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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Mongrel dogs have the best of their progenitors
Mongrel. What’s an awful name for a dog. A dog not belonging to any recognizable tribe of dogs. A product of an accident. Incidental dog. Oops-dog….
The life with Bentley, my writing companion
For many people, and I certainly know for me, dogs are a big, irreplaceable part of their lives. I didn’t grow up with dogs, but now I…
Forty-five years of cardiac surgery
In my gym, I meet the best people, and have the most interesting conversations, in the jacuzzi. It’s located in a corner of the large pool…