Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu brought something new to poetry, something reminding of an adventurer’s spirit. He was somewhat of a bad boy when he was a child and when he reached the age of 15 he left home. He used to think that only one trade was good for him. He wanted to become a stuntman.
He roamed the Buftea studios but not for long because he was rather fidgety and he used to pick fights everywhere he went. If the people on the set at Buftea had little or no understanding for his nature, poetry accepted him as he was.
Aurelian learned by heart poems by Nichita Stanescu because a woman he loved was “into” Nichita Stanescu. He liked the poems and he wanted to know the poet more intimately.
He wrote a book with Nichita and they called it “Anti-metaphysics.” Many thought this was an impertinence as he was very young and some people started to believe he was the new Rastignac of Romanian literature.
Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu did not end up a new Rastignac; he never managed to seduce a banker’s wife and no Nucingen Baron stole his ideas to get rich. The muses were generous with the young poet.
The verses he wrote were just like him: rugged, manly – they feel like energy packets ready to explode. Critics don’t like him very much.
Although he published some 20 poetry volumes, when critics hand out prizes, his name is not among the winners. The prizes belong to the poets who know how to behave.
To him, poetry is an existential issue. He writes as easily as he breathes. He took an interest in the sacred. A few friends – Cezar Ivanescu, Sorin Dumitrescu (he calls them “masters”) told him a few things about it. He told me that Sorin Dumitrescu made him read and write reports like they do in schools.
This is why Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu’s lines gained a certain “luminescence” and a touch of mystical. The savage teenager turned into a tamer form of life. One could hardly recognise the jittery teenager when he sees the massive man of today, a man that speaks with care and consideration.
Now he chooses his words more carefully. Perhaps this is the reason people no longer kick him out like it used to happen when he was at the movie studios in Buftea. His lines retain though the same fury.
He publishes more and more books each year. He is currently writing a poem-book dedicated to I.L. Caragiale, called Amin and another – Aleluia dedicated to Ion Creanga.
Another book, “The letters of Saint Nicholas,” a Christian novel is about to be printed right now. He also handles cultural publications for the Interior Ministry. He wants to make them look more professional.
When we last saw him he was fervently looking for collaborators. He was trying to get some big names of Romanian Literature to work for these publications because he wants them to be perfect.