My writings-short stories, part one.
Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Oscar Wilde It came to me that I can use my already published materials as a source for further writing. I chose one, probably the most interesting chapter in each book, and developed it into a short story. Yes, I did steal them, but from myself. It felt like […]
What I Write About, and Why
Writing a novel is a long game. Months, often years. Intense, lonely hours. But if you like it––it’s exhilarating. There is this liberating feeling of creation and accomplishment. And constant study. I had the stories to tell, but that was not enough. I had to learn the literary language. I had to learn how to […]
My Journey as a Writer
How did I become a writer? By the end of my hospital life, I’ve decided what I wanted in the retirement. With a sudden ‘But of course!’ writing became a major interest of mine. In time, it gradually dominated most of my days’, and sometimes nights’, hours. The learning process took time, but now the […]
Announcing My New Website
First, it was this lingering and then growing feeling that the old website just, well, got old. We lived together for five years, and it served me faithfully, just like my first car. But then I moved on with my writing and the time came for an upgrade. I decided to trade it in for […]
The Spectacle of the Nobel Prize in Literature
I shouldn’t complain about the Nobel Prize in literature. Polish writers received this prestigious award five times, and, by the numbers, we are in the top of so distinguished countries. Not bad. But when you think about the idea of rewarding a person for being the best writer in the world, and about the convoluted process how the […]
Growing up under the Communism in Poland
In 1953, March 6th happened on Friday. When I came to the class in the morning, I saw my third-grade teacher sitting at her desk, head buried in her hands, crying. We sensed a personal tragedy, and not knowing how to react, quietly took our seats. She then looked at us with the teary eyes. […]
Cardiac Pacemakers
My uncle died in Poland during the implant of his permanent pacemaker. At that time, I was a medical student, and I thought I should be able to understand why did it happen. I couldn’t, and I still don’t. A few years later, I came to this country and started doing the implants myself. It’s […]
Why?
Czesława Kwoka was 14 years old. On the arrival, they tattooed number 26947 on her left forearm. Then they took her picture. Not before the guard beat her up with a club. The Germans had sent the girl and her mother to Auschwitz to be exterminated. Both came from the area of Poland designed by […]
How Many of the Earthly Possessions Do We Need
While they were getting older, I realized my parents’ future looked grim in Poland. The communism maintained its tight grip on the economy and politics. The unrest past the brewing point and spilled on the streets. Everyday survival got to be a challenge. Moreover, their medical care was compromised. They didn’t complain, but I knew […]
