Selected text
Maly Przeglad' sponsored a film screening for its correspondents in the 'Europa' cinema on Nowy Swiat Street. It was a true journey for me. Mother and I walked along Nowolipie to Swietokrzyska via Czackiego Street, which looked pretty much as it does now.
During the screening Hipek kept kicking some bearded gentleman. I told him, 'Listen, this is Korczak.' I knew his face well, because he was often shown in 'Nasz Przeglad Ilustrowany.' I also loved Korczak as an author. He was a great writer, he had exquisite style. I also listened to him on the radio, I think it was on Thursdays. He performed as 'Old Doctor.' He had a warm, creaky voice. I think he was just pretending to be old.
When I was having lunch, after I came back from school, I would listen to the radio or have a newspaper in front of me. I usually ate alone, because everybody had already eaten. The radio really brought me up. Since 1934 I didn't go to the theater with my parents - I was independent and became a movie lover. I can still list the names of all these directors. Well, how was I supposed to study with all these attractions?
I always read a lot. I was nine years old when I started reading serious books, thanks to my sisters. I later became a member of the 'Parnas' library. There were four of us and each one borrowed books from a different library. Publishing houses were dependent on the existence of these libraries.
There were libraries which had to purchase absolutely every book of fiction published. The publisher knew he had a guarantee for 600 copies of a novel and that he'd sell maybe 200 copies more, so that's how many copies were published.
My childhood poet was Juliusz Slowacki [25], Mickiewicz [26] came later. Until I turned eleven years old, I also used to read Maurice Leblanc, author of 'Arsen Lupin' with great zeal. But I also read Hamsun, 'Buddenbrooks' [by Thomas Mann] and Sienkiewicz [27], Boleslaw Prus's [28] 'The Doll'. I managed to go through life without reading Karl May [29]. A lot of middle-of-the-road European literature, dealing with current issues, was translated before the war.
I also prepared 'Fantazyjny Przeglad Sportowy' ['Fantastic Sports Review'], a yearbook. I put it together, wrote columns, criticized the team, recommended how they should play and how they played in some non-existing matches. I was writing a novel about an exceptional, fantastic runner. I was always interested in that, especially since Kusocinski [Janusz Kusocinski (1907-1942), Olympic champion and 1932 world record holder in running] won a gold medal. This happened when I was nine years old.
I didn't go to the theater, because it was too expensive. But I was well versed, because I used to read Boy-Zelenski's reviews, published in subsequent volumes. I was maybe 14 years old when I started reading Boy- Zelenski and I really liked him for his cleverness, irony and beautiful use of the Polish language. I found something in his reviews, which was dear to me. Usually all these illuminations are about finding yourself, because you often don't know yourself.
During the screening Hipek kept kicking some bearded gentleman. I told him, 'Listen, this is Korczak.' I knew his face well, because he was often shown in 'Nasz Przeglad Ilustrowany.' I also loved Korczak as an author. He was a great writer, he had exquisite style. I also listened to him on the radio, I think it was on Thursdays. He performed as 'Old Doctor.' He had a warm, creaky voice. I think he was just pretending to be old.
When I was having lunch, after I came back from school, I would listen to the radio or have a newspaper in front of me. I usually ate alone, because everybody had already eaten. The radio really brought me up. Since 1934 I didn't go to the theater with my parents - I was independent and became a movie lover. I can still list the names of all these directors. Well, how was I supposed to study with all these attractions?
I always read a lot. I was nine years old when I started reading serious books, thanks to my sisters. I later became a member of the 'Parnas' library. There were four of us and each one borrowed books from a different library. Publishing houses were dependent on the existence of these libraries.
There were libraries which had to purchase absolutely every book of fiction published. The publisher knew he had a guarantee for 600 copies of a novel and that he'd sell maybe 200 copies more, so that's how many copies were published.
My childhood poet was Juliusz Slowacki [25], Mickiewicz [26] came later. Until I turned eleven years old, I also used to read Maurice Leblanc, author of 'Arsen Lupin' with great zeal. But I also read Hamsun, 'Buddenbrooks' [by Thomas Mann] and Sienkiewicz [27], Boleslaw Prus's [28] 'The Doll'. I managed to go through life without reading Karl May [29]. A lot of middle-of-the-road European literature, dealing with current issues, was translated before the war.
I also prepared 'Fantazyjny Przeglad Sportowy' ['Fantastic Sports Review'], a yearbook. I put it together, wrote columns, criticized the team, recommended how they should play and how they played in some non-existing matches. I was writing a novel about an exceptional, fantastic runner. I was always interested in that, especially since Kusocinski [Janusz Kusocinski (1907-1942), Olympic champion and 1932 world record holder in running] won a gold medal. This happened when I was nine years old.
I didn't go to the theater, because it was too expensive. But I was well versed, because I used to read Boy-Zelenski's reviews, published in subsequent volumes. I was maybe 14 years old when I started reading Boy- Zelenski and I really liked him for his cleverness, irony and beautiful use of the Polish language. I found something in his reviews, which was dear to me. Usually all these illuminations are about finding yourself, because you often don't know yourself.
Period
Interview
Jozef Hen