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Czech BooksJan Novák: the man who lived Miloš Forman
When Jan Novák describes himself as Miloš Forman’s autobiographer, he
is not entirely joking. He really did co-write the most famous
Czech-American film director’s memoirs, and Forman himself has spoken of
the book as “my life as lived by Jan Novák”. But Jan Novák is a great
deal more than a biographer. More
One on OneFreddie Botur – Retired NY tennis entrepreneur with deep Czech roots
Freddie Botur, who was born Vratislav Botur, fled Czechoslovakia in 1948,
shortly after taking part in a student march to Prague Castle aimed at
preventing the Communists from seizing power. The ambitious young émigré
eventually ended up in New York, where he became a successful developer and
owner of tennis clubs, including the well-known Tennisport on the banks of
the East River. More
Czech HistoryCzech-US relations: like a 20-year-old marriage without sex, envoys say
In this edition of Czech history, we look at the development of
Czech-American relations over the past two decades. Ever since the fall of
the Iron Curtain, they have been the pivot of Czech foreign policy. But
after the euphoria of the Velvet Revolution and the era of Washington’s
fascination with Václav Havel, these relations today are like a 20-year
old marriage with no sex – at least according to some current and former
diplomats who appeared in Friday’s debate hosted by the Foreign Ministry. More
Current AffairsNew documentary depicts actor Jiří Voskovec’s life in US
A new documentary that will premiere in Czech cinemas next week depicts the
lesser known part of the life of the Czech-born actor Jiří (or George)
Voskovec. In his homeland, he is best known as the co-founder and co-star
of Prague’s pre-war avant-garde theatre troupe, the Liberated Theatre.
Having spent the war in exile in New York, Jiří Voskovec again moved to
the US after the 1948 communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. The new film,
entitled My Father George Voskovec, follows his daughter Gigi retracing her
father’s life, from the difficult beginnings through his career on
Broadway and in Hollywood, to his passing away in 1981, at the age of 76.
Jan Richter saw the documentary and spoke to its director, Libuše
Rudinská. More
Current AffairsWoodrow Wilson statue returns to Prague after 70 years
On Wednesday October 5th, history came round full circle in Prague as a
bronze statue of US President Woodrow Wilson was unveiled outside the
city’s Main Railway Station. The original 3.5 metre tall monument by
Czech-American sculptor Albín Polášek was funded by Americans of Czech
and Slovak descent and erected on 4th July 1928. It was pulled down by the
Nazis 70 years ago and a restored copy has just been re-erected by the
non-profit organization The American Friends of the Czech Republic. More
Czech HistoryEgon Hostovský, "a European among the sprinklers"
For Czechs, the 20th century was a turbulent time. Independent
Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918 only to later fall victim to the two
great tyrannies of modern history – Nazism and communism. Many Czechs
fled their country during the 20th century so that they could live as free
people, and often simply to save their lives. Wednesday marks the 100th
anniversary of the birth of Egon Hostovský, one of the most distinctive
and significant modern-day Czech writers, who fled his country twice, first
to escape the Nazis, and later the Communists. More
One on OneEva Eislerová – Czech designer who reached top of jewellery world in NYC
The Czech artist and designer Eva Eislerová originally wanted to be an
architect. Instead, she became one of the most highly regarded makers of
art jewellery in the world, after emigrating to New York in the 1980s with
her half-Czech, half-English husband, John Eisler. Today Eva Eisler, as she
is known to her collectors, spends most of her time back home in Prague,
where she teaches at the metals department at the Academy of Arts,
Architecture and Design. More
Czech LifeMoving across the big pond – Czech programmer Jakub Vrána prepares for his new job at Facebook
At a conference in the US, the 33-year-old Czech programmer Jakub Vrána
made quite an impression on developers from the well-known social
networking site Facebook and became the first Czech to be hired by the
company. Now, he is preparing to move across the ocean and set up a new
life in California, near San Francisco, where Facebook's headquarters are
located. Ahead of his departure from the Czech Republic, he speaks about
what he is looking forward to and what he will miss, what the interviewing
process was like and which of his projects he thinks caught the Facebook
team’s attention. More
Czechs TodayA Czech corsair sets sail
A replica of a 17th century brig known as La Grace which belonged to the
first Czech naval captain, Augustine Heřman, set sail for the first time
earlier this month from Suez, Egypt. The wooden vessel, which captures all
the atmosphere and charm of the historic original, was the dream of a group
of Czech sailing enthusiasts. Built in an Egyptian shipyard, the new La
Grace remarkably took relatively little time to complete: just two years.
Now it will spend the winter on the Red Sea before moving on to other
destinations in the spring. More
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