco: kingdom kum press. *’’1970: License to Carry a Gun, poems. Big Table Poetry Award. Chicago: Big Table/Follet. Reprinted by Pittsburgh: Carnegie-Mellon University Press. Note: Most of the fiction, poetry, and several of the essay books were published in translation in Romanian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, Czech, Slovakian, and Russian. '''Editor/Founder:''' *’’1983-1997 Exquisite Corpse: a Journal of Books and Ideas *’’1997-ongoing Exquisitecorpse.org *’’2004-ongoing: Exquisite Corpse Books '''Anthologies Edited:''' *’’2000: Thus Spake the Corpse: an Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998. Volume Two, Fictions, Travels, and Translations. Co-edited with Laura Rosenthal, Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press. *’’1999: Thus Spake the Corpse: an Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998. Volume One, Poetry and Essays. Co-edited with Laura Rosenthal, Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press. *’’1996: American Poets Say Goodbye to the 20th Century. Co-edited with Laura Rosenthal, New York: 4 Walls/8 Windows Press. *’’1988: American Poetry Since 1970: Up Late. New York: 4 Walls/8 Windows Press. *’’1990: The Stiffest of the Corpse: an Exquisite Corpse Reader, 1983-1990. San Francisco: City Lights Books. ==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{Commonscat}} * [http://www.codrescu.com/bio/index.html Andrei Codrescu's webpage] * [http://bigriverblues.com Big River Blues] * [http://www.literati.net/Codrescu/ ''Codrescu'' on literati.net] * [http://www.corpse.org ''Exquisite Corpse'', Codrescu's online literary magazine] * [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100359 ''Andrei Codrescu'', NPR Biography] * [http://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2003/mar/interview_andrei_codrescu.html 2003 interview] * [http://www.authorviews.com/authors/04bookfair/codrescu.php AuthorViews interview from 2004 New Orleans Bookfair] * [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16747752 "Jet Lag a Tool for Recapturing Youth in Romania"], [[National Public Radio|NPR]], ''[[All Things Considered]]'', [[November 29]], [[2007]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Codrescu, Andrei}} [[Category:1946 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American essayists]] [[Category:American journalists]] [[Category:American novelists]] [[Category:American poets]] [[Category:American screenwriters]] [[Category:Jewish American writers]] [[Category:Jewish novelists]] [[Category:Jewish poets]] [[Category:Louisiana State University faculty]] [[Category:Louisiana writers]] [[Category:National Public Radio]] [[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]] [[Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana]] [[Category:People from Sibiu]] [[Category:Romanian-American Jews]] [[Category:Romanian defectors]] [[Category:Romanian essayists]] [[Category:Romanian Jews]] [[Category:Romanian journalists]] [[Category:Romanian novelists]] [[Category:Romanian poets]] [[he:אנדרי קודרסקו]] [[ro:Andrei Codrescu]]