Maie Kalda
Maie Kalda (until 1947 Maie-Liis; 19 June 1929 – 8 November 2013) was a literary researcher and critic.
She was born and attended school at Väike-Maarja and studied Estonian philology at the Faculty of History and Philology at Tartu State University. In 1963, she acquired a Candidate of Philology degree. She worked at the Language and Literature Institute of the Academy of Sciences from 1956, being the head of the literary history department in 1984–1989. From 1993 to 2002, she was a senior researcher at the Under and Tuglas Literature Centre, which was formed from the literature department of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and from 2003 to 2009, she was a senior researcher at the Estonian Literary Museum. Kalda was a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union, the Mother Tongue Society and the Estonian Literary Society, and a foreign member of the Finnish Literature Society. In 1980, Kalda signed The Letter of 40, which opposed the Russification policy in Soviet Estonia. She is buried in Tallinn Forest Cemetery. Her mother was prose writer Madde Kalda (1903–1984).
Maie Kalda became active in Estonian literary studies in the second half of the 1950s; one of the focuses of her research was the history and trends of Estonian literary studies and criticism. On this subject, she has published, for example, a study which was based on her Candidate’s thesis, Jaan Kärner kirjanduskriitikuna (1920-1940) (‘Jaan Kärner as a Literary Critic (1920-1940)’, 1964), the corresponding chapters in volumes IV (1981, 1984) and V-1 (1987) of Eesti kirjanduse ajalugu (‘History of Estonian Literature’), Eesti pagulaskirjandus (‘Estonian Exile Literature’, 1995) and Eesti kirjandus paguluses XX sajandil (‘Estonian Literature in Exile in the 20th Century’, 2008), which appeared in the series Collegium litterarum. Kalda was the compiler and editor of several collections and wrote school textbooks, such as Tuglasest Ristikivini. Eesti proosa 1906-1940. XI klass (‘From Tuglas to Ristikivi. Estonian Prose 1906–1940. Form XI’, 1997).
She dealt with both older and newer individual authors in Estonian literature; for example, she has studied the works of Johann Voldemar Jannsen, Friedrich Gustav Arvelius, Jacob Johann Malm, Käsu Hans, Jaan Kross, Karl Ristikivi, Kalju Lepik, Mait Metsanurk, Albert Kivikas and Debora Vaarandi. About the latter, she published an unconventional biography Debora ja vennad (‘Debora and Her Brothers’, 2010). Kalda has discussed, for example, macaronic poetry and the depiction of animals and space in literature. A selection of her articles and reviews are included in the collection Kirjandusest ja kriitikast (‘On Literature and Criticism’, 1976), for which she received the annual Juhan Smuul Literary Prize (1977). Her treatments of literature have also been published as the collections Mis mees ta on? (‘What Kind of a Man Is He?’, 2000), for which she received the Literature Endowment Annual Award, and Mis loom see on? (‘What Kind of an Animal is This?’, 2004), which also includes, for example, Smuuli mütoloogiat. Suur Hall (‘Smuul’s Mythology. The Big Grey’), which received the annual prize of the journal Keel ja Kirjandus in 2004. Kalda stands out with her matter-of-fact and clear manner of handling which can also include a touch of humour.
She has been awarded the Order of the White Star, Class 4 (2001) and the Order of the National Coat of Arms, Class 4 (2013) and the Estonian National Research Award for long-term prolific research and development work (2013).
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Jaan Kärner kirjanduskriitikuna (1920-1940). Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1964, 152 lk
Kirjandusest ja kriitikast. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1976, 256 lk
Tuglasest Ristikivini. Eesti proosa 1906-1940. Tallinn: Koolibri, 1997, 142 lk [2. tr 2002]
Mis mees ta on?. Tallinn: Underi ja Tuglase Kirjanduskeskus, 2000, 399 lk
Mis loom see on?. Tallinn, Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, 2004, 389 lk
Debora ja vennad. Tallinn, Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, kultuuri- ja kirjandusteooria töörühm, 2010, 472 lk
Maie Kalda. Kaastekste. Koost ja toim V. Sarapik ja Ü. Kurs. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2014, 551 lk
