St Marys High School - Salute Yearbook (New Baltimore, MI)

Page 124 text:

The lion's share of Polish-American prose is in Polish. and much of the English portion lwhich is our exclusive concern hereb belongs to non-literary writing. But in any event, whatever its character, this prose has an importance over and beyond its rhetorical quality: as the product of American born or bred writers of Polish origin. it possesses an his- torical and sociological value for students of cultural interaction. Illinois-born Frederick Schwatka 11842-921 is per- haps the first American author of Polish parentage to write in English. His descriptive volumes. parti- cularly NIMROD OF THE NORTH and ALONG ALASKA'S GREAT RIVER, enjoyed wide popularity. Marya de Mankowski, Houston-born, seems to be the first Polonian translator. Her translations of J. Jasienczyk's TEN YEARS IN COSSACK SLAVERY and B. Prus' PHARAOH were avidly read in the early 1900's. Another early translator was Max A. Drezmal, who Englished Sienkiewicz's WHIRLPOOL and IN DESERT AND WILDERNESS before World War I. The real beginnings of Polish-American literary activity date from the late Twenties. American-reared Leocadia Popowska won the 1927 Harper Intercol- legiate Literary Prize with her short-story novel, THE LIVING SAND. In 1937 Minnesota-born Monica Krawczyk wrote a prize-winning novel NO MAN ALONE, following it up with QUILTS and a stream of short stories and articles. In 1941, American-trained Joan Konopka published DUST OF OUR BROTHERS' BLOOD. Most popular among the male writers of fiction is Joseph Marshall tlirechniakj, regular contributor to several national magazines. In 1943, Richard Hu- zarski published BRUSHLAND BILL, a novel of the Wisconsin northwoods. Most recently critical ae- claim has greeted Walter Karig's realistic novel LOWER THAN ANGEL and Joseph Wedda's JASNA POLANA. Within the last decade article writing has also found increasing numbers of devotees. Popular maga- zine articles have been coming from the pens of A. Bielaski, Bernard Adamkiewicz, Demaree Bess 4Be- rezniakb. H. Rosinski 1Miles3, James Dombrowski, Edward Falkowski, Arthur Bromirski, Stanley Vish- newski, Thaddeus Slesinski, Al Antczak, Francis Go- stomski, William Holubowicz, John Tedlowski and others. Contributions in a more serious vein have come from Paul Studenski, Frank J. Drobka, Frank T. Nowak, Alphonse Wolanin and Sigmund Uminski. Perhaps the largest contribution made by a single social group of Americans of Polish descent to Polish- American prose is that of the clergy, from whom have come numerous theological, philosophical, his- torical, scientific, devotional, and literary works - books and articles. An incomplete list of these American-born or trained priest-writers of Polish P01145 Pro e WHIRLPOOLS Ikouldvodfrupdmd n HENBYK SIESKIEWICZ Nm uf -'rms nm U.. N... -'nl ulm.: A sw. umm' -cms... .., m mt' . nl...-M no tn nxsurrf. nm: Aux L vnu! I N N 4 ' . nos r 0 s Lirrw.. awww, no w-inn mm 1 1 TURNING To sou i'Bllf0fIl'1FBf'f ffS X Mmm ,mm on centerline ' 8 tmjpmm I mm mfwxurn, snowman . N KW' 2 1 is ' ' 'Bff,'iT.15 A . Q Trstwxrfx Mar r-nm - rtxon,-. V ' il.-wmv www: ws-uf. ms W - origin includes such names as: John Zybura, John Rolbiecki, Edward Betowski, Edward Dworaczyk, Aloysius Biskupek, Stanislaus Woywood Qwojewodai. Cyril Piontek, Leo Pyzalski, Felix Seroczynski, John Pawelski, Anthony J. Zielinski. John Mix, Stanislaus Grabowski, Chester Ropella, Joseph Swastek, Joseph Przudzik, Antonine Bochenski, Samuel Bonikowski, Maurice Grajewski, Jerome Pokorny, Stanley Matu- szewski, A. Zychlinski, Stanley Borucki and others. One of the most encouraging recent developments in Polish-American writing circles has been an in- creasing awareness of the literary possibilities in- herent within the Polonian community itself. Soon perhaps short stories, novels and articles will start appearing, making known to all America the drama- tic riches that today lie largely untouched and un- exploited. CZLAUPII Yfmfizza

Page 123 text:

14me1-icanA The number of ways in which Polish-American civilians have contributed to the war effort is as numerous and varied as the battle- fields on which Polish-American soldiers have fought. Take war bond purchases as a start. In the Fourth War Loan Drive in Chicago, the Polish Amer- icans led all other purchasers with over S14 million. They were first also in the Fifth Drive with more than S20 million. Up to September, 1944, the Polish National Alliance had S14 million in bonds: the Pol- ish Roman Catholic Union's pur- chases amounted nearly to S9 mil- lion. Perhaps the outstanding indivi- dual effort in this connection was that of Mrs. Francis P. Tarnapo- wicz of Pittsburgh, chairman of the 4th Area Nationality Group Divi- sion, who was responsible for the sale of nearly 270 million dollars in bonds among 101 national groups in Pennsylvania. The parish was the outlet for the many local activities-service- men's clubs, package sending com- mittees, letter-writing groups, and bulletin distributors. Women of the parish formed knitting circles that supplied servicemen with woolens: they prepared and rolled bandages. and served as Red Cross aids. Young Ladies' Sodalities sponsored par- ties for servicemen or took part in special devotions and prayers for the men and women at the front. Not all Polish-American mothers could boast like Mrs. Rose Radzi- minska, California's Number one War Mother , or like Chicago's Mrs. n the Home ?l'0hf um' , nb '. ' J- .:-:E .2 I- I -I - 1 .g ,,.. I I ..,.,,..:. .Z A ,., . c Mother of Five Servicemen Praying for his return Knitting Circle Frances Dyke. of having eleven sons in service. But instances like the following in Reading, Pa., were ccm- mon throughout the Polonia: Mrs. B. Debkowska, six sons in serviceg Mrs. B. Morawska, five: Mrs. Dykta, Gardecka, Kupiszewska, Lapinska, Naboina, and Waszkiewicz. four each. Mrs. M. Kujawa of St. Cloud. Minn., pictured at left is the mother of five servicemen. Even school children and high school youngsters helped by collect- ing scrap and paper. They bought war stamps and bonds themselves. and at the same time promoted their sale in the neighborhood. They enthusiastically took first-aid courses to be ready for any emer- gency, and they cheerfully worked in the family Victory gardens. Typi- cal of their youthful zeal was the slogan of the pupils of Swget st Heart of Mary School in Detroit: Hearts works for TANKS not for THANKS! In addition, besides generously supporting the Red Cross, the Cath- olic Bishops' Relief, the USO and the CSO, Polish Americans organ- ized their own special committees to alleviate the sufferings of Polish refugees and war victims. Most pro- minent of these were: Amzrican Relief for Poland. The Catholic League, and The Polish-American Congress Relief. In appreciation of these activi- ties, the late Pres. F. D. Roosevelt wrote in May, 1944: All of us are proud of . . . the unsparing effort of this group of Americans in our war effort . . . Zzwvzzzrzftyz 11111111114 4 fb . . First Aid Course Q T Victory Garden

Page 125 text:

lmerican Poetry American born or bred poets of Polish parentage writing in English are few in number. Yet though their ranks be small, their contributions command attention. They bring with them a new interest and a fresh energizing spirit into American literature, of which they are a real though a small part. Until the end of World War I, English poetry written by Polish Americans consisted mainly of translations from the Polish poets done by refugees like J. Podbielski and P. Sobolewski, the latter in 1881 editing THE POETS AND POETRY OF POLAND. Several original poems, nostalgic or defiant in senti- ment, came from the pens of the exiles, A. Jaku- bowski and J. Allen, and from Chicago's prolific Teo- lila, Samolinska who, however, wrote chiefly in Polish. In the 1920's appeared the first collection of origi- nal English poems authored by a youthful Polish- American. DEAF WALLS by Philadelphia-born Ed- mund Kowalewski was a work of unusual promise, auguring much for the youthful and talented poet, from whom unfortunately no more has been heard. In 1934 appeared AGAINST DEATH IN SPRING by Alan Edward Symanski. Born in Grand Rapids, Symanski sang with Slavic poignancy of Krakow's ancient glamour, of the Black Madonna and the Warsaw Beggar, of Black Bread and the Immigrant. He spoke also of Michigan autumn, the Tennis Match and the Fourth Province. In 1934 the Chicago Polish Arts Club published a. bilingual volume of verse containing Polish and English selections entitled ANTOLOGIA POEZJI POLSKO-AMERYKANSKIEJ. The latter, drawn largely from magazines and newspapers, include ori- ginal poems by Bertha Czosnek, Irene Jaworski, Mira Kosicka, Theodora Pawelski and Hedwig Baran. Other magazine contributors since are: Joseph Cherwinski, Anthony Misiukiewicz, Mary Dunaj, Fe- licia Cetkowski and Edith Piotrowski. Perhaps the most important in this group is Iowan Raymond Kre- senski, author of numerous religious verses and of the volume, EMMAUS. Minnesota-bred Victora Janda with her two vol- umes of original poems - WALLS OF THE SPACE 119457 and STAR HUNGER 119437 - is today per- haps the leading Polish-American poet. In a style reminiscent of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Janda echocs Symanski's nostalgic cry for Polan'd's lore of legend. history, song , but more often she sings of her Minne- sota countryside. Interesting too is her use of ang- licized Polish words like Shelest for their onomoto- poeic value. Also in 1945, the youthful Polish-American Klub Polski at Columbia University published its second anthology of verse and prose translated from Polish. THE WAYSIDE WILLOW, especially the verse trans- lations by Theodore Plucinski, George Szymanski, Filomena Dabal, Janet Narolska, Antoinette Slowin- ska, Charlotte Saikowska and the Bielawski sisters, is a welcome companion to THE POLISH LAND is- sued in 1943. In summary, perhaps the main characteristic of this Polonian contribution to American poetry is its bicultural quality. The poetry on the one hand re- flects the restless American environment in which the poets move, and on the other shows a keen aware- ness of the authors' share in their Polish heritage. Perhaps in the near future a poet will also appear to sing the rich and varied lore locked in the heavy chests of the POLONIA AMERYKANSKA itself. gywin. Wgdzagf