Friends and colleagues remember Jūratė Baranova: a jazz philosopher of exceptional sensitivity

G. Mažeikis: we are committed to remembering it correctly

The philosopher Gintautas Mažeikis says that J. Baranova stood out among all Lithuanian philosophers for his sensitivity. “Sensitivity to poets, writers, other people, social groups: I would say that he had a very deep existential ethic, an existential morality. “This existential moral of hers was very open to creativity, that’s why she was happy to communicate with all Lithuanian writers and poets, and in this way her philosophical language was formed, which quickly moved away from formalized language – it is much freer, essayist, “he said.

In addition, she was very attentive to contemporary philosophy, the latest theories of philosophy and ethics, so she traveled the world a lot and at the same time took great care of Lithuanian philosophy, curating and publishing or helping to publish current works. Lithuanian philosophers – articles, books – abroad. Over time, he carried out numerous memory projects related to philosophy and literature. One of his best known projects is a great book on Jurga Ivanauskaitė. Another project, which was started many times but did not receive much support from the Lithuanian Scientific Council, was on Arvydas Šliogeris. We also tried to do such a project with her on A. Šliogeris and Leonidas Donskis. Now, recalling Jūratė’s existential care for his relatives, close writers and philosophers, I believe that we ourselves are personally committed to remembering him correctly, ”said G. Mažeikis.

He regretted that Mr. Baranova left behind a great deal of important work that would be very difficult to continue. “There are many problems in this place when a person leaves Anapilin in the largest vortex of the work year. This was the case with Leonidas Donskis, the same was the case with another thinker Algis Uždavinis, a researcher and religious writer Gintaras Beresnevičius. Also in this case there are interruptions in the middle of projects, in the middle of thesis defenses, in the middle of supervision, book writing, article editing. There is an enormous amount of started and unfinished work, it is even difficult to imagine, because when the giant creators come out, there are many extremes left, ”said G. Mažeikis.

“Today I think about how unfortunate that the leading Lithuanian philosophers, literary researchers and scientists do not like having one or another assistant in the West, not an administrator, but someone who works helps to manage endless communications, articles, documents, and this en It will be very difficult to catch up with that diversity once, because it worked a lot, and now everything stopped very suddenly and that will cause a lot of problems, ”said G. Mažeikis.

A. Urbonaitė: she protected from attacks

Writer and journalist Audronė Urbonaitė says that Jūratė Baranova was very interested in the prose of Lithuanian authors and followed the new names closely. “They didn’t write reviews, they named trends in a much larger context.

The year 2005 was critical for me: I contracted cancer and at the Institute of Oncology I wrote a short and neat novel “In a Turn – Don’t Get Out.” Tyto alba publishes it in an instant. And immediately I came to the fore: in the north of Athens, a company of young children called Castor @ Pollux was ridiculed for outspoken descriptions of physiological suffering. They were too young and too resourceful to really understand the weight of the fallen stone.

That same autumn, Giedra Radvilavičiūtė, an excellent essayist and organizer of literary events, invited to present the book “Turn – Don’t Get Out” at the North Summer Festival, where all those who were at least somewhat interested gathered. In literature. After the illness, I barely crawled. The publication of the book and the emotions associated with it were completely sold out.

Jūratė looked at me and said motherly, “Don’t go there: Sunny will eat you.” She, like me, was very appreciative of Giedra Radvilavičiūtė’s talents and insights, but realized that I was too physically weak to bear ruthless criticism. Humanity and compassion were more important to Baranov.

Both we and Jūrate knew that we were ruining the festival’s schedule a bit and that in that case the organizers were cursing and thinking that the authors who had promised to participate should keep their promises, even if it was shot from the sky. I also hate those who promise but fail ”, admitted A. Urbonaitė.

Added mountains of praise

“Another scandal in which Jūratė Baranova helped me perfectly was the idea of ​​going to Taiwan for a few months, shutting down a Buddhist monastery for free and writing a novel ‘Candied Fish’. To get there and be there for a long time, I had to present my strong creative biography to the Taipei representatives in Riga, tell me stories about how useful it could be for them as a journalist, etc. This required very strong recommendations ”, shared A. Urbonaitė his memories.

“Jūratė Baranova wrote the recommendation in perfect English so convincingly that I was greeted by a state car in Taipei. I didn’t really need a car, but thanks to a recommendation on the other side of the world, specially dispatched employees were ready to help me. get to know Taiwan, asking what objects the journalist “lady” would like to visit.

When I came back, we were almost crazy. I will miss you very much, the great Jūrate Baranova, both in everyday life and in the sky that people create. You are a special person ”, added A. Urbonaitė.

G. Kadžiulytė: was a jazz philosopher

Giedrė Kadžiulytė, editor of the Apostrofa publishing house, said it was very painful and an unexpected loss when words were difficult to gather. “Jūratė was not only the author of” Apostropha “. A gifted thinker (I especially don’t use the word” philosopher “here), able to connect philosophy with art, literature, film, speak stagnant statements, stimulate imagination and the young man’s thinking, taking an interest, offering to look at things from a different angle, invites dialogue. A jazz philosopher, so to speak. One can only envy students as teachers and colleagues as excellent dialogue partners. A talented moderator (Just remembering “Northern Summer”!). Writer. Essays. I had so many plans … “, responded warmly G. Kadžiulytė.

She helped Apostrofai present the works of Arvydas Šliogeris and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was an expert and consultant to the publisher. And not only. His collection of essays, Fear of Drowning (Apostrophe, 2009; see cover with JB’s own illustration by Marius Liugaila), though later received rather coldly by fellow writers and critics, described as relentlessly “overlooked.” and underrated for many decades later, just a great book. He’s praised to this day and he’s still discovering new readers, and readers are discovering him.
It is almost impossible to describe how much netekom. Or is it too early, we still haven’t found the description of TO, THEY words, ”wrote G. Kadžiulytė on Facebook.

P. Gritėnas: he had the greatest pedagogical passion for Lithuanian philosophy

The critic, the philosopher Paulius Gritėnas, thanking J. Baranovas for guiding him on the path of philosophy, recalled that if the Olympics of the philosophy students had not been organized at the then Vilnius Pedagogical University, perhaps they would not have deviated “in this confusing but very interesting way.”

“Professor Jūratė Baranova was the spirit of those Olympic Games. A person who had the greatest pedagogical passion in Lithuanian philosophy and for whom it was important to have at least a few dozen children who would become entangled in philosophical questions and begin to think more deeply, ”wrote P. Gritėnas on Facebook.

According to P. Gritėnas, Jūratė was the philosopher who, being highly educated and capable of dominating the discussion, devoted time to the thoughts and texts of others. “I have always been able to see myself and others in context, honestly evaluate and criticize. It is a unique skill in a somewhat self-centered philosophical world, which pursues eternal glory and the widespread diffusion of thought. Thanks to him, many books have appeared of philosophy and philosophical ethics in Lithuanian philosophy. Most importantly, these textbooks, as well as their philosophy, had broad literary, artistic and religious contexts, which helped to better understand why there is so much tension and power in one or another philosophical theory ”, pointed out P. Gritėnas.

He added that thanks to Baranova, Bulgakov’s teacher, and Margarita, a critic of Immanuel Kant’s Pure and Practical Mind, sat in the tenth grade, trying to understand how to draw metaphorical examples of evil in literature to rational and logically definitions. prepared from ethics. How to contextualize a philosophical question and discover it in reality. How to experience philosophical tension and how to extract from it at least one meaningful sentence in which to find comfort while reading. How to write a philosophical essay without succumbing to the temptation of banality or the fury of logorea. “Good places for you at the table of the chosen Philosophers”, P. Gritėnas wished at the end of the recording.