Language/Literature paper by Szentkirályi, Endre
The Novels of István Eszterhás: Hungarian, American, and Global?
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
His son Joe became a famous Hollywood screenwriter, but less is known about István Eszterhás, a prolific writer who lived in Cleveland and edited a famous Hungarian-American newspaper. Leaving his homeland because of the Second World War, he arrived in Cleveland in 1950 and wrote realistic fiction, at least 13 novels as well as a memoir and some poetry, up until 1998. He had an uncanny sense of the ideological language of Cold War Hungary, coupled with insightful observations about diaspora communities. His works deal with themes of language, identity and emigration, as well as politics and religion, and they do so with empathy, mostly historical accuracy, and a deep respect for the human condition, hallmarks of great literature. Novels addressed will include A bíboros és a rendőr [the Cardinal and the Cop], his novel about Mindszenty, and A hézag [the Rift], his novel about Hungarian-American language, a really funny yet thought-provoking story with loads of ideological baggage and multiple levels of irony. Although not in the Hungarian literary canon, István Eszterhás should be, and this paper will explain why.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Endre Szentkiralyi studied English and German at Cleveland State University, earned an MA in English at the University of Akron, and earned a PhD at the University of Debrecen. He has edited several books of oral histories, and worked on the 56Films documentaries Inkubátor and Megmaradni. His books include Cold War to Warm Cooperation: the Military Service of Cleveland Hungarians 1950-2014 (Zrínyi Publishing); his latest (Being Hungarian in Cleveland: Maintaining Language, Culture, and Traditions) is now being published by Helena History Press. He currently teaches English and German at Nordonia High School near Cleveland, Ohio.