Born in Romania, Mirela Roznoveanu was a recognized literary critic at 24. She has published volumes of essays, literary criticism, poetry, and novels. She has been known as a noted dissident writer and journalist involved in the 1989 Revolution in Romania. In 1991, she came to the U.S. where she continued to be prolific in her writings. She was a tenured faculty of the  NYU School of Law (Associate Curator 1996–2013). From 2005-2015 she was the Founder and the Editor of Globalex as Adjunct Associate Curator with the NYU Hauser Global Law School Program and its Honorary Editor (2015-). In December 2000, Mirela Roznoveanu was honored by outgoing President of Romania Emil Constantinescu, for exceptional contributions from abroad in the service of Romanian culture and democracy. Mirela has been named an Officer of the National Order of Faithful Service.

References: Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in American Law; Who’s Who of  American Women; Who’s Who in the World; The 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. Romanian Americans (see p. 16 Notable Individuals). https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wp.nyu.edu/dist/5/1928/files/2023/05/GaleRomanian_americans2015.pdf

Recent contributions: https://wp.nyu.edu/mroznoveanu/2015/10/21/videos-interviews-speeches/
Interviews for RTVNY: https://wp.nyu.edu/mroznoveanu/2015/10/21/videos-interviews-speeches/ More at the RTVNY channel and on the Internet Archives: https://archive.org/details/@vlachica

Epic Stories presents the writer’s epic ego engaged in the journey across the ocean as it transforms into an act of self-construction instead of a “suicide mission,” as it was initially intended. The book gathers Mirela Roznoveanu’s literary voices for the first time, from poetry and literary criticism to journalism, fiction, and travel writing. In her early seventies, an immigrant little known to the American public while an established writer in Romania, she introduces her autobiographical fiction about a life in constant search for new ways of artistic expression, aesthetic values, and social justice. Watch the book video presentation (RTVNY).
Interviewed by Bianca Schulze — A Magic Journey to Things Past

This novel set in New York and Bucharest provides a fascinating account of Angela, running from communist Romania to US right at the cusp of early 1990s. Leaving a revolution and a not yet post-communist country, Angela gets to live inside an intricate web of political power and secret police practices, in a fascinating story of life, survival and dramatic changes whether personal or social. The novel reads beautifully, at sharp and dynamic pace, moving the story along in a high-quality thriller format. A must read! Noemi Marin

Mirela Roznoveanu’s Life On the Run is both a haunting novel and an essential historical and human document. As a novel, it captures the visceral experience of immigration and exile like no other book, fiction or nonfiction. It is fascinating to read that to lose one’s mother tongue is to suffer the amputation of a vital organ, and that adapting to a strange culture changes the entire body. Using a light touch of magical realism, Roznoveanu vividly evokes the ancient Romanian culture she comes from — rich with magic, portent, and enigma — and its poisoning by Communism. She also gives us a fresh view of the dynamic, jarring culture of America, which both attracts and punishes the protagonist, infusing her body with a strange energy. As a document, this novel incorporates the author’s journals from the period immediately following Romania’s 1989 “revolution” — better termed an internecine coup d’état. — By preserving and publishing this record, Roznoveanu has saved from oblivion the struggle of democratic activists, artists, and journalists whose hopes for a free Romania surged with Ceausescu’s fall but were brutally crushed. Life on the Run was suppressed in Romania, and little is known in the West of this critical period in which ruling Communists changed their skin without ever releasing their grip on power. Scholarly studies might reach few, but this novel/memoir brings that human tragedy to life. Roznoveanu lived it, and still lives its consequences — as, unknowingly, do we all. Annie Gottlieb

William James Austin: “Mirela Roznoveanu’s poetry is “innovative” where it counts, I think — the imagery is really stunning. I can’t imagine anyone with any sensitivity reading her work, and not experiencing a strong emotional response.” Elizabeth Gamble Miller: “What I find fascinating are the startling images gleaned from such a breadth of human experience. The poetry is of such depth and complexity while not in the least hermetic. It is as if the image is the precise one to stir the conflicting emotions that permeate the poems. Mirela Roznoveanu’s world travels and breadth of literary experience carry a resonance that inspires further exploration into the poetic line. Without actually reading the Romanian I find the reading of her poetry and of Heathrow O’Hare’s translations as seamless. This is quite a remarkable accomplishment.”

Interview difuzat duminica 11 aprilie, 2010 la Romania Radio Actualitati, ora 21:30,  realizator dna Pusa Roth

Presentation in English and Romanian

Commentaries about Civilizatia romanului, 2008:
Paul Cornea, 2009
Marcel Cornis-Pope, 2009

Prefata/Preface vol.2, 1991 https://wp.nyu.edu/mroznoveanu/2023/02/09/civilizatia-romanului-prefata-la-vol-2-1991/

Full text Civilizatia romanului https://archive.org/details/civilizatia-romanului-2008-full-text
–Serban Axinte interview pentru revista Cuvantul (Ro); O istorie a romanului de la Ramayana la Don Quijote de Serban Axinte(Ro) https://www.observatorcultural.ro/articol/o-istorie-a-romanului-de-la-ramayana-la-don-quijote-2/; https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=38066  ;
–O sinteza majora de Paul Cernat (Ro) https://www.ziaruldevrancea.ro/jurnalism-cetatenesc/19981-civilizatia-romanului.html#!;
–Mihaela Ursa: Romanul – „a message in a bottle” https://metacritic.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/romanul-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9Ea-message-in-a-bottle%E2%80%9D/ ;
–Mihaela Ursa: Noul materialism estetic?”
–Vladimir Tismaneanu despre Civilizatia Romanului 01.05.08 07:32:45 “Civilizatia romanului pe care mi-ai daruit-o acum aproape doua decenii, in acel tulbure an 1991, anul atitor deceptii si disperari, este o lucrare fundamentala, erudita si temerara, o propunere de regandire a destinului nu doar al unei forme estetice (chiar una suprema), ci si a conexiunilor indispensabile, despre care a scris Monica Lovinescu, dintre etic si estetic. Intr-o lume in care vacuitatea morala a facut si face ravagii, in care triumfa impostura si sint bagatelizate adevaratele contributii, ceea ce ai facut si faci tu prin scrierile tale merita sustinut si pretuit.”
https://web.archive.org/web/20090122103438/http:/vetiver.weblog.ro/2008-05-01/357611/Vladimir-Tismaneanu-despre-Civilizatia-Romanului.html

 —Vladimir Wertsman about The Civilization of the Novel The Civilization of the Novel: A History of Fiction Writing from Ramayana to Don Quixote. Bucharest: Editura Cartex (Cartex Publishing House) 2008, 694 pp.ISBN 978-973-88670-79. The study analyzes epic architectures (called in our civilization as novels) developed by various civilizations over the last five millennia. The focus is on the novel-like aesthetic works overlooked in western exegeses and on those which have never been developed or experimented within western culture. The essays expose different sets of values, a new kind of theoretical and critical discourse accommodating epic architectures developed in practically all civilizations and cultural periods: Vedic, Sumerian, Persian, ancient Egyptian, old Hebrews, classical Greek and Roman, down to European during Middle Ages, and further on to the early modernity of the Renaissance. The  Civilization of the Novel is a piece of solid scholarship, based on a wealth of excellent bibliographic sources (mostly in English, but also in French, Spanish, Italian, German), accompanied by over 1,000 footnotes, extensive index, and abstracts in English, French, and German. The study is a valuable addition to the study of comparative literature around the world. The book received the 2008 Award of the Romanian Society of Comparative Literature and the 2008 Romanian Academy Award. The Romanian born author is a novelist, literary critic, poet, and faculty member of the New York University School of Law. Vladimir F. Wertsman, the Chair of the Publishing and Multicultural Materials Committee of the Ethnic Materials and Information Exchange Round Table of the American Library Association. (2008)

 “The most profound Buddhist scriptures were translated from Sanskrit to Chinese without any bias from the translator and it also involved understanding cross cultural communications.  I disagree that using Romanian as a base language is a disadvantage.  It is vital for a reader to understand that it took a person with a Romanian culture with the right ingredients to grasp the deep meaning of novels transmitted for 10,000 years of human civilization.” Ted Tumbale

Presentation; Interview; Youtube videoclip  http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0111908017/Old-Romanian-Fairytales.aspx http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/tag/mirela-roznoveanu Amazon.com  Barnes&Noble  Booksamillion.com  iUniverse   Alibris 
Romanian Fairy Tales Lecture Evening

May 3^rd, 2012 –Dear Mirela, I have just read your stories and gaily danced with a limping rabbit, as you say. In the first place, the fact that you have accomplished this project in the honor of your granddaughter, it seems to me noble and priceless. I think that you have rebuilt the atmosphere of our Romanian fairy tales, and this is the most important. It may be that the text that you’ve sent to me has to be one before the finishing of the translation (I refer to some Romanian words left in the text such as Pasarea Maiastră, zine, etc); in my opinion Falamanzila or Setila are stronger than Eat-All or Drink-All , but what can I say, I have not ventured yet into translations of this kind. Impressed me how you have found a word for cumpana, and for others. I think that the translation is a full success and I want to congratulate you. You know of course that Eugenia Useriu also published in the 1980s a book of Romanian fairy tales translated into English.  You must have seen it. None of the fairy tales from her book is included in yours. It would be worth to look at it, if you could find it somewhere. The American children would enjoy enormous to have a book full of heroes such as Praslea or Ileana Cosanzeana. Congratulations, Constantin Eretescu
Draga Mirela, Ti-am citit povestile and gaily danced with a limping rabbit, cum spui tu. In primul rand, faptul de a fi pornit proiectul in cinstea nepoatei tale, mi se pare nobil si greu de echivalat. Eu cred ca ai reconstruit atmosfera povestilor noastre, ceea ce e cel ami important. S-ar putea ca textul pe care mi l-ai trimis sa fie unul de lucru, inainte de finalizare (ma refer la prezenta in text a unor cuvinte romanesti ca Pasarea Maiastră, Zane); dupa parerea mea Falamanzila sau Setila sunt mai puternice decat Eat-All sau Drink-All, dar ce sa spun, nu m-am aventurat vreodata sa fac traduceri de acest fel. M-a impresionat apoi cum ai gasit tu un cuvant pentru cumpana, pentru altele. Eu cred ca traducerea e o reusita deplina si vreau sa te felicit. Stii desigur ca Eugenia Useriu a publicat si ea prin 1980 o carte de povesti romanesti in versiune englezeasca. Probabil ca ai vazut-o. Nici una dintre ele nu e reluata de tine. Eu n-am citit volumul, dar ar merita sa te uiti la el, daca s-o mai gasi pe undeva. Copiii de aici s-ar bucura enorm sa aiba o carte plina cu eroi ca Praslea sau Ileana Cosanzeana. Felicitari, drag, Coca