Kazys Binkis

Kazys Binkis (1893 - 1942) - Lithuanian poet, journalist, and playwright. He used the pseudonyms K.Alijošius, K. Papilietis, Kazys, Kazys Roviejietis, Nedarbininkas, Neklaipėdietis, Nelatvis, Nepartyvis, Ras Desta, Riza Chanas and others.

Biography

Kazys Binkis was born on November 4, 1893 in the village of Gudeliai in the district of Biržai. He attended the primary school at Papilys (finished it in 1908), studied at the "Saulė" (The Sun) courses for teachers and at Biržai progymnasium. In 1910 he entered school of agriculture in Voronec (near Švenčionys), but for the lack of funds moved to Vilnius in 1913 and began to prepare himself privately for maturity examinations. Since 1909 K.Binkis began to publish scenes in prose and verses in "Viltis" (The Hope), "Vaivorykštė" (The Rainbow), and "Pirmasis baras" (The First Field). In 1915 he graduated from the teachers' courses of the Lithuanian Committee in Vilnius and became a teacher at Papilys. In 1918 Binkis was elected a chairman of the Biržai District Council. In 1919 he was appointed a secretary of editorial board of the journal "Liepsna" (The Flame) in Vilnius. In the same year he moved to Kaunas. There he worked at the press bureau, volunteered to the "Geležinis Vilkas" (The Iron Wolf) regiment and participated in concerts. In 1920-1923 he studied, with interruptions, literature and philosophy at Berlin University. At the same time he took part in the literary movement "Keturi vėjai" (The Four Winds), being the leader of the budding Lithuanian futurism (1922-1928). [ [http://anthology.lms.lt/texts/43/autor.html LMS IC: Classic Lithuanian Literature Anthology: Kazys Binkis (about the author) ] at anthology.lms.lt]

He made his living from the literary work. In 1922, together with other authors, he published an almanac "The Prophet of the Four Winds"; in 1924 he organized a journal "Keturi vėjai". He arranged the anthologies of Lithuanian folk poetry and songs. He also worked at the Society of Lithuanian Writers, for some years was a member of its board, participated in the edition of "Literatūros naujienos" (The News of Literature) and worked as a journalist. [ [http://anthology.lms.lt/texts/43/autor.html LMS IC: Classic Lithuanian Literature Anthology: Kazys Binkis (about the author) ] at anthology.lms.lt]

During the Nazi occupation he was hiding Jews in his home. In Israel, at Yad Vashem museum alley of the Righteous Among the Nations there is a tree planted commemorating Sofia and Kazys Binkis (Number 660)

Binkis died on April 27 1942 in Kaunas', and is buried at Petrašiūnai Cemetery.

Literary works

The heritage of Binkis's works is not large, but in all fields he achieved significant results. He wrote humorous and satirical poems, rhymed feuilletons, and published poetry books for children. [ [http://anthology.lms.lt/texts/43/autor.html LMS IC: Classic Lithuanian Literature Anthology: Kazys Binkis (about the author) ] at anthology.lms.lt]

In 1920 his first collection of poems "Eilėraščiai" (The Poems) was published. This collection of lyrical poems is one of the best works of Lithuanian poetry of this time. During the studies in Berlin Binkis was influenced by modernist poetry and he created modernist "Keturi vėjai" literary movement. "Keturi vėjai" did not leave great literary works but broke the rutine, brought new literary forms, and this way made big impact on Lithuanian poetry. In 1923 (second edition in 1926) he published his second, futurist, collection of poems "100 pavasarių" (One Hundred Springs). He created "Keturi vėjai" and he left it one of the first. From 1927 to 1931 Binkis published humorous poems in various periodicals, some of them were published as separate books. "Tamošius Bekepuris ir kitos Alijošiaus dainuškos" was published in 1928, "Kriaučius Motiejus" (Tailor Motiejus) was published in 1947. [ [http://www.tekstai.lt/tekstai/4vejai/apie/binkis.htm Ostrauskas, Kostas. "Žodžiai ir žmonės: Straipsniai, atsiminimai, laiškai." – Vilnius: Vaga 1997.] ]

He debuted as a play writer in 1938 with a piece "Atžalynas" (The Undergrowth). Encouraged by the success of his debut, he started writing a new play "Generalinė repeticija" (General Repetition) which he did not complete. "Generalinė repeticija" has bigger ambitions, different form, and composition. "Generalinė repeticija" was first time staged abroad, in Hanau camp in 1948, and first time published in 1958 in "Pergalė" journal. In Lithuania it was first time staged in 1959 (Ostrauskas:1997).

References

External sources

[http://www.efn.org/~valdas/binkis.html Poems by Kazys Binkis]