• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Polish Studies Center Newsletter Indiana University • Bloomington, Indiana • Spring 2011 Director’s Welcome By Padraic Kenney “Partnership” was the common theme frst trip to the United States. at the Polish Studies Center this past Writer and translator put on a year. Reaching across campus and great show to a packed house across the Atlantic, we are building in April. In October, I teamed and strengthening the ties that keep up with Solidarity legend Wi- Polish Studies at the center of inter- told Łuczywo (pictured at national activity at Indiana University. right) to teach a course on No program better encapsu- underground printing. Read lates these efforts than our Artists- about these two events in- in-Residence scholarships. For the side. second year in a row, we’re support- The most important Witold Łuczywo teaches students underground printing ing three young musicians from the partnerships are at home. methods. Jacobs School of Music at IU. If you I’d like to thank Vice Presi- New but familiar sounds can be heard have not been to an AIR concert in dent for International Affairs Patrick at the Center. In one room, the Ar- Bloomington or Chicago, learn about O’Meara, and his offce, for their chive of Historical and Ethnographic the group in these pages. For an ama- continued support of PSC initiatives. Yiddish Memories project explores teur in the world of classical music The College Arts and Humanities In- hundreds of interviews with Yiddish like me, seeing three musicians come stitute has been instrumental in sev- speakers recorded in Eastern Europe together to develop a concert pro- eral recent projects, especially the (including Poland and the kresy); gram is quite inspiring. underground course. Here at 1217 across the hall, IU students are learn- Two personal partnerships en- E. Atwater, Bill Johnston has steered ing Yiddish. Sometimes you can stand ergized Polish Studies this past year. the PSC for most of the last decade. in the corridor and hear Yiddish and Bill Johnston has been translating the Thank you, Bill, for making the Center Polish simultaneously, reviving the work of acclaimed novelist and essay- such a lively place! We are lucky that great multilingual tradition of Poland ist Andrzej Stasiuk for a decade. To our Graduate Assistant Raina Polivka here in Bloomington. celebrate their latest success, the es- could return for a second year, and More partnerships are in the say collection Fado, Stasiuk made his that Gosia Swearingen could come offng. Watch for news about other back as Administrative Assistant and East European visitors this summer, IN THIS ISSUE: help me ease into the director’s chair. and a project with the Polish Embassy By the time you read this, Gosia will Artists in Residence 2 this fall. And consider how you can have left us again, but we’ll be seeing Trade Union Exhibit 3 partner with us! Your support of our Solidarity in the Classroom 4-5 her and her family at PSC events. Stop programs is vital to our future. Come Alumni Profle: Franciszek Lyra 6-7 by the Center and greet our new as- to an event, make suggestions for new Literary Corner 10-11 sistant, Kate Whipple. Kate was once programs, and please donate to the Faculty & Student News 12-13 active in the Polish Student Associa- A Year in Photos 14-15 PSC. I look forward to your continuing tion here, so she’s also an old friend. membership in the community. 2 Polish Studies Center at Indiana University 2010 Artists in Residence Celebrate Polish Composers by Raina Polivka In Spring 2010 beautiful melodies and soprano Laura Waters sweeping Fryderyk Chopin’s birth. from some of Poland’s most famous audience members off their seats Concluding the concert was composers befell the ears of audi- with beautiful arias and graceful a performance Edward Auer, Pro- ence members from as far away as librettos, the performace was an fessor of Piano at Jacobs School of Chicago to IU’s own Auer Hall. homage to the contributions made Music, IU, who is the frst American The Polish Studies Center by Polish musicians to the musical to win a prize in the Chopin Inter- Artists-in-Residence gave two ex- world. The musicians then went on national Competition of Warsaw. cellent instrumental and vocal per- to perform formances to highlight Polish classi- at the Cho- cal music from Chopin and beyond. pin Theatre The event, co-sponsored by in Chicago, the Offce of the Vice President of where they International Affairs and the Jacobs participated School of Music, featured music by in a musical Chopin, Moniuszko, Lutosławski, celebration Szymanowski, Bacewicz, and commemo- Karłowicz. rating the With Alexandre Tsomaia on 200th an- piano, Rafał Zyskowski on viola, niversary of Pianist Alexandre Tsomaia accompanies Soprano Laura Waters on Moniuszko’s aria “On tu przybywa.” Introducing the 2010-11 Artists in Residence by Raina Polivka This year, the Polish Studies Center region as representatives of the She is currently pursuing her D.M. awarded $500 to one artist each in Polish Studies Center. with Emilio Colon as his Assistant voice, cello, and piano to serve as Soprano Alyssa Cox recent- Instructor, and she holds a M.M. at Artists in Residence for 2010-11. ly completed a fve year program IU and a B.M. from the University As ambassadors of Polish music, with a B.M. in Voice and a M.M. in of Texas at Austin. these students are asked to partic- Opera at the Oberlin Conservatory Michael Pecak, a native ipate in two events per semester of Music. In Fall 2009 she began Chicagoan, began playing the pi- in Bloomington or elsewhere in the post-graduate studies at Indiana ano at age fve. In 2008, Michael University, where she graduated from Northwestern Uni- currently studies with versity where he earned his B.M. Carol Vaness. degree specializing in both Piano Jinhee Han, a cellist Performance and Orchestral Con- and a native of South ducting. He is a laureate of the Korea, was a principal prestigious Kosciuszko Foundation cellist of the Philhar- Chopin Piano Competition in New monic Orchestra and the York, NY where he earned special Symphony Orchestra at recognition for his performance of IU under the batons of Szymanowski’s music. Leonard Slatkin, David Left to Right: Alyssa Cox, Jinhee Han, and Michael Pecak. Effron, and Cliff Colnot. Spring 2011 Newsletter 3 Exhibit Showcases The History of the Workers’ Movement Collection Curated by Wookjin Cheun Communist regimes placed a high priority on commu- tions from two diametrically opposed political enti- nicating with the population. They needed to convey ties of modern Poland, the Communists and the Oppo- aspects of Communist ideology to ensure that people sition. The exhibit featured the recent acquisitions of could identify important leaders, understand social the Library of the History of the Workers’ Movement and economic trends, recognize internal and exter- (Biblioteka Historii Ruchu Zawodowego, or BHRZ) in nal enemies, and know about upcoming celebrations Warsaw. Materials displayed are part of The History or other mass events. Workers—whether they were of the Workers’ Movement Collection, found only at members of the Party (in Poland, the Polish United Indiana University—Bloomington (see The PSC News- Workers’ Party, PZPR) or not—were the most impor- letter, Spring 2010 for more details). tant target for this information. For this reason, the Symposium: Party, the government, and the trade unions published daily, weekly, and monthly papers in print runs of tens The Solidarities of Communism or hundreds of thousands. They were not intended to turn a proft, but to saturate the workers’ environ- The thirtieth anniversary of Solidarity, Poland’s ment, becoming the total source of information. greatest contribution to the toppling of commu- The Polish Opposition that emerged in the late nism, coincided with the arrival in Bloomington of 1970s recognized this. Even before they could ask the Library of the Trade Union Movement. These people to imagine a different political or economic two events provided the context for a symposium, system, they had to provide alternative sources of in- “The Solidarities of Communism: Trade Unions and formation. These news sources (like Biuletyn Infor- Social Policy in Eastern Europe.” macyjny, frst published in the underground in 1976) Four scholars presented papers related in promised readers the plain truth about the Communist some way to the new trade union collection and to regime and its repressive policies. When the opposi- the Solidarity anniversary. Brigitte LeNormand, a tion blossomed in August 1980, producing a massive historian from IU-Southeast, spoke on “The House independent social movement/trade union, Solidar- that Socialism Built: Reform, Consumption and In- ity, it brought the underground press into the light. equality in Postwar Yugoslavia,” a talk that dove- However, December 1981’s declaration of martial law tailed neatly with that by Professor Małgorzata sent Solidarity and its press underground again. Fidelis of the University of Illinois-Chicago, on The October 2010 exhibit presented publica- “Trade Unions And The Question Of Gender Equal- ity In Postwar Poland, 1945-49.” These papers re- minded us that Communism’s success and failure rested above all on its ability to provide goods to workers. In the second panel, Tomasz Inglot of Min- nesota State University-Mankato considered the fate of this welfare state, in “Trade Unions And The Polish ‘Emergency Welfare State’—A Critical Reas- sessment.” Finally, Gerald Beyer of Saint Joseph’s University reminded us of Solidarity’s ambitions to remake the social order, in “The Discourse and Left."Let's Protect Our Eyes at Work." Work safety and Ideals of Solidarity: Beyond Communism Towards a hygiene was a common theme of Communist trade union publications.

Load more

  16

Copy Link