Introduction

Newspaper for Kindling

”Rare moments of joy are when I’m starting a fire with old or recent newspapers. Silicone beauties, starlets, political intrigues, envy, advertisements blowing smoke… all breaking into pieces. Everything is embraced by an initially very small flame. And, generally, it’s exciting to watch something new and alive being born from nothing.”
This is how outstanding Serbian poet Slobodan Jović wrote in the village of Tobut, in Majevica, Republic of Srpska. He doesn’t use National Review for kindling, he is inviting us to present it in his Lopare. Among numerous positive reviews we have received, this one is one of the dearest.
While preparing this issue, we walked down the Green Path of Užice, from the Old Bridge to Stapar Spa. We went to see the last three log churches east from the Velika Morava. We have visited Aegina, the island of St. Nectarios and Nikos Kazantzakis. In Sremski Karlovci, we went through the chronicles of the local SANU Archive. We reminded of jubilees of Vasko Popa (1922–1991) and Božana Jovanović (1932–2020). We spoke with poet Veroljub Vukašinović and young athletic champion Angelina Topić. (...)
No one has waited for us in vain. Not even you.