Once Upon a Time in Eastern Europe
In which we reveal the supernatural origins of a weekly, English-language newspaper founded 30 years ago in Budapest, Hungary
Oh, my friends, it’s time to tell you all a story
About a boy who grew up a fish out of water
Who escaped the weary conformity of the Orange County suburbs to follow his hippie uncle to a liberal college town in rural Northern California
Where he fell under the enchantment of mysterious professors from Eastern Europe
Who offered glimpses of faraway lands
Let us remember their names:
Nicholas Nagy-Talavera
Louis Mihályi
Ivan Sviták
We shall never see their likes again
And in that college town of Chico, our young hero found myself entranced by the free-wheeling hippie ethos of the day
He decided to embrace our world with his whole heart
To live a life worth living
And he vowed to live his life as if money had no meaning
An imprecation he would sorely regret
And so for reasons only he could understand, our young hero laid it all on the table
He sealed his magical vision with an alchemical roll of the dice
He launched himself towards Skopje, Macedonia — then part of Yugoslavia — on a one-to-one student exchange
He never looked back
-//-
Know this
Jim Jessee’s door was a portal to mysterious realms
Jim and Nelda were the first Chico State students to travel to Skopje, in 1974–75
Many others followed their path, but I was the last
Jim and Nelda CARED for the students who arrived from Macedonia each year
Once our young hero passed through Jim’s door, he tasted exotic dishes, drank potent brews, met cultured, well-traveled people, and heard tales of adventures in faraway places
Jim Jessee’s door was wide open and welcoming, my friends
Surely this is where our hero acquired his taste for magic?
-//-
Only recently did I discover that young sorcerer’s first attempt at spellcraft
Here is the evidence, my friends
A notice published in the first issue of Budapest Week in March 1991
Consider these words most carefully
-//-
Hello Budapest!
You are holding a copy of Budapest’s first English-language weekly newspaper written and produced by foreigners. We aim to bridge the cultural and information gap that can make the first few steps in Hungary so frustrating and makes a longer-term stay in Hungary so much more complicated.
As foreign residents of Budapest, we want to share the ins-and-outs, the little tricks and ‘little gates.’ We have no monopoly on information here: the emphasis is share.
Actually we exaggerate a bit. Budapest Week is not entirely foreign written. Several on our staff are Hungarians: Who after all is better qualified to speak about Hungary? Our difference is the editorial staff. As foreigners, we know what problems foreigners here have and what will interest them. No other paper in Hungary can make that claim.
We expect our readers to be a community of foreigners and Hungarians learning to work together in this period of rapid change. Budapest Week intends to aid them in this process as a forum of communication.
We invite active reader participation. Feel free to contact us at the address and telephone numbers listed in the masthead below.
— // —
Yes, this is the story of a newspaper
That much is true
But there is SO much more going on here
Thirty years down the road, isn’t it obvious that everything that young man and his friends wrote in this statement became a reality?
Not only that
Wasn’t it obvious even ten years down the road, that the many who joined this effort shared the founders’ intentions and convictions?
Though they had never met?
Make no mistake
These are words that build worlds
And this was no solo undertaking
Our young sorcerer did not weave that incantation alone, oh no
Surely you have always suspected this
Now I can confirm it
Budapest Week began as an alchemical pact struck between three young heroes
These partners shared a magical vision
They laid everything on the table to weave their dreams into being
Let us hear their names:
Tibor Szendrei
Rick Bruner
Steven Carlson
Let us remember the names of our long-departed friends who contributed to this magical vision:
We remember Dick Bruner, our first editor, mentor, and friend
We remember Blake Steinberg, our first business manager
We remember Tim Randall, who we knew and loved as Sam Worthington
And there are others
These friends joined their voices to our choir and we remember them in our hearts
We will never see the likes of them again
And as our voices grew, more and more of you joined our choir, and as each of us stepped up, each of you embraced our magical vision
This is alchemy, my friends
This is wizard magic
We laid everything on the table and we signed a sacred alchemical pact
Each and every one of us
Thirty years later, as I read that first spell, I can hear Jim Jessee’s voice
-//-
Let us know and remember Jim Jessee, my friends
This man had a colossal and generous heart
You have no idea
As a passionate young man, Jim Jessee was inspired by the words of John F. Kennedy
I wonder
Does anybody still remember?
“Ask not what your country can do for you — Ask what you can do for your country”
As a student activist, Jim responded to that call by sending thousands of his fellow students to work as volunteers, serving thousands of other people in his community
Jim helped build low-income housing that provided a roof to thousands of families
Jim made his career at Chico State organizing and publishing the school catalog, centralizing university data, and managing the use of facilities throughout the entire campus
He was a noted genealogist. He was an amateur historian
Jim grew up poor. His family was his top priority. This man wanted nothing more than a stable roof and a full table surrounded by family and friends
Jim Jessee had all that, oh my friends
And what he had he SHARED
He converted his garage into an apartment, where he took in guests, friends, stranded foreign students, and eventually even me
And that man could tell STORIES!
About the time an Arab in Jericho offered him 14 camels and 100 sheep for Nelda
That man’s name was Alibaba. Of course
About his ‘year abroad’ in Bayonne, New Jersey where Jim made his first Black acquaintance, who became his lifelong pal and partner-in-crime, Ray Cooper
Then there was the time he took a long slide down a freshly-waxed school hall corridor directly into the legs of the startled principal, who was turning the corner
Oh, I could go on, my friends
Jim often did
<sigh>
Jim Jessee embraced this world of ours with his whole heart
He wandered between worlds
He wove enchanted webs of magical human connection
He shared mystical visions
And as you surely must know by now
Jim Jessee was a mighty alchemical wizard
A being of awesome power
You have no idea
-//-
Yes, and I was that sorcerer’s apprentice, my friends
I sat with Jim and listened as the wizard weaved his worlds
Jim launched me on my path to Budapest
Where I applied my master’s craft
But I was the apprentice, not the master
And I failed to seal the spell
Our alchemical bond was tainted
With that error of my youth
Never forget that words have the power to build worlds
Witness our hero’s mistake
He embraced our world with his whole heart
He lived a life worth living
But he vowed to live his life as if money had no meaning
And so our hero, of course, had none
And what happened to that newspaper?
What happened to our dreams?
-//-
At the end of his days
I returned to my old friend, Jim
I explained to him our problem
And we sealed a sorcerer’s deal
I served Jim as his gardener
I served him my iced tea
We sat in the shade of summer
As my master weaved his worlds
And we watched his garden grow, oh my friends!
At the end of the season
Jim Jessee harvested his peppers
To cook his favorite meal
Hungarian stuffed peppers
Grown from seeds provided by my Hungarian daughter
Who taught me the recipe that I taught Nelda
And what do you know?
Jim and Nelda Jessee — working together — cooked a great big pot of those stuffed peppers
For what turned out to be Jim’s final meal
The three of us shared that fine supper
We raised a glass or two
And Jim Jessee climbed the stairs to his warm and waiting bed
Belly full, heart full, satisfied
Where he passed away in his sleep the morning of November 30, 2020
We will never see the likes of him again
But we shall remember him
-//-
HEAR MY VOICE, OH MY FRIENDS!
Let us honor the life of Jim Jessee
All of us
You never had the privilege of meeting this great man
Oh, but you have tasted of his dreams, my friends
You have shared his magical visions
He wove enchanted webs of mystical human connection
And they are reaching out to you
I tell you there is only one way to celebrate the life of such an impeccable sorcerer
We must seal a magical pact
Each and every one of us
For this is the wizards’ way
And with what shall we seal the spell you ask?
Oh, my friends!
Jim Jessee has left us an enormous gift
A gift of absolutely staggering proportions
For that was our wizards’ pact
My master entrusted us all with his great wizard’s heart
And he has gifted me with a colossal, oceanic GRIEF
The only grief big enough to commemorate such a colossal and generous heart
-//-
Listen
I GRIEVE MY FRIENDS, OH HOW I GRIEVE!
I am heaving great huge sobs of hero sadness
I AM WEEPING MY FRIENDS
OH, HOW I WEEP!
There is a massive hole in my massive wizard’s heart that will never, ever heal
That hole in my heart is the size of Jim Jessee
And Jim was a VERY big man
But there’s more
Oh, there is more
We carry to you the grief of Jim’s widow, Nelda
Of his son Earl
His daughter Emma
Four darling granddaughters
An extensive family tree that only a noted genealogist could possibly assemble
And a simply staggering number of family and friends in Chico and Butte County and all around the world who have been calling and dropping by and sending flowers and bringing food and arranging things and offering support and extending their condolences to this family
And oh, my friends, our wizards’ heart carries all of this grief
For as any sorcerer could tell you
We are all connected
With radiant bonds of loving light
-//-
Know this
A wizard’s grief has magical alchemic properties
THIS IS NOT A SUBSTANCE TO BE TRIFLED WITH
This grief will make an impeccable alchemic fuel, my friends
Wizard tears can heal
You will see
Oh you shall see
You really didn’t see this coming at all, did you?
My master launched me on my journey toward mysterious realms
That much is true
But I traveled much longer and farther than he
I have spent lifetimes wandering across worlds
Weaving mystical webs of magical human connection
I have gathered the seeds of stories yet to be told
And I never looked back
Oh, my brothers and sisters, I never looked back
WE ARE A VAST AND POWERFUL BEING
Always remember the pupil must exceed the master
For that is the wizards’ way
WE HAVE A COLOSSAL AND GENEROUS HEART
WE DEVOUR GRIEF FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, AND DESSERT
WE TRANSMUTE YOUR PAIN INTO THE DIVINE ELIXIR
This is alchemy, my friends
This is serious juju
This might sound a little scary
But rest assured
You have nothing to fear
WE ARE ABOUT TO ATTEMPT THE MOST COLOSSAL SPELL WE HAVE EVER CONCEIVED
WE SIMPLY MUST TEST ALL OF OUR SUPERPOWERS
The evidence has been right in front of your eyes the entire time
You never suspected a thing
You are entangled in mystical enchantments
Our spell is in progress
We’ve been hard at work for days and weeks and months
You still don’t get it, do you?
What could this mad, raving wizard possibly mean?
The podcast
Our private Facebook group
Our newspaper, the archives — all of us!
Do you see it now?
Don’t you understand?
This is your legacy
This is my legacy
This is Jim Jessee’s legacy
This is OUR legacy
This is a treasure beyond your wildest dreams!
Oh, you shall see
-//-
I have returned to you, my friends
At the end of days
It is time to stand up and be counted
We who share this magical vision
THIS is the most COLOSSAL spell we have ever attempted
Our incantation requires a passionate posse of talented magicians
You know who I’m talking about
Of course, you do
I mean all of us
All of you who took part in that original, alchemical pact
Each and every one of us
We now have the means to correct that youthful error
That so crippled our efforts
-//-
Here’s how the spell works
This enchantment requires the active participation
Of each and every one of us
Who wish to claim this legacy
We have woven mystical webs of magical human connection
We have gathered up an ocean of grief
We share the colossal and generous heart of an impeccable master wizard
Which serves us as our sacred furnace
To transmute an ocean of grief into the divine elixir
And energize our cosmic network of hearts
With alchemical rocket fuel
But we still need one more thing, my friends
COLD, HARD CASH
That’s right
For as even an apprentice wizard should know
Every spell must be sealed
I have obtained the wizards’ heart
And you?
Your job is to bring home the bacon
We don’t need much to get the job done
But every little bit counts
-//-
The time has come
To lay it all upon the table
Each and every one of us
Now we may seal our sorcerers’ pact
-//-
HEAR OUR INVOCATION
We are the weavers of worlds
We gathered here in our youth
With our naivety and ambition
We chronicled the birth of hope
We believed in openness and tolerance and fairness and dignity and truth
We shared our hearts
We reached out to one another across languages and cultures and borders
We offered orientation and context and community and meaning to thousands upon thousands of readers
Many of whom are friends
The world we shared is gone
But the work we did remains
We claim this as our legacy
And we vow to share our riches with the world
-//-
Now I take my leave
I have done what I can do
I have prepared the incantation
And you may seal the spell
Oh, my friends
If anything about what you have read and witnessed here has moved your hearts
Then and only then
Here are three steps I suggest you follow
To achieve the highest good for all
-//-
1 ) TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED
Part of your Budapest Week legacy is us — your tribe
Are you aware the paper was in print for 10 years?
Do you know how many people worked for Budapest over the years?
All of us shared a similar vision and we are connected by our shared experiences. Many of us have gone on to achieve incredible things. We’re a talented bunch of people.
Have you checked out the podcast yet?
You might see a few old friends there:
http://podcast.onceuponatimeineasterneurope.com/
We also have a private Facebook group for old friends to reconnect
Just knock on the door and we will let you in:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnceUponATimeinEasternEurope
Take your time, drink it in, reconnect, enjoy!
-//-
2) CONSIDER OUR GOALS & BUDGET
Here is a link to our GoFundMe. The goal is $5000, which will go toward paying the costs of labor and project management:
http://gofundme.com/f/budapest-week-digitization-project
These are the project goals
To collect print copies of Budapest Week from at least its first four years (1991–1994.) to be deposited in the OSA’s collection.
To digitize and make searchable this archive and host it online with the OSA.
To collect and digitize any documents related to the founding of the newspaper.
-//-
3) GIVE WHAT FEELS RIGHT TO YOU
This invitation goes out to all of us who took part in creating Budapest Week, from its foundation until the end — as well as those who feel a connection to our story
We all get an opportunity to contribute
And to feel ourselves a part of writing this Happy Ending
Even $1 is enough to write your name upon the wall
Give what you can afford, and what feels right to you
-//-
Jim Jessee was fond of Spinoza, so here’s a parting thought
“I can’t tell you if there’s anything after this life but I can give you a tip. Live as if there is not. As if this is your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.”
-//-
PS — A disclaimer from your humble narrator
Believe me when I tell you that I am AT LEAST as surprised as you are to read these words
They simply came to me
As if in a dream
Did I write this story?
Or is the story writing me?
Am I a magician?
Is magic real?
Or,
Is this simply yet another way
Of expressing simple truths?
Was this fever dream of mine
Just another way of sharing
Love?
-//-
This much I know
The time has come for ALL OF US to share our stories!
And we lived happily ever after
NOT THE END
