From March 15th all journalists born before 1972 working in Poland will have to sign a declaration that they did not spy for the Polish People’s Republic. That includes me: Polish law has a very wide definition of journalism and the bill makes no distinction between Poles and foreigners. Nor does it make any attempt […]
“Monachal” means pertaining to monks. The OED gives a citation from 1587. A “vaticination” is an inspired or oracular vision – attested in 1603. Perhaps Leavis was making fun of Conrad.
Wikipedia on dialogue in theatre of the absurd: “repetitive or nonsensical dialogue and dramatic non-sequiturs are often used to create dream-like, or even nightmare-like moods.” For example: XX: I think that you people are under a curse. […] AA: I like what you said just now. XX: Do you? AA: The great problem is to […]
During today’s lunch time news, on the state-funded channel RAI1, we got the following news. “Praying is not a matter of choice. It’s a question of life and death. Only those who pray will gain eternal life in paradise”. The news report quoted, almost word for word, Ratzy’s weekly wanderings from his balcony. I waited […]
Pay attention class. Up till now the primary degree in Poland was not a BA but an MA. This takes five years of study and is awarded on submission of an MA thesis. After the MA you can go on to do a PhD – also by research – and then a “habilitacja.” The consequences […]
Over at The Sigla Blog, Sinéad Gleeson gives Sophia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette a brief but unambiguous mauling (“overblown, dull.”)Although I’m not that pushed to defend this glossy confection, I found its languorous depiction of Versailles as a sort of John Hughesesque high school mildly diverting. My indulgence might have been prompted by watching it on a […]
From today’s Indo: TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern said yesterday that “aggressive secularism” had no place in modern pluralist Ireland.Mr Ahern was inaugurating a Church-State forum which he described as representing “a new and important strand in the civic and political culture of the State”. […]”There is a form of aggressive secularism which would have the State […]
I am happy to report that I have solved the mystery of why Polish writers are so sloppy about little things like suspension of disbelief. They’re copying Joseph “monachal vaticinations” Conrad. In Under Western Eyes Razumov enters his apartment to find a man called Haldin inside, waiting for him. How did this man get in? […]
Here’s a Polish poem from 1950 in – for reasons that should become obvious – very free translation: “One needs” Stars stars have spread out in heaven Silence descends from the tops of the town. One needs one needs love poems so that lovers can notice them In the plan in the plan in the […]