Constantin Al. Ionescu-Caion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1882 |
| Died | November or December 1918 |
| Pen name | C. A. I. Nică Burdușel, Caion, Ion Filionescu, Marin Gelea, Isac Șt. Micu, Roman Mușat |
| Occupation | journalist, historian, poet, short story writer, critic, playwright |
| Period | 1897–1918 |
| Genre | essay, novella, prose poetry, short story, tragedy |
| Literary movement | Literatorul, Decadent movement, Symbolism |
Constantin Al. Ionescu-Caion (Romanian pronunciation: [konstanˈtin al joˈnesku kaˈjon], born Constantin Alexandru Ionescu and commonly known as Caion; 1882 – November or December 1918) was a Romanian journalist and poet, primarily remembered for his legal dispute with humorist Ion Luca Caragiale. He was a Symbolist, a disciple of Alexandru Macedonski, and a militant Francophile, as well as a leading opponent of literary tradition. His scattered work comprises essays, short stories and prose poetry, noted for their cultural references, but made little impact on Romanian literature. As a journalist, Caion prioritized scandals, accusing Caragiale of plagiarism and losing the subsequent celebrity trial of 1902, before partly recanting and winning the retrial. Despite his own coquetries with Romanian nationalism, Caion focused his verve on Transylvania's contemporary nationalist literary current.
Ionescu-Caion was the founder of several magazines, most notably Românul Literar. Originally conceived as a literary supplement for the daily Românul, it became a tribune of Macedonski's Romanian Symbolist movement, and helped discover George Bacovia, the celebrated modern poet. During World War I, when he oscillated between the two opposing camps, Caion put out the journal Cronicarul. This was his last known activity in the Romanian press.
A contradictory figure, Caion was equated with infamy and ridicule in the Romanian context, and his evidently unsubstantiated allegations against Caragiale have traditionally puzzled literary historians. In Transylvania, the word Caion was for a while synonymous with yellow journalist.