Romanian-born writer Joana Geier immigrated to Germany with her daughter Andreea in late 2003. Over the past 20 years Joana has published poetry and prose, most of which has been translated into English for a more international readership to appreciate. Of her early works, The Abandoned Woman is notable. Said her fellow author Edilberto Gonzalez Trejos, of that collection of works; “I like the delicate power of these verses, it comes along with scents, images, all so vivid.”
Joana’s 2023 collection of English-translated poems, Her Last Way Out, delves deep into such subjects as how everyday observances can stir our underlying emotions. To paraphrase the forward written by yours truly, Joana inspires even the casual reader by reaching down into her soul and drawing out her true emotions. Her use of metaphors, sometimes sublime, are masterful.
Joana Geier also has a passion for painting. Some time ago, she opened an art gallery where several international artists exhibited their works. At the same time, she organized art exhibitions for German and Swedish painters in Baia, Mare, Hunedoara, and Madrid.Several writers and literary critics as well as the Institute of Romanian Literature in Madrid praised her writings. Here is an excerpt from a review written by the writer, literary critic, and aesthete Titu Popescu on one of the Joana’s novels:
“Great things are seen in their small traces, which awaken female tenderness and shudder at the thought of the memory. Aspects of the family environment are inventoried, noting that many of them “do not suit me”. With this perspective Joana Geier joins the ranks of educated female memoirists of exile, a literary genre that is generally cultivated by men and deals with ‘big’ and serious topics.”
CHRIS CHARLES: First off, congratulations on signing with a very prominent publishing house, Romeon-Verlag. I know you have several self-published books available online. What was it like working with a publishing company this time?
JOANA GEIER: Some of my books available on Amazon and Lulu are reprints; the respective titles appeared for the first time in publishing houses in Romania. Undoubtedly, self-publishing is beneficial because it keeps you trapped in the world of creation, excites you, and challenges you to exceed your limits. My first contracts received from important German publishing houses were, about 15 years ago, for “Das Sandkleid/Sand dress”- a book of poetry—but, for various reasons, I did not follow through with them. A new impetus to publish under the auspices of a German publishing house came last fall, when I completed my own translations of the two novels on integration themes and for various poetry collections. I am glad that I chose to work with the Romeon Publishing House, although I had several options. “Brutal Weiß,” the poetry book, entered a fast pace of work in the hands of professionals, and now it is enchanting the world. Thank you to these wonderful people who believe in my talent and help me make it known.
CHRIS: Some of you book covers feature your artwork. Is it difficult to select which painting you want featured on a particular book?
JOANA: My creations ….works of art? Chris, are you sure you didn’t leave a bar before you said that? Well, there are moments when my insides are too full of ideas, and I try to fill the void of seconds with colors. Then I casually choose what I consider suitable for the content of a certain book.
CHRIS: What inspires your poems the most?
JOANA: Life has so many facets and I am glad that I have intuition and can write about anything. My muse remains my husband, in an inexplicable sense, even to me. I think this was predestined for him.
CHRIS: So, are your characters usually based on actual people you know or have encountered?
JOANA: I am attentive to everything that surrounds me; everything that delights the universe either shakes it or makes it dust. My books are memoiristic, with real characters, where the monologue plays a big role. I allow myself to reproduce a paragraph from a review made by Titu Popescu, who’s a prose writer, literary critic and aesthetician from Munich:
“ Big things are seen in their small traces, which alert the feminine tenderness, shuddering at the very idea of remembrance. Aspects of the family environment are inventoried, noting that many of these “don’t suit me”. With this way of seeing things, Joana Geier enters the ranks of the literate memoirists of exile, a literary genre generally cultivated by men, who are concerned with major, serious themes.“
CHRIS: Was your original manuscript for Brutal White written in Romanian or German?
JOANA: In Romanian. I control my ideas best when I write. I experienced direct writing in German only with Haiku and “Fantum,” which is a form of fixed poetry invented by the contemporary Romanian author Ion Marcel Fandarac.
CHRIS: A major concern of mine when I assisted you with the final English translation of Her Last Way Out, was grasping and retaining the original metaphorical meanings within your poems. When you have your works translated into a different language, do you worry that some meanings may be “lost” in the translation?
JOANA: I prefer to translate my writings myself. If necessary, I shape a phrase until I get the desired meaning. It would be ideal for everything to turn out perfectly. This is what I strive for every day.
CHRIS: Do you sometimes go back to visit Romania?
JOANA: Always, with thought. In reality, less often, because I can’t find myself there anymore. My home has been here, in Germany, for over 20 years.
CHRIS: Your daughter Andreea also has a passion for the arts, as we both know, that she began developing from a very young age. In addition to acting and producing her own films, she too writes poetry and paints. No less, she also produces and directs her own annual international film festival in Germany. Would you say you strongly encouraged her to express herself artistically as she was growing up or it just came naturally to her as if it were sort of inherited from you?
JOANA: She’s my daughter ❤️.
CHRIS: Well, that says it all. So, where was your last art exhibit?
JOANA: In Madrid, an exhibition was organized by my former art gallery for the German painter Siegfried Stiller. His works have depth; they have strength. I don’t know where they are left. He looks down from above, among the stars.
CHRIS: Now that you have lived in Germany for over 20 years, do you feel it’s harder for domestic artists there to get recognition for their works than it is for foreign artists?
JOANA: The world is full of paradoxes, and this is also felt in art. Let’s conclude optimistically. Let’s imagine a better world. After all, we all deserve this. Thank you for the interview Chris.
In Romania: Joana in her high school days and as a young adult.
Joana’s 2023 self-published collection, Her Last Way Out and her latest, Brutal Weiß, feature images of Joana’s paintings on the covers.
Joana Geier’s volume of poetic works, Brutal White (Brutal Weiß), was recently released by Romeon-Verlag Publishers and is available at Amazon and Thalia.
As previously mentioned, Joana’s daughter Andreea Boyer is an actress, artist, producer, and author in her own right. She founded, produces and directs the annual Mabig Film Festival, with administrative assistance by myself, and has founded and developed her own eponymous clothing and accessory brand. To know more about Mabig Film Festival, visit the page at Mabig Movies.
– Chris Charles
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
Be the first to comment