Factoring in Brancusi, Cioran and Celan, Romanian artists have had an outsized influence on the modern world. Counting herself a member if this diaspora, Toronto curator Mona Filip refects on the newest chapter of this history. The author reflects on the decision of some people in Romania to leave the country and to defect to the U.S. or other European countries. The author describes the subversive nature of the radio programs “Voice of America” or “Free Europe,” to which she listened to every night as a teenager in Bucharest during the 1980s. She lists examples of intellectual expatriates from Romania, including Andrei Codrescu and Nina Cassian. The author shares the reasons for the decision of some Romanians to leave their country and live in a foreign country. The author discusses the improvements in artistic production in Romania.