Dear Colleagues,

I think your review of the recent scholarly gathering in Edmonton reflects very well the ideas and the atmosphere of the conference. I would object only to the fact that (just once) you have misspelled my name. But not vehemently.

I appreciate that your article underscores the constructed character of these "myths" and points to their connection to hegemonic discourses within society. I would argue even more radically that the narratives that refer directly to Central Europe (to its essential, internal, trans-national bondages) have totally lost their popular character. They bear the trademark of, and almost exclusively address, cultural elites and sometimes local or marginal political ambitions. This is probably why these narratives have almost nothing to oppose (other than an antiquarian historical discourse) to Western and global narratives that shape and integrate the imaginary of the Eastern and Central European national communities, which operate with the more effective tools of popular culture and mass consumption. The discourse on Central Europe might become more appealing if used in the context of anti-globalization. In Eastern and Central Europe, however, the time for an enlightened protest against the hegemony of the West has not come, yet.

Congrats once again!

Constantin Parvulescu
Department of German
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis