Stephen Bettes

* Rimaszombat, 15 Aug. 1954 / poet ; ; He was raised in the village of Zádor, with his grandparents, until he was fifteen. He graduated from a chemical technical school in Po., and in 1981 he obtained an archivist’s degree from the Comenius University BTK. After that, he first taught in his hometown, then made a living from manual labor. Between 1984 and 1989, he was the news editor of the Hungarian broadcast of the Czechoslovak Radio. In 1990, he was the archivist of Csemadok. He is currently a freelance writer. In 1991, he received the Madách Prize. ; – He began publishing in the second half of the seventies. He is very talented in translating the conceptual possibilities inherent in linguistic and rhythmic games into lyrics. The powerful intellectualism of his grotesque poems was quickly noticed by critics. B.'s humor is bitter, philosophical humor, behind his playfulness and bohemianism, one can feel the "sad" joy of the clown. In his new poems: ; ; Lírai vészjel (1999), as well as in his cycle of poems Szép týndöklő csillag 1–3. (1999–2000), which recounts biblical stories, his extravagant, playful verbalism is tamed or even pushed into the background. ; ; Works: The Sacrifice of Clowns, v., 1981, Between Two Somersaults, v., 1985, During the Time of the Singing of the Singing, v., 1990, What Do I Know?, v., 1993, Hun Ball, gyv., 1996. Zodiacs, v., 2000, In the Wood in the Wood, v., 2002, Tio-tio-tio tinx (Voices of the Bird Country), gyv., 2004, Mr. Bettes, 50 Years 50 Verses, v., 2004. ; ; Literature: Gábor Csanda: Spider Legs – Without a Spider, ISZ 1991/1, Béla Hajtman: Games for Adults, Nap 1991. March 8., Zsigmond Zalabai: Poetry History, Criticism History II. = Z. Zs.: Poetic History, 1995, István Z. Németh: There is no danger, only a warning sign, Szőrös Kő 1999/2, Zoltán Szeberényi: Hungarian Literature in Slovakia II., Po. 2001. ;

G. L.