To be engrossed in Dezider Banga's poetry is to
give one's spirit wings. The bard of Slovak lyric poetry is simple and
pellucid, similar to his verses. Dezider Banga says that it is a poet's
mission to reveal the truth. "And the truth is fragile and sensitive and
must not be mutilated." He tries to write in a similar manner as did Ivan
Krasko: "...I don't want to sound like a bell made of lead, I don't want
to pile up hollow words..."
In the interview he says, "I started writing when I was thirteen." Elena
Cepcekova, writer, sent his first verses written for Mladost magazine
back to him. After that he became even more determined to write. Elena
Cepcekova appreciated his poems later. Banga continued writing during his
studies at a teachers' college in Krupina. He made every effort to master
the language, and the secrets of writing good poems. However, academic
studies would not have had any sense if he had not been talented.
He studied Slovak and history at the Philosophical
Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava. During his studies he met
many significant Slovak poets. Jan Simonovic, Stefan Strazay, Vlastimil
Kovalcik, Jan Stacho, and Jan Ondrus were among them. Banga believed that
Jan Stacho was the founder of modern Slovak poetry. He became a member
of a literary club lead by Jan Stevcek. As many other poets, he had high
regard for Milan Rufus. He still considers him to be the best living Slovak
poet.
At the end of his studies in 1963 he had his first collection of poems
ready for publication. He translated and did poetic adaptations of Romani
stories. After it had been edited by Pavol Horov and Milan Kraus, his collection,
titled Piesen nad vetrom (A Song above the Wind), was published.
Literary critics said it was an uncommon, special poetic voice.
In 1963 he started teaching at a secondary school - a Gymnasium in Trebisov.
He regreted his distance from the Bratislava bohemians - Albin Brunovsky,
painter; Ilja Zelienka, composer; Ivan Macak, music critic; Vojtech Kondrot,
Marian Kovacik, Jozef Gerboc and others.
During this time he published his second collection,
Zaruzlie
a lekno (Marsh Marigold and Water Lily, 1967), and he also wrote interesting
stories about the life of Gypsies for Kulturny zivot magazine (Cultural
Life). Those pieces may have been preparation for his writing the fairy
tales titled Cierny vlas (Black Hair, 1970) which were illustrated
by Ferdinand Hloznik. The collection Rozhovory s nocou (Talks with
the Night, 1970) won the Smena Publishing House award. Simultaneously another
collection, Modra burka (Blue Storm), appeared and he decided to
change jobs. He left teaching and became a script editor for the Kosice
TV Studio and worked on the editorial board for children and youth. He
was particularly concerned with fairy tales. He himself wrote several successful
bedtime stories, e.g. "Little Snake Bubienok" from Fairy Tales from
a Forest Meadow, The Shop in the Meadow... He also wrote the scripts
for fairy tales from his book Cierny vlas: "The Brickmaker and the
King", "The Girl with Roses in Her Footsteps"...
Dezider Banga says that even the greatest talent is lost without diligence
and honesty in writing. He himself had to work very hard. However, his
publishers and also his wife were very patient with him. He longed to return
to Bratislava. He made his dream come true and started working in the Palace
Publishing House which published encyclopedias. Later he became a commentator
on culture for an international radio broadcast, worked for the Nova
cesta magazine, and later as its editor-in-chief. He was so absorbed
in this work that his collection Horiaca visna (A Sour Cherry Tree
on Fire) did not appear until 1982. It was awarded the Slovensky Vydavatel
Publishing House prize as the best book of the year. The award was presented
by writer Vladimir Minac. His completed collection Magnonlie zhasinaju
(Magnolias Fade) was published in 1989 and collected Lyrika (Lyric
Poems) in 1992. Dezider Banga says that people would be sad without poetry.
If they are governed by modern technology they will hardly find the "earthen
lantern" to hold it up to see the way. At the moment Banga is preparing
another collection which may appear in the publishing house of one of his
three sons.
After 1989 Banga became the chair of the Roma Culture
Organisation. He publishes the children's magazine Luludi and ROMA
magazine for adults and is their editor-in-chief. He has also compiled
a spelling book. He believes that Gypsies will educate themselves. He writes
both in Slovak and Romani. As to the young Roma authors he likes Elena
Lackova the best. She was the first Roma graduate of the Charles University
in Prague; He is also fond of Jozef Ravasz and Katarina Patockova, a young
poet.