Today, we begin a new series of stories about banned books with Ania Kaminska’s essay and a review of The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma (Kariera Nikodema Dyzmy). This book tells the tale of a small-town con artist who climbs the social ladder to become a political leader, only to end up as a puppet of the elite class. Despite being censored, confiscated, and ultimately banned in Poland in 1951, the book gained immense popularity. It was adapted into movies and TV series and even inspired Jerzy Kosinski to write Being There.
We also have an update about the Presidential Elections in Seattle. Keep reading below.
“The Career of Nikodem Dyzma” was written by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz in 1931 as a critique of the political establishment at the time. The novel initially appeared in episodes in ABC magazine and quickly gained popularity. Despite parts of it being confiscated, the writer persevered and wrote a sequel. The book tells the story of an unemployed provincial who accidentally infiltrates high society. For a long time, the protagonist successfully plays the role of a worldly man, a specialist, and a frequenter of salons. He takes on high-ranking positions and receives state honors. He is eventually unmasked by the eccentric Żorż Ponimirski, who is considered insane. However, Dyzma remains unpunished, as interwar Poland, much like contemporary Poland, is a country where it is difficult to be discredited, and new Dyzmas emerge regularly.
Przypominamy, że głosowanie w wyborach Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na terenie Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki odbędzie się w sobotę, 17. maja 2025 r.
Aby wziąć udział w głosowaniu należy do 13 maja 2025 r. złożyć wniosek o ujęcie w spisie wyborców.
“Gaja z gajówki” to już czterotomowa seria autorstwa Anny Włodarkiewicz o piegowatej, energicznej dziewczynce, która udowadnia, że życie z dala od ekranów – bez smartfona, gier komputerowych i telewizora – może być pełne pasji, przygód i prawdziwych odkryć. Książka napisana jest w formie pamiętnika, dzięki czemu czytelnicy z łatwością wchodzą w świat Gai – zaledwie kilkuletniej bohaterki, którą poznajemy tuż przed rozpoczęciem nauki w pierwszej klasie.
Recently, my son began a unit on dystopian literature at school and chose to read 1984 by George Orwell. When I mentioned that it is one of the most frequently banned and challenged books, his immediate reaction was: “Why?”
It was a great question—”Why was this book banned?”
But to answer that, we must first ask a broader question: “Why are books banned at all?”
Wendy Rader-Konofalski, recently featured at the Polish Home Art Gallery, now has a new art exhibit at Bothell Caffe Ladro 18610 Bothell Way Lots of large new work and a variety of smaller landscapes. Come for the art, have a cup of coffee, and say hello to Wendy. All her
Last week was an amazing day—summer-like, warm, and sunny. I went for a long walk with my family through the forest to the park, enjoying the sun’s golden beams. We were not alone. The park was full of people playing, walking, and biking, all appreciating the warmth granted by the sun.
I am currently reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, where the sun’s nourishment plays a significant role in the story. It made me reflect on how the sun is represented in language—how it is perceived and which of its characteristics have been used to express emotions and daily life experiences. To explore this, I turned to idioms and proverbs, which serve as linguistic fossils preserving the worldview of our ancestors.