SOURCE: Scarlat, Mircea. “Aesthetic Interest.” Romanian Review 40, no. 1 (1986): 31-6.

In the following essay, Scarlat investigates Eminescu's significance as a journalist.

One of the great Romanian publishing events of late has, undoubtedly been the publication of bulky volumes comprising Mihail Eminescu's journalism. The interest awaken by these volumes (9th-12th of the monumental edition launched by Perspessicius and continued now by a research team at the Museum of Romanian Literature) exceeds by far the specialists' circle, and motivates our attempt at finding it an explanation. Since the writer is first known as a poet (among the greatest 19th c. European poets), the standard edition volumes containing his poetry have met with natural interest. As it happens, the edition (for the first time in its complete form) of journalism has met with widely popular success, reaching its heyday.

Journalism was not a mere complementary activity to Eminescu's literary achievements. In...