Memory is a Form of Justice

"When justice does not succeed in being a form of memory, memory itself can be a form of justice," says Romanian poet Ana Blandiana. Just published by iUniverse, My Second University is written in memory of all of the forgotten victims of Romania's Communist prisons, who never had the chance to tell their stories.

"My Second University is a welcomed addition to the American publishing landscape for two reasons," explains former Romanian State Chancellor Floricel Marinescu: First, the Western world knows little about this somber chapter in Romania's history; and second, it adds another voice to a relative few. Vladimir Tismăneanu, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, describes My Second University as "an utterly impressive prison memoir," and "a most necessary and valuable contribution to our understanding of the survival of human dignity under conditions of abysmal pressure." "My Second University," notes a Times Mail review, "will take readers back to another place in time, in another country, seeing life through the eyes of a courageous man and others who chose to suffer rather than give up their freedom… . It is a piece of history necessary to consume, necessary to remember." "My Second University," concludes Keith Hitchins, professor of history at the University of Illinois, "has an important place in the prison literature published since 1989."

Following the Communist takeover of Romania in 1945, author Stanciu Stroia refused to join the party, suffering professional humiliation and political persecution. He was arrested in 1951 and sentenced to seven years in prison; his estate was nationalized, his family exiled, and his practice confiscated. Ill with scurvy, he survived the prison ordeal and wrote his memoir, despite the risk of being detained again.

Stanciu Stroia, M.D. (1904-1987), was president of his medical school class, a pioneer in internal medicine, and a hospital director. He wrote his prison memoir between 1979 and 1986. Dan L. Dusleag, M.D. is the author's grandson and a history enthusiast. He is a board-certified pediatrician and a clinical assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

With 36 pages of original photographs, documents and maps, and one thousand never-before-published names of political detainees, My Second University (ISBN #0-595-34639-1) was awarded the “Editor’s Choice” by its publisher. My Second University can be ordered from iUniverse.com, as well as over 25,000 booksellers worldwide. For more information or requests for interviews and speaking engagements, please contact Dan L. Dusleag at (812) 279-3567 or (812) 323-7283.

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