Réchneek: A Dialectical Dictionary of Aegean Macedonian Specific to Pátele, Greece
Zine, Depka Bursey with Tara Bursey, tarabursey.com
Depka Bursey, in collaboration with her daughter, Tara Bursey, has created a record of a Macedonian dialect in dictionary form. The language, as it was spoken in the first half of the twentieth century, contains many dialects and was traditionally passed down orally from generation to generation even as it was suppressed by Greece’s repressive, anti-communist regime. If reading a zine in the form of a dictionary seems dull, it is not. That’s just the first half of Réchneek. In the second portion there is a transcript of an interview between Tara and her mother. The discussion covers Greek political unrest, the military coup, language policy, food shortages, immigration to Canada, and perhaps most importantly, the personal connection to the Macedonian language. Apart from the political history you also get a compelling glimpse into a family history which, as someone whose grandparents fled a different kind of repression in Poland, I found really affecting. Depka and Tara even include reproductions of old photographs adhered with photo corners. I also appreciated descriptions of what certain Toronto neighbourhoods were like in the ’60s and ’70s. Queen and Broadview, Pape and Danforth, Gerrard and Parliament, and others have all gone under tremendous changes and it is fascinating to hear a first-hand recollection of the fountains and drunks in Cabbagetown or how the Goodwill store was called “Crippled Civilians.”
This project was put together in a style that is consistent with previous zines by Tara: half-letter size format, a heavier, textured cover with a stark typeface; and an interview format based on the subject’s personal experience. There was a notable difference as well — the absence of illustrations. I found myself wondering why Réchneek begins with the dictionary and then follows with the interview and not the other way around. I think it is because the language is the focus with this project. Depka says to Tara, “it would be wonderful if people had the interest that you seem to have. It’s so sad that all of these languages are dying because they have a history behind them.” I think that is the definition of a worthy project: capturing a unique story that would otherwise perish in the void. (Chris Landry)