Ján Buzássy

* 1935

  • “We learned foreign languages, but mostly political economics, because as it became clear, it was a very communist school, which attempted to educate people for foreign trade. They had to be educated and obedient communists. I was accepted along with more students from Bratislava, but there were also people from central and eastern Slovakia, who lived in the dormitories on Puškinova street. They were stuffing us with politics, but also a lot of mathematics, albeit only applied- economical.”

  • “At the core was my desire to escape from the atmosphere of 50s, it was horrible, and the language was disgusting. And I wanted to create a world of different language- pure, simple. If you were to read a newspaper from the 50s now, you would know that’s Slovak language, but you would not understand what it is about. Everything had different names- only the fact that the term “People’s democracy” was conceived. It was an invention of socialists, that it was supposed to be a better, people’s government. And they did not say that we did not fulfil something, or that we are unable to do it - but that we have limitations. That was supposed to mean - we want that - we have our limits, but we will do it. Obviously, they were just talking nonsense.”

  • “Kultúrny život was cancelled due to its bad political reputation. It was supposed to be replaced by Literárny život, which was however later cancelled for the same reason. Slovenské pohľady were not cancelled, because they had Milan Ferko, who could explain everything. We were cancelled, because we published a report by Peter Repka from the Soviet Union. But it was in process for a longer time. I was invited for the hundredth time to the Association. They asked me what to do with Mladá Tvorba in the future. I promised I would resign, so that someone else can continue doing it and they didn’t like this proposal. I suggested that the whole editorial office can resign, and they can set up their own people, they didn’t like this either.”

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    Karlova Ves, 22.10.2018

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“I wanted to elaborate the language”

Ján Buzássy, 70s
Ján Buzássy, 70s
zdroj: album pamätníka

Ján Buzássy was born on the 10th of April 1935 in Kočovce. He graduated from a trade high school. From 1956 to 1961 he completed a bachelor’s degree in Slovak Language and Literature and Library Science at Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. In 1956 he debuted with a collection of poetry „Hra s nožmi“. After completing his studies in 1961, Jan worked as editor of the literary magazine Mladá Tvorba, in 1966 he became the editor-in-chief. As a result of normalisation attempts in cultural sphere, Mladá Tvorba was cancelled in 1971. After its closure, Jan worked as editor and later editor-in-chief of the magazine Slovenský spisovateľ. After 1989 he became the president of the Slovak Association of Writers and editor in chief of the monthly Kultúrny život.