When someone is more popular than anyone else, it always invites a certain amount of suspicion. Who decides it, and on what basis? What has that person sacrificed in order to achieve their popularity? In Ákos Fodor's (1945-2015) case, there is no question that the fact that he is incredibly popular among Hungarian Facebook users - there are thousands of his quotes available on the platform - even though his 21 or so books received only a lukewarm reception, is not the most interesting thing about him. At the same time, it is certainly intriguing that he never used Facebook in any form or any way.
It simply didn't interest Fodor; he didn't think it was for him. What might the secret be for the ever-increasing wave of quotes from Fodor appearing on Facebook, a phenomenon that began in his lifetime and has continued ever since? Maybe it's because there is a huge amount of wisdom, love, humour, irony, philosophy and life experience summed up in his usually short-form poems (most are in haiku form), giving the reader the illusion that they are easily accessible. Yet if you linger over the apparently simple 'bon mots', if you allow yourself the empathy and understanding, the identification of thoughts and emotions, you will surely comprehend that behind each one lies essential and intricate levels of meaning. There is a great deal of personality contained in just a few seemingly impersonal words; the apparently simple surfaces are capable of opening up on to incredible profundities. Because Ákos Fodor withdrew himself from literary life, he never received the confidence or recognition that his work merited. He didn't write for recognition, but because he had to write. From honour, out of respect, as a calling. Someone who ponders 16 words for days on end - a privilege of only the most gifted - surely takes something very seriously. And that something is poetry.
The production's cooperating partner is the Hungarian National Theatre
Presented by: Müpa Budapest
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