CHRISTMAS: "My Favorite Things - Shopping Polish for Christmas"

by Staś Kmieć

reprinted from the November 2017 issue of 
The Polish American Journal

* Click on link (in red) to direct you to online shopping pages

It should be easy to select a gift for me for Christmas, a birthday, or any other occasion – find something Polish!  But, I guess not so easy is what to get?  I have acquired so many books, CDs, DVDs and artifacts over the years and many travels that one may not want to risk getting something I already have.  When I receive something Polish, I am overjoyed.

These days, there is so much out there to choose from, and lots of stuff to pass over like pierogi sealers, and pseudo-Polish cookbooks by non-Poles or culinary experts intent on modernizing the ingredients of treasured classics. 

I will often purchase a coffee table book, like Beata Zatorska’s Rose Petal Jam: A Summer in Poland or the follow-up Sugared Orange: A Winter in Poland for a family member or someone whose interests appreciate Polish themes. These books go beyond the norm and in addition to great recipes, provide thoughtful and thought-provoking stories, history and information, with an artistic layout of photographic images.

For me, if it’s Polish, it needs to be unique and ring true to the culture.  I have been compiling an extensive “wish list” of items from Poland and from American import websites of “My Favorite Things.” Though it is rare for me to receive a Polish gift, from this list I can at least buy gifts for myself.

The Polish American Journal On-Line Gift and Bookstore offers an array of items to enable you to shop Polish for Christmas.  To ensure timely delivery, make sure to order early!

Any item in the PolArt catalog www.polandbymail.com is available directly from PAJ, as well. You can check the website and order these items by contacting: info@polamjournal.com or call 1(800) 422-1275.

Dolls and Action Figures

An assortment of folk costumed dolls and historical action figures will instill a sense of Polish pride and knowledge to any boy or girl. 

Among the many doll collectibles, a newer item drew my attention.  The Polskie Stroje Ludowe (Polish Folk Costumes) series of dolls is an extraordinary guide in the Polish language to the traditions of specific regions. The detailed porcelain doll comes with an informative booklet of folk rituals, habits of everyday life, forgotten dances, open-air museums, and a description of the costume.  Available are Podhalanka from Polish Highlands, Bamberka from Poznań, and Krzczonowianka from Lublin region. www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_polskie%2bstroje%2bludowe.htm

As the accompaniment to a gift of a historical novel such as Henryk Sienkiewicz’s 17th century Trilogy, or Alex Storozynski’s The Peasant Prince, you could include a military action figure of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish Hussar from 17th Century, King Władysław Jagiełło, an 1810 Wisła Legion Lancer, a 1944 AK Soldier, Marshall Józef Piłsudski or the literary characters of Michał Wołodyjowski and nobleman Onufry Zagłoba. (www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_action%2bfigure.htm)

Coloring Books

A Polish dance coloring book for children which is formatted with music and verses on the

left-hand pages and a sketch of a dance couple ready for coloring on the right-hand pages. The back of the book has corresponding dance moves for Chodzony, Polonez, Mazur, Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Oberek, Trojak, and Polka Lubelska clearly diagrammed for each song. (www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_coloring%2bbooks.htm)

Polskie Stroje Ludowe - Traditional Polish Costumes

Children will become familiar with the regional folk costumes of Poland – the left side of the two-page spread contains a full color image of the pair from the region, while the right side has a ready-to-color drawing of the same pair. (www.polandbymail.com/i/6445/polish-folk-costumes-coloring-book.htm#.WftSkWhSyUk)

Kolorowanki Folkowa - Coloring Book of Polish Folk Designs

For the adult who wants to unwind and relax after the pressures of a grueling day at work comes this Polish-themed coloring book.  Ideal for older students (12-14 years) the book is folk tour around Poland – beginning with nine of the most well-known folk costumes and then takes you to six Polish folk regions, featuring art and artifacts from each region. Color the Lublin Easter pisanki, the Kujawy chest, the Kraków szopka and Opole ceramics. (www.polartcenter.com/Kolorowanki_Folkowa_Coloring_Polish_Folk_Designs_p/9823638.htm)

Board Games

For the older youngster who’s learning Polish, here are some Polish-language Board games that will exercise language skills, while making history and culture fun!

Slawni Polacy - Famous Poles
Odkryj Wawel - Discover Wawel
Bitwa pod Grunwaldem - Battle of Grunwald
Kocham Polske - I Love Poland
Czerwony Kapturek – Little Red Riding Hood (a children’s game) (www.polandbymail.com/s/1/c_board%2bgames.htm)

BOOKS

For those who seek Polish recipes or like to settle down with a “good read,” PAJ Bookstore offers an array of cookbooks, historical novels, cultural and history books.

Historical Novels

Jadwiga’s Crossing. The challenges and joys of the trans-Atlantic crossing made by millions

of European immigrants in the late nineteenth century are explored in this meticulously researched work by Richard and Aloysius Lutz – a must-read for Polish-Americans.  Viewed through the eyes of newlyweds Paul and Jadwiga Adamik, this compelling tale depicts the hardships encountered by a group of Polish immigrants. Readers are introduced to Poles and Polish folklore from several regions of then-partitioned Poland, as well as the tensions that existed between Poles and the three nations that occupied Poland in the nineteenth century: Prussia, Russia, and Austria.

By James Conroyd Martin

Sweeping in scope with a backdrop of Poland’s stormy history, James Conroyd Martin has written four novels that will transport you to another time and another place.

The Boy Who Wanted Wings. A dark Tatar raised by a Polish peasant family, wishes to become a Polish hussar. When he meets the daughter of the noble who owns the land that his parents work, he falls hopelessly in love. Though she returns his love, race and class differences make this quest as impossible as that of becoming a hussar.

Push Not the River. Based on the real diary of a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the Third of May Constitution years, this romantic novel paints the portrait of the metamorphosis of a nation. 

Against a Crimson Sky In this sequel to Push Not the River, Martin takes the characters 20 years into the fascinating Napoleonic era, highlighting the exploits of the glorious Polish lancers.

The Warsaw Conspiracy. Completing the trilogy, the family saga continues – this time set against the November Rising (1830-1831).

Each novel stands alone, or you can get the “Trilogy Package” at an exclusive PAJ price. Vivid, romantic, and thrillingly paced, the novels have been called “Poland’s Gone with the Wind.”

History

Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women as Forced Laborers in Nazi Germany, 1939-1945. 

PAJ’s Sophie Hodorowicz Knab provides an important contribution to World War II history, based on extensive research – archival records from the U.S. and Europe, family records, war crime trial testimonies, diaries, and previously unpublished victim accounts.  Written by the daughter of Polish forced laborers, Knab’s factual account gives a voice to the women who were taken from their homes as young as 12 years old and subjected to slave labor conditions, starvation, sexual exploitation, forced abortions and child separation — all while Nazi propaganda depicted them as well-cared-for volunteers. Knab explains how it all happened, from the beginning of occupation in Poland to liberation in an unflinching, detailed portrait of a forgotten group of Nazi forced labor survivors.

Cookbooks

Polish Classic Recipes and Classic Desserts

Borrowing from his mother’s extensive 1968 cookbook, The Art of Polish Cooking (also available from PAJ), recipes are adapted by the husband-wife team – Laura and Peter Zeranski into an easy-to follow format and are accentuated by tantalizing images by photographer Bob Rock.  The two cookbooks offer new recipes, as well such favorites as Pope John Paul II’s favorite dessert – the crème cakes called kremówki.

Polish Country Kitchen Cookbook

In this expanded edition, PAJ’s Sophie Hodorowicz Knab offers recipes for favorite Polish foods combined with the history and cultural traditions that created them. Arranged according to the cycle of seasons, this cookbook with over 100 recipes explores life in the Polish countryside through the year. I will open it to any page and just start reading; it is a valuable resource for anyone wanting insight into the reason and meaning behind traditional Polish village cooking,  It’s like having your Babcia in the kitchen with you!

Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans – 25th Edition

It’s the cookbook many of us grew up with before ethnic cooking became popular, and it’s a classic!  First published in United States in 1948, it was the first complete book of Polish cookery in the English language and hasn’t lost a bit of its charm or relevance.  For anyone beginning their collection, this is the perfect “first Polish cookbook.”  

Bolesławiec Pottery

“Bolesławiec” is the collective term for pottery produced in Bolesławiec, Poland – also known as “Polish pottery” or “Polish stoneware.”  The town itself is often called Miasto Ceramiki (town of ceramics).

For centuries one of the premier art forms in Europe has been the ceramics created in the southwestern Śląsk region. The durable and functional creamy white and blue stoneware pieces are unique and easily identifiable.  It is impossible to talk about the town without talking about the ceramics that have been produced there for over a thousand years. There has been a resurgence in the popularity of Boleslawiec ceramic art in the United States, and many of my American friends collect them.

Why Polish pottery? There is no other, more durable or versatile stoneware available. The pottery is microwavable, oven-safe, dishwasher safe, freezer safe, lead and cadmium free.  It’s been tested by the FDA and is food safe. The glaze on the pottery allows for easy separation of foods – cutting down on the need for oils and allowing healthier cooking and even easier clean-up

www.artisanimports.com
www.polishtreasures.com
www.polishpride.com
www.polishpotteryoutlet.com

http://www.polartcenter.com/mobile/Category.aspx?id=280

Aprons and Towels

What better way to cook your Polish dishes than in a White Eagle embroidered 2-pocket red apron? (Other styles available). New, larger kitchen towels are also available in  a variety of embroided phrases and patterns, from “Polish Chef” to “I Love Kielbasa”.

A Polish Christmas

Creating your own Polish family traditions is an important way of continuing our heritage.  With each Christmas comes a decorated tree and the Wigilia Christmas Eve dinner.  Continue or begin including customs and ornaments to make your Christmas “Polish.”

A Polish Christmas Eve by Rev. Czeslaw Krysa

Learn about Wigilia, the Christmas Eve dinner and how to make Polish paper ornaments and traditional dishes. This book is a quick and easy reference, step-by-step guide and international collection of customs, stories, recipes, carols and decorations with glossary, pronunciation guide, and a regional map of Poland. (www.polamjournal.com)

Opłatek (Polish Christmas Wafer)

The breaking of the Christmas opłatek is a custom that began in Poland in the 10th century and is practiced by people of Polish ancestry around the world. It is considered the most ancient and beloved of Polish traditions.

The wafer symbolizes the unity of the family, which many consider to be the main pillar of society. According to beliefs, the bond of unity should exist between family members. The wafer also symbolizes forgiveness and reconciliation.

Practice sharing the Christmas wafer with family and guests. Many people place a piece in each Christmas Card they mail.

Ornaments

In Poland, the making of straw ornaments dates to the time when the only available

materials for decorations were those that were found on the farm. During the beginning of the Christmas season, homes were creatively and ornately decorated using straw, paper, yarn, and cloth ornaments. These ornaments are very different from modern Christmas decorations. The designs include stars, wreaths, reindeer figures, pine cone shapes, and bell shapes.

In addition to the traditional glass-blown Polish ornaments Polish Pottery and folk dancer ornaments can make your tree a point of conversation and truly unique. (www.polishpride.com).

Check out the PAJ Catalog for more items:
 https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/98e5ac99-ab86-4fa4-a09c-1adec9546d05

ARTS: Polish-themed Indecent Airs on PBS – November 17

by Staś Kmieć

PBS will air Paula Vogel's Indecent on November 17 as part of its Great Performances series.  The play with music won Tony Awards for Best Direction and Lighting Design and was captured by eight high-definition cameras just before its final Broadway performance on August 6.  It was reviewed in PAJ’s August issue.

Indecent is based on events surrounding Polish-Jewish writer Sholem Asch’s groundbreaking 1907 Yiddish masterwork God of Vengeance – from its inception in Warsaw and its evolution throughout Europe to its explosive run on Broadway in 1923 and beyond. The run was cut short when the cast and producer were arrested on obscenity charges.

Based on the real-life “Ararat” Jewish Kleinkunst Theatre of Łódz, a theater troupe of actors rise from the ashes to tell the story behind their play.

PBS – November 17, 9:00 pm (check local listings for time and additional showings)

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Review: Indecent on Broadway

reprinted from the August 2017 issue of 

The Polish American Journal

The new Broadway play Indecent takes an impressionistic look at a controversial moment in Broadway history. 

The play is based on the events surrounding Polish-Jewish writer Sholem Asch’s groundbreaking 1907 Yiddish masterwork God of Vengeance (Got fun nekome) – from its inception in Warsaw, Poland and its evolution throughout Europe and the Lower East Side to its explosive run on the Great White Way in 1923, and beyond.  In Europe, the play was popular enough to be translated into Polish, German, Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Czech and Norwegian. 

It was a controversial play when it was translated into English and bowed at the Apollo Theatre on West 42nd St.  Set in a brothel, the play includes Jewish prostitutes, the first lesbian kiss on a Broadway stage, and the hurling of a Torah across the stage. The run was cut short by six weeks when the cast and producer were arrested, jailed, indicted and convicted on obscenity charges.  The conviction was successfully appealed.  Later, it was performed as an act of artistic affirmation in an attic in the Łódz Ghetto of German-occupied Poland during World War II.

With music and humor, Indecent explores the loss of Yiddish theater and the ever-changing mores of audiences.  Playwright Paula Vogel, also a Pulitzer winner is marking her Broadway debut and provides the voice and structure from which the story can be told.  Indecent examines artistic struggles, but it is an immigrant story about a time in America when immigrants were being pushed out.

The superb 7-member ensemble portrays multiple roles and is accompanied by a klezmer band of 3 onstage musicians – playing a variety of instruments.  The production is enhanced by the intricate and often symbolic direction by Rebecca Taichman and choreography by David Dorfman.   Some of the characters are composites, while most are real-life figures.  Screen projections guide the audience through the constant shift in personae.

Based on the real-life "Ararat" Jewish Kleinkunst Theatre of Łódź, a theater troupe of actors rising from the ashes tell the story behind God of Vengeance.  The fictional Lemml, a former tailor and now stage manager, who functions as the narrator/master of ceremonies, along with the imagined company of Vera, Otto, Halina, Mendel, Chana and Avram (portrayed by Richard Topol, Mimi Lieber, Tom Nellis, Katrina Lenk, Steven Rattazzi, Adina Verson and Max Gordon Moore) propel the story – making an indelible and lingering impression.

The production received three Tony Award nominations, with Rebecca Taichman winning in the "Best Direction of a Play category and Christopher Akerlind for "Lighting Design."

Indecent will end its run at the Cort Theatre on August 6 and is sure to enjoy subsequent new stagings at regional theaters across the United States.

ARTS: Loving Vincent – the World’s First Oil-Painted Film

by Staś Kmieć

reprinted from the November 2017 issue of The Polish American Journal

Actor Robert Gulaczyk is Vincent van Gogh

It took seven years and 65,000 hand-painted frames to turn a live action feature into a one-of-kind animated film about the last days of Vincent Van Gogh.  Loving Vincent is the first fully oil-painted feature film.

 

Co-director Dorota Kobiela, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, was a painter working in animation and frustrated by a career that revolved around working on other people’s projects. Determined to make something of her own, she set out to combine her passion for painting and film. As a university student, she studied the intersection of psychology and art, writing her thesis on the letters of van Gogh. Using this as a starting point, she came up with an idea for a seven-minute short film about the last day of van Gogh’s life.

She intended to paint the entire film herself; however once she expanded the project into a feature film, the task of writing and directing was such that she had to incorporate 95 painters from throughout Europe to complete the project..

One line from van Gogh’s letter – “We cannot speak other than by our paintings” – became the guiding principal of Loving Vincent.  “I took it literally,” said Kobiela.. “I thought, ‘This is so amazing if I could actually do exactly that and make his paintings speak and tell his story.'”

The directors would use 94 of the artist’s paintings as the film’s settings, while also bringing to life the painting’s real-life subjects – friends and acquaintances of the artist – to piece together the mystery of van Gogh’s last days before his tragic death.

For two weeks, the 95-minute feature was shot with the cast – including notable actors like Saoirse Ronan and Chris O’Dowd and Polish actor Robert Gulaczyk – largely against green screens. Another two weeks were spent in Poland shooting backdrops and working with body doubles to gather the rest of the footage needed.

The directors composited the  live-action footage with van Gogh’s paintings, and used computer-generated animation to give the still-life backdrop a three-dimensional realism. Once they had a final cut, painting began.  For most of the film, the directors wanted actual hand-brushed strokes that captured van Gogh’s style. Computer animation would be unacceptable.

Loving Vincent. was released in U.S. theaters on September 22 – capturing the world of van Gogh in a cinematic experience like no other.

Official Trailer:

ARTS REVIEW: Two Crowns – a Docudrama about St. Maximillian Kolbe

by Staś Kmieć
reprinted from the November 2017 issue of The Polish American Journal

"We can build many churches, but if we do not have our own media, these churches will be empty." – St. Maximillian Maria Kolbe

This line stated in the new Polish-language docudrama Dwie Korony (Two Crowns) - with English subtitles,  is significant in that the forward-thinking Kolbe was referring to spreading the teachings of Church through a mass-distributed booklet magazine.  It can also refer to the message this film has the potential of spreading worldwide. 

The film by Michał Kondrat, which premiered in New York, prior to its official opening in Poland, is well-made and informative.  It is more “History Channel” docudrama, than feature film in its style.  The documentary aspects are intriguing and have a high educational value.  Archival footage is utilized; still photographs come to life through 3D enhancement; and the animation aspects contribute greatly to the narrative.  The film features anecdotes from people who knew Kolbe, the director's commentary, and scenes depicting moments from the life of the future Polish saint.

Live action sequences have been staged to connect the story and to cut through the dryness of the documentary format – often incorporating elements of humor. Due to the structure, characters are not able to fully develop and remain one-dimensional.  Nevertheless, Adam Woronowicz imbues a pious charisma and steadfast heroism into his role as Kolbe.  Perhaps, the most poignant scene of the film is when Fr, Kolbe leads the fellow starvation inmates in a cycle of prayer. 

Of particular note is the solitary piano composition by Robert Jansen – movingly played by Bartek Szysz.

It is surprising that many people, even the youth in Poland do not know about Kolbe.  Much of the information in the film can be found in Tomasz P. Terlikowski’s “Biography of the Holy Martyr," but now it is visualized for another generation.  Terlikowski appears in commentary sections, as well.

As a sort of “tour guide, Kondrat explores the history and elements of Kolbe's life, casting a new light on the motives, dilemmas and his difficult choices, while highlighting moments in the Franciscan’s biography.

Maximillian Kolbe, the Franciscan priest who gave his life as a prisoner in Auschwitz led an extraordinary life. It is interesting that he understood the essence of the mass media and the role of language as spoken to the faithful. An expressive, courageous and passionate publicist, he developed missions and literary media in both Poland and Japan. 

Kolbe was nicknamed“Crazy Max,” because he was always working on new ideas. At age 21(1912), he presented his patent for a spaceship. He also built a radio station and prepared a plan for defending the Polish city of Lwów.

Two Crowns  is piece of evangelical cinema that depicts a man of ideas; a man of blood and bones, who was endowed with extraordinary spirituality and respect for his neighbor. 

The Official Trailer: