Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan facts for kids
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Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan
Isabella Sadoveanu, Izabela Morțun, Izabela Sadoveanu-Andrei |
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| Born | February 24, 1870 probably in Săucești, Bacău County, Romania |
| Died | August 6, 1941 (aged 71) |
| Pen name | I.Z.S.D., Iz. Sd. |
| Occupation | literary critic, journalist, poet, schoolteacher, educationist, activist |
| Period | 1890–1939 |
| Genre | essay, lyric poetry |
| Literary movement | Poporanism, Impressionism, Viața Românească |
Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan (born Izabela Morțun, February 24, 1870 – August 6, 1941) was an important Romanian writer, teacher, and activist. She was known for her work as a literary critic, journalist, and poet.
Izabela was also a strong supporter of women's rights, often called a feminist. She believed in social fairness and spent her life working for left-wing causes. She was a key figure in a cultural movement called Poporanism, which focused on Romanian traditions and the lives of ordinary people.
She wrote for Viața Românească magazine, where she tried to mix national pride with modern art ideas. As a critic, she helped people understand Symbolism, a new art style at the time. She also wrote about new trends in English literature.
Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan represented Romanian women at international meetings for women's rights. She believed in making changes step-by-step for women to get the right to vote. She also worked to improve education, supporting new teaching methods like the Montessori method. Later in her life, she spoke out against fascism, a political movement that threatened freedom.
She was related to several important families in Romania. Her cousin was the socialist politician Vasile Morțun, and she was the sister-in-law of the famous writer Mihail Sadoveanu.
Contents
About Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan
Her Early Life and Family
Izabela Morțun was born in the Moldavia region of Romania, likely in Săucești, Bacău County. Her parents were Gheorghe Grigore and Eleonora Morțun. She was adopted by the Andrei family when she was young.
Izabela had a half-sister named Adela. She later described Adela as one of the most beautiful women in Moldavia.
School Days and Early Interests
Izabela went to primary school in Bacău city. Then, she attended a French-language boarding school in Iași. There, she became friends with Constanța Marino-Moscu, who also became a writer.
During these years, Izabela became interested in socialism, a political idea about social equality. She joined a left-wing cultural group and read many books. She became close friends with Sofia Nădejde, another writer and activist. Izabela also met famous writers like Ion Creangă.
Her first poems were published in 1890 in Școala Nouă magazine. At that time, she was a substitute teacher in Bacău.
Moving to Bucharest and University
Soon after, Izabela moved to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. She continued her socialist activities. She met important Romanian writers like Ion Luca Caragiale and Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea.
She studied at the University of Bucharest in the Faculty of Philosophy. In 1898, she married Alexandru Sadoveanu, who was the older brother of the writer Mihail Sadoveanu.
Becoming a Teacher and Writer
Izabela became a qualified schoolteacher. She taught in Brăila and then in Focșani. Eventually, she moved to Bucharest and worked at the Școala Centrală de Fete (Central School for Girls).
Over the next ten years, Izabela joined the Viața Românească magazine. This magazine was a main voice for Poporanism, a movement that combined left-wing ideas with Romanian national identity. She became a student of Garabet Ibrăileanu, the magazine's editor.
Her First Book: Impresii literare
In 1908, Izabela Sadoveanu published her first book of essays, Impresii literare ("Literary Impressions"). This book got a lot of attention from critics.
In her book, she wrote about the importance of literature teaching good morals. She believed writers should help people, especially those who were less fortunate. She also emphasized the importance of the "Romanian spirit" in art.
Understanding Symbolism in Art
Izabela Sadoveanu was one of the first Romanian writers to discuss Symbolism. This was a new and modern art movement. She believed it was an important new style of writing and art.
She thought Symbolism could bring new ideas to poetry. She wrote about French Symbolist poets like Arthur Rimbaud and how their ideas influenced Romanian writers.
Izabela believed that good critics needed to be very educated. She also thought it was important for different cultures to translate each other's works to share ideas.
Further Studies and Women's Rights Work
In 1909, Izabela Sadoveanu was one of the few women invited to help create the Romanian Writers' Society. She also translated books from Italian into Romanian.
Studying in Geneva and Education Reform
Starting in 1912, Izabela studied in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Rousseau Institute. She was one of the first students to graduate from there.
When she returned, she became a headmistress at a school in Iași and later in Bucharest. She was a strong supporter of the Montessori method, which focuses on child-centered learning. She even created her own school for early childhood education. She also worked with historian Nicolae Iorga on a summer school program.
She wrote several books about education, including Educația estetică și artistică din ultimele două decenii ("Aesthetic and Artistic Education in the Last Two Decades") and Educația nouă. Îndrumări pentru părinți și educatori ("The New Education. Advice for Parents and Educators").
Beginning Her Feminist Activism
Izabela Sadoveanu started her work for women's rights by joining the Sprijinul ("Support") Association in Bucharest. This group helped women who worked for a living.
She also helped found the Româncele Cercetașe Association, which was an early part of Romanian Scouting.
Leading Women's Rights Groups
In 1918, after World War I, Izabela helped create the Association for the Civil and Political Emancipation of Romanian Women (AECPFR). This group brought together many women's rights organizations to fight for women's right to vote.
She became a representative for Romanian women at international meetings, like those held by the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship (IAWSEC).
Connecting with Transylvanian Feminists
After Transylvania joined Romania, Izabela connected with women's rights groups there. In 1920, she was elected to the leadership of the Transylvanian-based Romanian Women's Union (UFR). She helped lead the group as a Vice President.
She also taught the Montessori method in Cluj in 1919. Her journalism work grew, and she wrote for Lamura literary review.
In 1925, Izabela spoke at the UFR's congress in Timișoara. She reported on the meeting in Iorga's newspaper. The congress aimed to change the Romanian Constitution to give women equal rights.
She also joined the Romanian Women Writers' Society, which supported female authors. She became a Vice President of this society and another academic society for women.
Later Work and Anti-Fascism
By 1927, Izabela Sadoveanu became involved in discussions about eugenics and feminism. She believed feminism should empower women as homemakers and caregivers, alongside their political rights.
Radio and New Publications
Her interest in early childhood education led her to radio. In 1929, she created and hosted one of Radio România's first shows for children, Ora Copiilor ("Children's Hour").
She also wrote a preface for a book called Femeia în epoca nouă a omenirii ("Woman in the New Era of Mankind"). Her book on Romanian education policies, Educația nouă ("The New Education"), was published in 1930.
Journalism and English Literature
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Izabela wrote for left-wing newspapers like Adevărul and Dimineața. She had a column called Pagina femeii ("The Woman's Page"). She also wrote a series of articles called Profiluri feminine ("Feminine Profiles").
She interviewed writer Sylvia Stevenson about English literature and wrote essays on English authors. She also wrote about her mentor, Garabet Ibrăileanu, and other friends from her early socialist days.
Fighting Against Fascism
As fascist movements grew in Europe, Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan combined her women's rights work with anti-fascism. She joined Frontul Feminin (Feminine Front), a group that defended women's rights against far-right threats. This group believed in women's right to work.
In 1937, Adevărul newspaper started a special column called Femeile între ele ("Women amongst Themselves"). Izabela contributed to this column, along with other women writers. She wrote about the suffragette movement (women's right to vote) and promoted self-help ideas.
In 1938, she retired from teaching. She focused on her editorial work until the Adevărul newspapers were banned by King Carol II's government. In 1939, she published a short history of Romanian women's organizations.
Legacy and Recognition
Izabela Sadoveanu was seen as a very smart and intellectual woman in Romanian literature. She is even mentioned as a character in a novel from the 1930s.
Her work and life have been studied and written about. A book about her was published in 1970. Her own memoirs were included in an anthology in 1980. In 2000, two volumes of her essays were republished, showing her "daring critical spirit" and "unwavering virtues as a researcher."
Today, some literary historians believe that Izabela Sadoveanu is "unfairly ignored." Her contributions to literature, education, and women's rights were very important.
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Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan
