12 #2283 NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 5, 2013 happy 28 th of november On Faik Beg Konica (1876-1942) - For Albanian Flag Day 2013

of my own father in 1992 I consid - net, thanks to which I have pur - ered Gjon “ baba im i dytë ” – my chased many books I had tried to second father. I did not become a locate for years. Faiku’s American Catholic. Rather, having been volume, with its red cloth cover brought up without religion, I be - bearing an Albanian eagle on a came a Muslim and Sufi – my first shield, finally came into my hands By Stephen Sylejman Schwartz religion. in 2012. Executive Director As Gjon taught me, differences I wrote more about my own con - Center for Islamic Pluralism in religion are traditionally subor - ceit in considering the relationship Washington, DC dinate to national identity among of Faiku and Apollinaire as a paral - Albanians. He began our associa - lel to my cooperation with Gjon Sin - Albanian Flag Day – November tion by asking me sternly how I felt ishta, in a small book I published 28, 2013 – commemorates the Al - about Muslims, since it was clear in Shkupi in 2003, Ëndërrimi ne banian declaration of independence, that I favored reconciliation be - shqip: Dreaming in Albanian . Like proclaimed with joy in Vlora in 1912, tween Christians and Jews. “If you Apollinaire, Faiku, Gjon, Martin Ca - a hundred and one years ago. This help Albanians, you cannot be prej - maj and other Albanians I had so year, Albanians and their friends udiced against Muslims,” he said. far encountered, I considered my - must also be reminded of the tragic Gjon demonstrated such a commit - self mainly a poet. centennial of 1913, when the Lon - ment, and while I doubt he could Two decades passed, then, be - don Treaty drew the present borders have predicted my acceptance of Is - tween hearing of Albania: The Rock of the Albanian state, severing from lam, two years after his death, I do Garden of Southeastern Europe it the Albanian-majority regions of not think it would have disturbed and purchasing it. In that time I Kosova, Western Macedonia, and him. learned of other aspects of Faiku’s Çamëria. The name of Faik Beg Konica life that were probably unknown to In writing about Albanian Flag came up frequently as Gjon in - Apollinaire, but which drew me to Day 2013, I have left aside the his - structed me in Albanian intellectual, the Albanian author. In his Intro - tory of ethnic expulsions suffered spiritual, and political life. Faiku duction to Albania: The Rock Gar - by the Albanians. Still, in homage had been, in 1884-85, a student at den of Southeastern Europe , Bishop to the Albanians of Çamëria, I offer the Saverianum in Shkodër, the Je - Theofan Stilian Noli (1882-1965) part of a long meditation on one of suit institution where Gjon had been cited Apollinaire’s description of its most remarkable sons, the au - educated and many of the Albanian Faiku as “a walking encyclopedia” thor, patriot and diplomat Faik Beg Catholic martyrs of Communism, – a cliché nowadays, but illustrative Konica. exemplified by Fr. Dajani, had of a wide-ranging intellectual atti - Konica, or Konitza, the village in taught. The great poet Martin Ca - tude I have tried to emulate. Faiku which Faiku was born, was once the maj (1925-92), a friend and mentor described himself as I would myself location of a Bektashi Sufi teqe serv - of mine through Gjon, was also an – having studied linguistics, as I ing as a center of the Albanian na - alumnus of the Saverianum. have, Faiku was “naturally attracted tional revival. Konica is today in - Gjon emphasized that prominent by words, irrespective of their corporated into Greece. Albanian Muslims, of which Faiku meaning, although the meaning or My thoughts about Faiku bring was an one, had been educated at history of words is often interesting, together several different strands in the Saverianum. As Gjon put it, and sometimes puzzling.” his biography, and in my own. “the Jesuits wanted to educate all Faiku confessed that he had, like The first, which I believe Faiku Albanians, not just the Catholics.” the great French novelist Stendhal would have appreciated, involves a Shkodër was and remains the center (Henri Beyle, 1783-1842), a “mono - book. It is his book in English, Al - of Albanian Catholic culture; Faiku mania for disguises,” i.e. pen- bania: The Rock Garden of South - himself wrote, in his old age (as names, which Faiku confessed was eastern Europe , published in translated from French), “the great his only thing he had in common Boston in 1957 under the auspices Jesuit school in Shkodër is like an and many others consider the great - “ ‘Under Empty Skies Falconers with the great French author. I too of Vatra, the Pan-Albanian fraternal island in the sea of ignorance dom - est 20 th century French poet. Fur - Weep,’ ” at http://www.islamicplu - have indulged in this form of “de - organization, and edited by G. M. inating Albania.” ther, Apollinaire had contributed to ralism.org/1084/under-empty- ception,” and I too admit nothing Panarity from an incomplete man - For Faiku, according to the Faiku’s French-Albanian journal Al - skies-falconers-weep. (The title of else in common with a figure as uscript. Albania: The Rock Garden Macedonian-Albanian writer Luan bania , published in Brussels and the essay is taken from a poem by great as Stendhal. of Southeastern Europe is adver - Starova, “the Jesuit school had cre - London from 1897 to 1909. Faiku the outstanding Yugoslav poet Faiku appears to have been the tised for republication by I.B. Tauris ated a bridge toward the other was only 21 when he launched Al - Branko Miljkovic [1934-61], who re - first individual, in the pages of his in February 2014. shore, that of a Europe from which bania , and some of his most impor - pudiated Serbian nationalism and Albania , to introduce to Western I learned of Faiku before finding Albania had been separated for cen - tant texts came out in obscure, mar - died in Croatia in questionable cir - Europe the Bektashi Sufis in Alba - out that a collection of his writings turies.” There, in contrast with the ginal, and short-lived periodicals. I cumstances.) nia, and even the Laramani or had appeared in English. In 1990, Koran-centered Ottoman Islamic rushed to buy a copy of Apollinaire’s Gjon Sinishta was still alive, al - “Crypto-Christians.” In the latter I began work with Gjon Sinishta schools, Faiku was introduced to Anecdotiques , easy to obtain be - though close to death from cancer, communities, family patriarchs con - (1930-95), founder of the Albanian the French language, of which he cause of its author’s status as a and he was pleased to hear of my verted to Islam while the remainder Catholic Institute at the University would become enamored, to West - French classic. Therein, I found the interest in Faiku. The year of my of the family continued to observe of San Francisco, named for Father ern music and art. He continued latter’s essay on Faiku, titled, sim - discovery about Faiku and Apolli - the Catholic faith. Although Faiku Daniel Dajani, S.J. (1906-46). Gjon his education at the French Lyceé ply, “Faik Beg Konitza.” naire, and of Gjon’s demise, saw the was himself Bektashi, a serious dis - and his Institute issued an annual (high school), which had a modern Next, in the drafty old Main commencement of the successful cussion of the sect is absent from Albanian Catholic Bulletin (ACB ) curriculum, in Galatasaray, a dis - Branch of the San Francisco Public effort to repatriate Faiku’s remains Albania: The Rock Garden of from 1980 to 1994, with materials trict of the imperial capital of Con - Library, I was astonished to read, from Boston to Tirana. Southeastern Europe , as are refer - in English and Albanian. stantinople. (This comment by in a standard biography, Apolli - My father was a bookseller and ences to the Frashëri brothers, Ab - Hearing of my interest, as a news Starova and the preceding descrip - naire, Poet Among the Painters , by I have been a book-collector. I put dyl (1839-92), Naim (1846-1900), writer then at the San Francisco tion of the Saverianum by Faiku ap - the American academic Francis this in the past tense because I have and Sami (1850-1904), who were Chronicle and a contributor to var - pear in Starova’s excellent book, Steegmuller (1963), nearly the donated most of my collectible Bektashis as well as leaders in the ious national magazines, in the cri - Une amitié européenne , Paris, L’E - whole of Apollinaire’s essay on books to libraries wrecked by the Albanian national and cultural re - sis of former Yugoslavia, Gjon asked sprit des Péninsules, 1998, of which Faiku. Steegmuller knew nothing Serbs in the Balkan Wars, and sold vival. me to help him edit the English sec - more anon.) of Albanians and was sniffily unin - others – chiefly art books – to fi - But Faiku counted the Bektashis tion of ACB . In 1990, the first year My real interest in Faiku began, terested in Faiku, referring to Apol - nance my stay in Bosnia-Hercegov - and Laramani, as well as Albanians I did so, he paid me, but after that, however, when I learned that he had linaire’s affectionate portrait of him ina and Kosova in 1999-2000. Yet whose beliefs were folkloric, and the until Gjon’s death in 1995, I worked been denounced by the Communist as “at least half invented, probably,” I remain a bibliophile at heart, and small Protestant community, with for him as a volunteer. (The entire literary apparatus beholden to En - although it was almost entirely ac - there are books – some in Albanian the Sunni Muslims, Catholics, and collection of the ACB is now acces - ver Hoxha as a “patron of European curate. (Oddly, Apollinaire de - – for which I continue to search. Orthodox Christians, for a total of sible at http://digitalcollections.us - decadents.” This seemed to me scribed Faiku as “born of a family It took me 22 years to find a copy seven religions in Albania, against fca.edu/cdm/search/collection/p15 highly improbable, until I learned that had remained faithful to the of Faiku’s Albania: The Rock Gar - those who depicted Albania as an 129coll3.) by reading Illyria that Faiku had Catholic religion.”) Intimate and den of Southeastern Europe . My exclusive and conventional “Is - We became close collaborators been a close friend of Guillaume important aspects of the relation - hunt began before the rise of anti - lamic” society. He did not count, it and friends – indeed, after the death Apollinaire (1880-1918), whom I ship are described in my 2004 essay quarian bookselling over the inter - seems, the small and barely-visible 13 happy 28 th of november #2283 NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 5, 2013

Albanian Jewish community; today, With that act by Mussolini, Faiku’s in the aftermath of Communism, he diplomatic status in the U.S. ended. would have to add “non-believers” Typically of him, Faiku was proud or atheists to the Albanian religious that during his tenure as editor of profile. Dielli and ambassador of Zog to The ability to make enemies was America, he filled the paper with a prominent element of Faiku’s per - attacks on the monarch. sonality. He came to America in Now that I have read Albania: 1909 and took over the editorship The Rock Garden of Southeastern of Dielli (The Sun) for Vatra. He Europe , I cannot but agree with his became general secretary of Vatra judgment that modern society is be - in 1912, but in the previous year had set by “our mania of thrusting into established a journal in St. Louis, the face of the public alleged infor - Trumbeta e Krujës (The Trumpet mation on subjects of which we hap - of Kruja) , of which Apollinaire was pen to be totally ignorant ourselves. informed but which lasted only Such thoughts sometimes must three issues. The devotion to high- have occurred to everyone who has minded, ambitious, and optimistic an accurate knowledge of something literary enterprises that prove un - or other and suddenly has stumbled fortunately ephemeral is a factor upon a fantastic bundle made up that makes me feel close to Faiku. partly of approximations and partly Gjon Sinishta’s tenacity in produc - of mere inventions, and not pre - ing the Albanian Catholic Bulletin sented by any means as a fairy-tale reticence is sincere and not a prop - handle and too dangerous for their Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940), author illustrates it. But that is a different but as ‘information’ on the subject aganda in reverse.” To emphasize, masters.” of Lahuta e Malcís (The Mountain matter, finally, and extends through in question. That is especially the we saw such a spectacle in much Prejudices against Albanians Lute, definitive edition 1937 ) and, world literary and political history. case with the treatment of distant Western media reportage on the persist today because of what Faiku with Naim Frashëri, one of the two Faiku was solitary through most countries.” Balkan wars and we see it on Syria calls the “hypnotism of repetition.” national poets of the Albanians, as of his life, and found himself in po - When we consider the history of now. At the beginning of the 20 th century, well as two other Catholic authors, litically-contradictory circum - the Kosovar Albanians preceding, Albania: The Rock Garden of a French parliamentarian labelled Dom Vinçenc Prennushi (1885- stances on many occasions. He during, and after the liberation war Southeastern Europe includes no - the Albanians “murderous no - 1949) and Ernest Koliqi (1903-75). could be grossly wrong – as in his of 1998-99, as well as of the Chams, table examples of wit at the expense mads,” and a similar vocabulary is He recommended the work of An - rivalry, expressed in outright ha - these words of Faiku need no addi - of Serbs and Greeks as the two long- applied today by the producers of don Zako Çajupi (1866-1930), Filip tred, with Ismail Qemali Vlora tion or emendation. Their relevance standing aspirants to the partition the recent “ Taken ” series of action Shiroka (1859-1935), whose poems (1844-1919), the father of Albanian is reinforced by the tragedies in of Albania. Faiku recalls that Serbs films, depicting Albanians as kid - Faiku published in Albania , and, of independence, and other leading Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iraq, had fled the Ottomans by emigrat - nappers, sexual traffickers, and gen - course, Noli. members of the national movement. Afghanistan, and Syria, where the ing into Vojvodina, a part of Hun - erally as heartless criminals. Surveying Faik Beg Konica, and In 1912 Faiku left the U.S. to attend most sophisticated media have gary, and that “two or three cen - We also find in Albania: The given my appreciation for his friend - the regrettable London Conference, served often to distort rather than turies later the descendants of these Rock Garden of Southeastern Eu - ship with Apollinaire, I would be but he returned to America, and to clarify the perception of events. refugees, who were the beneficiaries rope a criticism of the Albanian na - remiss in failing to note the irre - work at Dielli and Vatra, in 1921. Further on, in an appendix to the of this hospitality, petitioned the tional writing system adopted by placeable importance of Luan He served the justifiably-de - book on the Greek claim to southern Powers [successfully, I should add the 1908 Alphabet Congress at Starova’s previously-mentioned spised Esad Pasha Toptani (1863- Albania, Faiku notes sharply and – SAS] to give over to Serbia the Manastir in Macedonia. Faiku – too study of the friendship between the 1920), a Serbian puppet. Later, correctly about media publishers sanctuary of their ancestors.” harshly, I think – condemned the two men, Une amitié européenne: Faiku was Albanian ambassador to that “of a more serious character is He remarks, “Open the door of 1908 orthographic standard as Faik Konitza et Guillaume Apolli - the U.S. for King Zog (1895-1961), [their] suspicion… that they may be your house to a Serb, and the next “cumbersome spelling, which, in its naire . When I wrote, touching on whom he detested and denounced made the unconscious tools of some day he will ask half of it as a right; effort to represent every phonetic the link between these two literary as a coward after Zog fled the Italian dark, mysterious propaganda. Their and the day after, he will try to shade, gives often to the words a re - pioneers, in Ëndërrimi ne shqip: fascist invasion of Albania in 1939. reticence is worthy of praise – if the throw you out of the window as an pellingly complicated form.” I have Dreaming in Albanian , I was in - intruder.” Faiku comments on “the found that non-Albanians are put formed only by Apollinaire’s own Serbs and Greeks, those uncon - off by the complexity of Albanian essay and Steegmuller’s biographi - scious humorists,” for their denial spelling – but no good thing can be cal research on him. Starova’s book, of the existence of an Albanian na - attained without labor, and the task of which I did not know, had already tion, and describes them satirically of learning to read Albanian pro - been in print for five years, but titles as “the Greeks and Serbs, those hon - vides more than enough reward for on Albanian topics do not always est neighbors of Albania,” in their the effort required. circulate as widely as they should. allegations that Albanians were or Faiku’s “American book” addi - Books on the Balkans printed else - are “Turks,” given the Albanian tionally discloses a “secret” of Al - where arrive in the region quickly; Muslim majority. banian literature: the poetry of the but books produced in the peninsula Faiku’s book, intended for an 19 th century Muslim author Hasan are unable to be found outside their American audience, also includes Zyko Kamberi (specific dates of life country of origin. fascinating observations of his peo - and death unknown), including his Because of this, only after read - ple. He cites an Albanian axiom, “scurrilous” and “licentious” writ - ing Starova’s work could I appreci - “Kill me but do not insult me,” that ings (in Faiku’s characterization). ate Faiku’s remarkable polemic I had heard many times during the These include “The Bride’s First against the appeal of artificial “uni - Kosova independence struggle, Night,” which Faiku considered “of - versal” languages like Esperanto, ti - most notably ascribed to the human fensive” enough to be unprintable. tled Essay on Natural Languages rights activist Adem Demaçi. Faiku The present-day Albanologist and Artificial Languages , signed describes an area of Albanian folk - Robert Elsie, in his authoritative with the pen-name “Pyrrhus Bard - lore previously unknown to me, that 2005 handbook, Albanian Litera - hyli” and published in 1904 in Brus - of analogical similes, or riddles, ture: A Short History , presents sels. Esperanto, in particular, was such as the following: “What is this? “The Bridal Chamber,” his transla - (and still is) promoted by social re - Two brothers hold fire in their tion of the Albanian title formers who viewed “competing,” hands and are not burned? Tongs.” “Gjerdeku,” as “a realistic account diverse languages as a cause of con - In a book that while short and of the anguish and hardship of flict, and saw in an artificial, inter - left unfinished, is replete with proof young women married off according national idiom a means to attain of extraordinary erudition, Faiku to custom without being able to peace. But as someone who learned informs us that the Muslim pirate choose husbands for themselves.” Catalan – a minority language in who captured Miguel de Cervantes But Elsie notes that Kosovar critic Spain – before studying Albanian, (1547-1616), author of the Castilian Mahmud Hysa, as late as 1987, cen - who has defended the internal di - classic Don Quixote , was an Alban - sured “at times degenerate eroti - versity of Albanian (Gegnisht, le - ian called Arnaut Mami (Cervantes cism” in Kamberi’s verse. Faiku and trare, Elbasani dialect, Toskërisht), was held as a slave for five years.) Elsie agree that the most important and who appreciates the preserva - But in chapter VI of Albania: The and popular of Kamberi’s poems is tion of differing literary traditions Rock Garden of Southeastern Eu - his “Paraja” (Money), which attacks in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, I rope , which deals with Gjergj Kas - greed and corruption. agree with “Bardhyli.” The human triot Skenderbeu and was com - In Albania: The Rock Garden of inventory of languages and dialects pleted by the editor Panarity, Fan Southeastern Europe , Faiku found should be preserved and defended, Noli is the source of observations opportunities to praise Kostiandin not suppressed or surrendered to a that “An Albanian could not be a Kristoforidhi (1827-1895) of El - single planetary form of speech, es - slave… Nobody in the slave markets basani, for his monumental Alban - pecially in the name of social har - of Turkey would buy an Albanian… ian-Greek dictionary. Faiku ap - mony. because they were impossible to plauded the Catholic epic poet 14  14 #2283 NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 5, 2013 happy 28 th of november On Faik Beg Konica (1876-1942) - For Albanian Flag Day 2013

13  by its concluding, gushing, and, Apollinaire is excerpted in a tan - In 2003, however, I had not yet according to others who knew talizing way in Starova’s contribu - found Starova’s book, and wrote Faiku, completely sincere devotion tion. One letter from Faiku refers accurately but wrongly that I was to the compositions of Richard to an alleged invitation, previously “unable, so far, to locate any ref - Wagner – whom I despise and known to scholars, for the French erence to this work or to the latter about whom I would have quar - poet to occupy a well-paid aca - pseudonym [Pyrrhus Bardhyli], in reled heartily with Faiku. Thus, demic chair in Salt Lake City, Faik Konica’s works or biograph - like Ismail Qemali and others, I Utah! ical studies of him.” I had also yet would doubtless have earned the Finally, the work of Luan to read two literary creations by ire of Faiku – sometimes, it seems, Starova republishes several arti - Faiku that Apollinaire singled out an honor. cles Apollinaire himself wrote in for praise: “Outline of a Method Starova has performed other support of the Albanian national of How to Succeed in Winning Ap - services with his book. He identi - movement. Starova argues for plause from the Bourgeois” and fies the occasion which brought Faiku as a protagonist in Apolli - “The Most Colossal Mystification Faiku and Apollinaire together – naire’s fiction, most importantly in the History of the Human a discussion by Apollinaire in a in one of two drafts of his novel Species.” These appeared in French journal of attempts to re - La femme assise (Seated Woman , French, in Apollinaire’s magazine move French words from Ger - published in 1920, posthumously, Le Festin d’Ésope . many, in 1903, 110 years ago. since Apollinaire died in 1918 dur - A French biographer of Apolli - Starova elucidates the origin of the ing the “Spanish influenza” epi - naire, Marcel Adéma, was correct, curious pen-name – Thrank demic, after a head injury suffered I think, in judging the second of Spiroberg – with which he while serving in the French army these texts as equal to the avant- launched Albania , and which during the first world war). garde absurdist writings of an - Apollinaire mentions in his biog - Starova points out that the hero other friend of Apollinaire, Alfred raphical sketch of Faiku. The pen- of the second, superior draft of La Jarry (1873-1907). I believe name, originally “Trank Spirobey,” femme assise , named Pablo Starova is also right in judging was borrowed from that of an Al - Canouris, is identified as half-Al - “Outline of a Method of How to banian hero in a novel by a French banian and half-Spanish, “born in Succeed in Winning Applause Orientalist and travel chronicler, Malaga” fusing two of Apollinaire’s from the Bourgeois” as preceding Léon Cahun (1841-1900), Hassan closest friends, Faiku and Pablo the emergence of French surrealist Le Janissaire (1891), and, as it Picasso (1881-1973). The book’s writing by 15 years but comparable happens, one more favorite author title is that of numerous works by and equal in quality to the surre - of Apollinaire. To further “protect Picasso and his predecessors and alist works that, like those of Apol - himself,” Faiku made the pseudo - contemporaries, such as Henri linaire, are now French classics. nym less “baroque” by adding an Matisse (1860-1954). “Outline of a Method of How “h” and an “r,” when creating Al - Faik Beg Konica and Pablo Pi - to Succeed in Winning Applause bania . In other of the many coin - casso, Albania and Andalusia, from the Bourgeois” is a brief com - cidences we find in the neglected Balkan independence and the mentary on how to perform on area of Balkan relations with Eu - artistic avant-garde, united by the various musical instruments, re - rope, Léon Cahun was the uncle pen of Guillaume Apollinaire! Un - cite poetic or dramatic works, pro - of a different friend of Apollinaire, fortunately, La femme assise has duce opera, and otherwise satisfy the French experimental writer never been translated into English, the Parisian public. It includes Marcel Schwob (1867-1905), and and as described herein, Faiku’s careful advice on what to expect great uncle of a leading member writing in English has been diffi - from friends planted in the audi - of the French surrealist circle, cult to find. ence (known as a “claque”) as well Claude Cahun (1894-1954). A fresh reading of Faiku, and a as from critics. It is only marred Faiku’s correspondence with reexamination of his life, is over - due. One might even say that those who love books as they once were, rather than electronic nov - elties, have old but new challenges awaiting them. I fear the internet has been use - ful in locating, but not in produc - ing, valuable books. 15 happy 28 th of november #2283 NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 5, 2013 15