The Gypsy Soul in the Poems

The Gypsy Soul in the Poems

Matéo Maximoff

Kohelet

Contents

Title Page

FOREWORD

PART 1

I’M THINKING

OUR LAST HOUR

THE HAPPINESS SELLERS

I COULDN’T

FATHER’S LOVE

YOUR CHIC HAIR

AROUND THE FIRE

THE LEGS MUDDY

HEAVY DRINKING

PART 2

DEMON’S KIDS

THE GHOSTS

PEOPLE OF NIGHT

FIRE

DELIRIUM TREMENS

MONSTER

PART 3

I’M SELLING TEARS TO YOU

WHAT A WONDER!

GIVE THEM ALL THAT YOU HAVE!

ON THE ROADS

Matéo Maximoff,

Copyright

Upcoming Publications in the

FOREWORD

THE POETRY OF MATÉO MAXIMOFF

He also happened to write poems — simple and without any stylistic pretension. He expressed what was on his heart plainly but sincerely: his pain, his suffering, and more rarely, his joy and hopes.

(Carnets de Route, 2006)

Matéo Maximoff is a landmark figure in the history of Gypsy literature and Romani studies — a unique author who left behind a rich literary and ethnographic legacy. His work, blending elements of various genres, styles, and traditions, vividly demonstrates the features of literary hybrid, reflecting a complex interweaving of national identities, historical experience, and multilingualism.

Hybrid is especially characteristic of Gypsy literature, which can be partly defined as transnational, as it crosses national borders and reflects the experience of a people whose culture, values, and identity are not tied to any single nation-state.

Gypsies are dispersed across many countries but retain common cultural and linguistic elements. Authors of Gypsy origin write in a range of languages — including Romani dialects, as well as Russian, English, French, Spanish, and others — which also reflects the hybrid nature of their creative work.

The works of Gypsy authors often do not belong to a specific national literature (for example, Gypsy literature of Russia or France) but instead express a shared experience transmitted through multiple languages and cultural codes.

In different countries, Gypsy literature has existed for anywhere from thirty to a hundred years, and its