A man-in-a-project who calls himself "UN Cristian"

(story to be published in tomorrow’s issue, March 20)

Cristian Cosma is a fourth-year undergraduate at the Bucharest Philology University, Bibliology section. Since his first year, Cristi surprised his colleagues with his inventiveness. He started a billboard gazette, “Radical din cap patrat” (Square root of square head), which has been a pain in the neck for many. He initiated a poetry series (“etc”), miniature photocopied books, which had a genuine impact on the Philology University. “UN Cristian,” as he signs, has a passion for gifts, and puts a lot of money into these productions – his own student money – and distributes them free of charge. I cannot conceal the fact that my tiny volume, “Toilet Paper,” came out as part of this collection. Cristi surprised me too. He had scheduled a lot of events and built a lot of objects that would give the book’s launching a “ceremonial” note – a mobile territory, inaugurated on Wednesday, March 15: promotional posters, a very successful launching, a promotional package, and the “Ianus package,” containing an audio cassette with me reading my poems and a roll of toilet paper on which my poems are printed. I don’t know how much this has cost him, he wouldn’t tell. He is a boy who constantly has hundreds of plans in his mind, he always finds something worth doing. I feel obliged to recall that the same collection, “etc,” included a book by Cristian Munteanu, edition secretary at the “Dilema” magazine, and one by Liviu Clisu. “UN Cristian” is easy to spot: he is a small boy wearing a leather jacket and carrying a jeans sack. For two years, his ears were at all times protected by a pair of headphones trickling Metallica accords. He is a great enthusiast of photography, and flashed his camera when you least expected on the dark hallways of the faculty. “Un Cristi” now has an even greater project: he wants to put together a poetry library. The library will also contain an audio section. Cristi would like to organise launches, recordings with known authors, lectures, shows presenting dramatic adaptations of poetic texts. Initially, he planned to do all of this on his money. Now he is looking for sponsors and institutions able to help. He is convinced the library should exist: there is no place in Bucharest to find everything one wants. Several contemporary poets are not to be found in the libraries: Mihai Ursachi, Ion Muresan, etc. The library will also contain a manuscript section, copies of those stored at the Academy and inaccessible to the public. Still, his idea came in parallel with another project whose foundation is already laid: a theatre database. More precisely – an institution that keeps track of every theatre show playing or played in Romania. It will be founded at the Theatre Academy, where Cristi has numerous friends who are willing to help. It will be useful to students, but will be open to anyone interested. The institution is also necessary because, in the near future, theatre plays will be performed in another pace, with fewer representations. And today, very few shows are recorded on tape. Cristi wants to do all of this out of an irrepressible love for poetry. The way he sees things has the flavour of times gone, a special savour. With people like him, the Romanian culture can hope for better days.