by Rafaela Prifti/
Vatra is hosting the promotion of Arjeta Ferlushkaj’s book “The Old Bridge”.
The Albanian-American Writers Society and Albanian-American Dual Language & Culture are co-hosts of the event. Today’s book promotion by three organizations may be seen as a physical representation of her comprehensive interests in the field of literary studies, language preservation and cultivation which are critical elements of nurturing our identity as Albanians in a multi ethnic society.
In the forward of “The Old Bridge”, Assistant Professor Dr. Arben Prendi, asserts that Ferlushkaj’s first book presented her to the public and to the community of writers on Albanian literature as “a promising” critic. He affirms that in her second book, “the author continues to cultivate the specific purpose” to make value judgments and interpretations on a work of literature by following strict scientific methodologies and textual analysis criteria. (Note: These quotations are translated from Albanian by me.) Her thesis and cultivated area of expertise center on specific notions and concepts of Postmodernism studies.
Old Bridge is “built’ (pardon the pun) as a collection of previously published writings, book reviews, studies, and presentations spanning from 2007 through 2020., with one exception, namely her paper on Dielli Structural Evolution presented at the event honoring 110 anniversary of the newspaper on April 6, 2019. It is worth reminding those who were present at the event or those reading her presentation published in the book that Arjeta Ferlushkaj raised an important question: WHO WILL SAVE DIELLI’S PAST?, to increase awareness and intensify efforts to preserve its archives through classification and digitization.
Indeed the theme of connectivity is present in “The Old Bridge”. In the Preface, the author shares with the reader her intentions of assembling the content of the book with the hope of enticing the reader’s curiosity and appetite for specialized topics of literary studies. The book is constructed in four parts. The biographical and background data of the reviewed authors and figures is included in a 40 page chapter named Profiles. The book is printed by Codex Books in New York, in November 2020.
About the Author: Arjeta Ferlushkaj was born in Shkoder in 1983. She earned her graduate degree in Language and Literature from Luigj Gurakuqi Shkoder University, before pursuing a Master Degree in Literary Studies. From 2006 to 2016 Ferlushkaj worked at the Science Library of Shkoder University. She is enrolled in the Doctorate Program of the Academy of Albanological studies. Over the years, she has penned numerous articles, analysis, critical and book reviews in publications in and out of Albania. Her first book Post modernity Mirrors was published in 2012 in Tirana. The bulk of her postgraduate studies has focused on contemporary fiction written in prose with particular attention to the artistic properties of the text.
Her research work encompasses a range of interests that pertain to journalism, education and teaching methodologies but mostly specific properties of the prose and textual analysis. The Head of the Society of Albanian American Writers, Din Mehmeti, observes that the main feature of Ferlushkaj’s critique is her adherence to the school of literary criticism that is more intent on elevating the properties of the text rather than the name of the writer. A tendency that has had a negative impact on the arts and particularly literature, notes Mehmeti. (Note: These quotations are translated from Albanian by me.)
Beginning in Albania and later on, with her moving to the US, where Ferlushkaj continues to pursue her doctorate program, she stands by her views on delivering an unadulterated literary criticism of the works that she studies.
Today’s book promotion by three organizations may be seen as a physical representation of her comprehensive interests in the field of literary studies, language preservation and cultivation which are critical elements of nurturing our identity as Albanians in a multi ethnic society. Arjeta Ferlushkaj is a member of the Board of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra. She has been recognized by Vatra officials and Dielli Editor for contributing to the efforts of filing and categorizing the archives of Vatra. Arjeta Ferlushkaj has joined the Society of the Albanian American Writers and Albanian-American Dual Language & Culture that co-host the event.
“The Old Bridge” is intended as a tribute, writes Arjeta Ferlushkaj in the Preface, to the predecessors who came before us and also as a message to the next generation. She indicates that she is placing the “first stone” in order to keep that precious and remarkable connection strong.