Utak keresztje: A Half-Century of Poetic Pilgrimage /HardcoverUPC: 9789633469026MPN: 9789633469026Brand Name: Holnap KiadOverviewUtak keresztje (Crossroads) is a monumental collection of collected poems spanning nearly fifty years (1962-2009) by Benedek Kiss, published in 2010 by Holnap Kiad. This substantial 536-page hardcover volume represents a lifetime of poetic work, offering readers a comprehensive journey through half a century of Hungarian history, personal experience, and spiritual exploration. In his introduction, Kiss describes the collection as “prayers from fifty years of kneeling in a temple without carpets”a powerful metaphor for poetry created without comfort or pretense, on hard ground, in direct confrontation with reality and the divine. The poet carefully arranged this comprehensive edition, generally maintaining the original sequence of his published volumes while occasionally grouping poems thematically or by mood, revising verses, and sometimes omitting lines or stanzasalways, he emphasizes, from purely aesthetic considerations. This is not merely a retrospective but a thoughtfully curated presentation of a life’s work, poems that emerged from “no ordinary half-century” in Hungarian history. For readers seeking poetry of spiritual depth, historical witness, and unflinching honesty, this collection offers an essential encounter with a significant voice in contemporary Hungarian literature.Product FeaturesFormat: Hardcover book (kemny papr)Pages: 536 pagesLanguage: Hungarian (Magyar)Dimensions: 150mm x 225mm (5.9″ x 8.9″)ISBN: 9789633469026 / 978-9789633469026Publisher: Holnap KiadPublication Year: 2010Publication Location: Budapest, HungaryPoet: Kiss BenedekCoverage: Collected poems 1962-2009 (47 years)Genre: Contemporary Hungarian poetry, Spiritual poetry, Historical witness poetryOrganization: Chronological with thematic groupingsSpecial Features: Author-revised edition, Comprehensive life’s work, Personal introductionThemes: Spirituality, Hungarian history, prayer, suffering, honesty, pilgrimageStyle: Direct, unadorned, spiritually engaged, historically consciousInteresting FactsBenedek Kiss is a significant figure in contemporary Hungarian poetry, known for his deeply spiritual yet historically engaged voice. The title “Utak keresztje” (Crossroads) carries multiple meanings in Hungarianit refers both to the intersection of paths and to the crosses often found at crossroads in traditional Hungarian villages, places where travelers would stop to pray. This dual meaning perfectly captures the collection’s character: poetry written at the intersections of personal and historical experience, spiritual and material reality, past and present. The timespan covered1962 to 2009encompasses some of the most tumultuous periods in modern Hungarian history: the final decades of communist rule, the 1989 transition to democracy, and the challenges of post-communist society. Kiss’s description of his poems as “prayers from fifty years of kneeling in a temple without carpets” reveals his aesthetic and spiritual philosophy: this is poetry that rejects comfort, decoration, and easy consolation, instead embracing the hard reality of prayer on bare stone, the difficulty of faith maintained without cushioning. His acknowledgment that he revised poems and removed lines or stanzas “always from purely aesthetic considerations” demonstrates a commitment to artistic excellence over documentary completenessthis is not merely an archive but a living work, shaped and refined with the wisdom of accumulated years. The poet’s characterization of this half-century as “not just any half-century” resonates with Hungarian readers who lived through periods of oppression, revolution, and transformation. Kiss’s poetry bears witness to these times while maintaining a transcendent spiritual vision that looks beyond immediate historical circumstances to eternal questions. The massive 536-page scope makes this a definitive collection, allowing readers to trace the development of a poetic voice across nearly five decades, observing how themes recur, deepen, and transform. This is poetry of pilgrimagethe long journey of a soul moving through time, history, and spiritual terrain, recording its encounters, struggles, and moments of grace.Publisher InformationHolnap Kiadis a distinguished Hungarian publishing house based in Budapest, established in 1918. The publisher has long been committed to supporting significant voices in Hungarian poetry, particularly those who maintain spiritual and ethical integrity in challenging times. Publishing this comprehensive 536-page collected works demonstrates Holnap Kiad’s recognition of Benedek Kiss as a major figure in contemporary Hungarian poetry and their commitment to making substantial, career-spanning collections av