“TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY” OR HEALTH – YOU CHOOSE
I have written about “Tygodnik Powszechny” many times. I praised, complimented, I was going into raptures that such weekly has survived in this poor, gloomy Poland. This time, it will not be different – I will encourage you to read this Cracow weekly. So, it’s time to begin the next series of publicity.
Politicians
First of all, professor Jacek Hołówka and his text Polityka jako zawód (Profession of Politics) in the beginning of 43. number of “Tygodnik Powszechny” (22 October 2006). It is extremely interesting to refer to Max Weber’s work (Profession and Vocation of Politics) writing about national political life. As the author remarks: “However, if life goes smoothly and no crucial decision must be taken, it is easy to transfer politics into theatre, better or worse, but without consequences. Then, we do not listen to our leaders but only watch them in TV. We compare and judge, we see them arguing and trying to fox each other. We do not expect nor demand anything. We want to know what the first lady wears. We like when she spruces her husband up. We love politicians’ slips of a tongue and their strenuous efforts to find an appropriate word. It seems bizarre that a famous politician on a poster assures that we will be together but he stands there completely alone and it does not make him thinking.” Hołówka poses many questions and we cannot expect any comment from any politician, not to say about a politician who would answer these questions actually. Therefore, Hołówka asks if politicians can behave seriously, he asks what we can actually require from them, who is to blame for this situation and finally about the level of our awareness – do we know how political parties organize themselves, what rules govern them, does anyone supervises political parties and their authorities, who exerts influence on the political programme, etc. Finally, Hołówka asks: “Maybe we are to blame? Maybe we choose our leaders irresponsibly and uncritically?” Those interested in conclusion and other important questions should peruse Hołówka’s text as well as Weber’s work.
Critics
A significant title was given to the interview with professor Krystyna Skarżyńska – Dla siebie? Dla swoich? Dla kraju? – motywy zaangażowania politycznego (For yourself? For colleagues ? For the country? – motives of political involvement). Here, politicians are characterized even more brutally than in Hołówka’s (and Weber’s) text: “There is a model of behavior in psychology that is characterized by desire to achieve much, quickly and at any price. Too many such people get involved in politics. However, they get burnt out quickly and their temper is not made for long political distances.” It may be kind of consolation but the Culture section is much more attractive way to feel better.
Tadeusz Sobolewski expressed his views on the condition of Polish cinema (according to me, the text is interesting as a specific metatextual manifest, loose remarks on the review: “History of Polish review can be compared to a continuous battle between those who find cinema as a field of freedom and those who see it as a manifest of human attitudes. We are cinema-goers but, on the other hand, the feeling of civic duties prevents us from doing that. We do not watch films on our own account and similarly, we do not live just for ourselves”).
Prose-writers
Secondly, the supplement “Books in the Tygodnik Powszechny” that I have already brought up. This time it concerns foreign literature: excellent text written by Anita Piotrowska on much worse novel (Snow by Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize winner), Maciej Czerwiński discussing Dubravka Ugresic, Zofia Zaleska on humorous The Sacred Book of Werewolf by Viktor Pelevin, and Jan Strzałka on Vladimir and Vera Nabokovs. The article of Janusz Kurkiewicz, discussing one of the most prominent (not only in my opinion, hopefully) American writer, Raymond Carver, who is not known and appreciated in Poland. Finally, Michał Paweł Markowski – in his column, Markowski writes: “250. issue of “Viva” was bought by almost half million of Poles, so more or less all the literate; the crux of the matter is, however, that it was not them who bought that issue. What would it be like if these people bought “Tygodnik Powszechny”? Oh God, it would be fantastic”. A column of Markowski, Rozmowa z Wielkim Pisarzem (Conversation with a Great Writer), became famous in Poland and it turned out to be dedicated to Antoni Libera (in the Słowacki Theatre). It is an absolute gem, thus impossible to cite. Those interested in how professor Markowski slapped Libera down as well as in an account of “fainting spouse” should read “Dziennik”, “Wyborcza” and other tabloids. Undoubtedly, it is enormous fun.
Diopters
Coming back to 44th number of “Tygodnik Powszechny”, I would like to enumerate a few articles that are worth reading. All can be found on the TP website (“Tygodnik Powszechny” ). W kręgu powtórzenia (Circle of recurrence) by Marek Bieńczyk, Pole minowe (Minefield) by priest Adam Boniecki, a comment Stacyjka zdrój (Station Spring) by Michał Komar (concerning Włoszczowa), supplement “History in Tygodnik Powszechny” on the subject of 1956 events, Szkoła stawiania pytań (Posing questions) by Joachim Pyka, Tak mówi cisza (So the silence says) by Marian Stal and Trans w Transylwanii (Trans in Transylvania) by Anita Piotrowska. There is no option but to read and change the diopters. The undersigned author would therefore inform you that after he visited oculist, he reached a magic six with minus coming before. It dashes frantically partly because of “Tygodnik Powszechny”. Good sight or “Tygodnik Powszechny” – you choose. I have chosen – “Tygodnik” and an oculist.
Grzegorz Wysocki
Translated by Natalia Mielech
Discussed journals: Tygodnik Powszechny