Papers by Thomas F Anessi
The Pechenegs: Nomads in the Political and Cultural Landscape of Medieval Europe, 2021
Miechów cited below. 75 'And among the quadrupeds there is what is called the "colos" [κόλος]; i... more Miechów cited below. 75 'And among the quadrupeds there is what is called the "colos" [κόλος]; it is between the deer and ram in size, it is white, is swifter than they, and drinks through its nostrils into its head, and then from this storage supplies itself for several days, so that it can easily live in the waterless country' (Strabo, III 249). The only fantastic element in this information is that about the Saiga antelope storing water in its head.
The Pechenegs: Nomads in the Political and Cultural Landscape of Medieval Europe, 2021
The Polish Review, Jul 1, 2023
In this article, I argue that in the years 1960‒1980—roughly from Solaris (1961), through His Mas... more In this article, I argue that in the years 1960‒1980—roughly from Solaris (1961), through His Master's Voice (1968), to Golem XIV (1981)—Stanisław Lem carried out an anthropological experiment in which his protagonists were confronted with unknowable phenomena. The fullest expression of this experiment is the novel Solaris, in which a new function of literature—the universalization of uncertainty—is unveiled. This feature links Lem's novel with the works of other Polish writers, such as Witold Gombrowicz, Tadeusz Różewicz, Andrzej Czycz, Teodor Parnicki, and Edward Stachura. Some of their works from the 1960s and 1970s can be considered representative of the post-avant-garde in Polish prose; these works question key social beliefs (especially regarding the efficacy of cognition, the adequacy of language, and the stability of the human subject), but instead of proposing a new order, their authors indicate the need for accepting that human existence is not grounded in a higher order.
The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation ... more The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation of English surtitles for a Polish production based on Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play in question, 2008: Macbeth, was a highly stylized, big-budget adaptation written and directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. It is set in the modern day and contains text and scenes added by Jarzyna to comment on contemporary politics and military culture. The Polish he uses and that found in the translation by Barańczak which served as the source text for 2008: Macbeth feel more contemporary than Elizabethan English; therefore, the material written by Jarzyna is much closer to Barańczak's "original" text than to Shakespeare's. An additional challenge in writing the surtitles was the canonical status of Shakespeare's Macbeth and audiences' familiarity with this text. A translation focused on conveying Jarzyna's artistic messages could thus alienate viewers who approach 2008: Macbeth as a foreign-language reworking of Shakespeare, rather than an original work. Applying common theoretical concepts, such as adaptation/ translation, source/target, and textual/performative, the article examines the process and strategies employed in producing the English supertitles for 2008: Macbeth and the play’s reception in the U.S. and U.K.
International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, 2012
Moving Ahead into the Past: Historical Contexts in Recent Polish Cinema The article looks at trea... more Moving Ahead into the Past: Historical Contexts in Recent Polish Cinema The article looks at treatments of Poland’s 20th-century history in Polish films made over the last several years. Since 2007, Polish cinema has seen an explosion of films dealing in various ways with the history of the last century. These include mega-productions by directors known for making historically themed films, like Wajda’s Katyn or Hoffman’s 1920. Battle of Warsaw, and traditional historical dramas dealing with iconic personalities (Rafal Wieczynski’s Popieluszko. Freedom Is Within Us) and moments in time (Antoni Krauze’s Black Thursday. Janek Wiśniewski Fell). However, a number of other works make use of historical settings from the last century in new and innovative ways. Most choose smaller-scale, less grand approaches to the past, though without abandoning an ambition to accurately depict the times they portray. Films focused on issues related to family and personal relationships, such as Jan Kidaw...
(Un)masking Bruno Schulz, 2009
Abstract: Bruno Schulz was intricately linked with Poland's Skamandrite literary cen... more Abstract: Bruno Schulz was intricately linked with Poland's Skamandrite literary center in Warsaw. His career as a writer began in Warsaw and was nurtured in journals that carried the Skamander torch. His place in the literary milieu of the interwar period cannot be understood without reference to his place within this center. Important textual links between Schulz and the Varsovian literary milieu are the essays, reviews, and stories he published in Poland's most prominent literary journals, including the Warsaw-based Tygodnik ...
ABSTRACT Typescript. Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Carolina, 1999. Includes bibliographical ... more ABSTRACT Typescript. Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Carolina, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-50).
The Reception of James Joyce in Europe, Aug 17, 2004
Przekładaniec, 2015
The text is an English-language version of the article “Adaptacja jako krwawe bagno. Tłumacząc sp... more The text is an English-language version of the article “Adaptacja jako krwawe bagno. Tłumacząc spektakl 2008: Macbeth na angielski”, published in Polish in the journal Przekładaniec, no. 31/2015, pp. 201–221.
Abstract: The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation of English surtitles for a Polish production based on Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play in question, 2008: Macbeth, was a highly stylized, big-budget adaptation written and directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. It is set in the modern day and contains text and scenes added by Jarzyna to comment on contemporary politics and military culture. The Polish he uses and the language found in the Barańczak translation that served as a source text for 2008: Macbeth feel more contemporary than Elizabethan English; therefore, the material written by Jarzyna is much closer to Barańczak’s “original” text than to Shakespeare’s. An additional challenge in writing the surtitles was the canonical status of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the familiarity of audiences with its text; a translation focused on conveying Jarzyna’s artistic messages could thus alienate viewers who approach 2008: Macbeth as a foreign-language reworking of Shakespeare, rather than an original work. Applying common theoretical concepts, such as adaptation/translation, source/target, and textual/performative, the article examines the process and strategies employed in producing the English supertitles for 2008: Macbeth, and they play’s reception in the U.S. and U.K.
Keywords: Macbeth, adaptation, surtitles, multimedia, source text
The revival of the Polish state in 1918 was followed by an explosion of literary expression. Alth... more The revival of the Polish state in 1918 was followed by an explosion of literary expression. Although partly rooted in the pan-European rise of modernism, this cultural outpouring also expressed Poles’ need to (re)define themselves and their nation after the reestablishment of definable state boundaries. One way that Poland’s revived statehood is reflected in the interwar novel is in examinations of the relationship between identity and territorial boundaries.
One such work is Maria Kuncewiczowa’s Cudzoziemka, whose title character, Róża, is a Polish musician who moves to Warsaw after having grown up in Russia. Poland’s regaining independence threatens her identity, rather than reinforcing it. Róża’s biography, appearance, speech, artistic ambitions, and especially gender, all contribute to her feeling like and often being perceived as a foreigner in Warsaw. This alienation is highlighted in scenes involving cross-border travel, where incongruities between geographic and cultural space create tensions that highlight the liminality of her identity.
A second novel focusing on Poland’s borders is Sergiusz Piasecki’s bestseller Kochanek Wielkiej Niedźwiedzicy, which follows the exploits of Władek, a smuggler on Poland’s eastern frontier. The Polish-Soviet border in Piasecki’s novel represents not a boundary line, but rather one of a number of reference points for ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and even ethical distinctions. It is a construct whose power to divide is a function of the state, personified by those – on both sides – assigned to defend its integrity.
Although the two works belong to very different literary genres – the psychological and adventure novel, respectively – both employ borders to construct stories about a search for identity. The heroes of the novels root their sense of self and home in their actions, especially while engaging in their “occupations” as a musician and a smuggler. Their repeated physical and public affirmations of identity are analogous to what Judith Butler refers to as the “performative” quality of gender identity. In my conclusion, I examine how the two novels’ construction of Poland’s borders is a gendered one.
Przekładaniec, 2015
The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation ... more The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation of English surtitles for a Polish production based on Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play in question, 2008: Macbeth, was a highly stylized, big-budget adaptation written and directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. It is set in the modern day and contains text and scenes added by Jarzyna to comment on contemporary politics and military culture. The Polish he uses and that found in the translation by Barańczak which served as the source text for 2008: Macbeth feel more contemporary than Elizabethan English; therefore, the material written by Jarzyna is much closer to Barańczak's "original" text than to Shakespeare's. An additional challenge in writing the surtitles was the canonical status of Shakespeare's Macbeth and audiences' familiarity with this text. A translation focused on conveying Jarzyna's artistic messages could thus alienate viewers who approach 2008: Macbeth as a foreign-language reworking of Shakespeare, rather than an original work. Applying common theoretical concepts, such as adaptation/ translation, source/target, and textual/performative, the article examines the process and strategies employed in producing the English supertitles for 2008: Macbeth and the play’s reception in the U.S. and U.K.
Kultura Współczesna. 1(85)/2015, 2015
Przejście Polski z „twardego” komunistycznego do „płynnego” kapitalistycznego ładu w 1989 położył... more Przejście Polski z „twardego” komunistycznego do „płynnego” kapitalistycznego ładu w 1989 położyło kres nie tylko dawnemu systemowi politycznemu, ale również sposobowi czytania kultury polskiej, który funkcjonował na Zachodzie od końca II wojny światowej. Stosując koncepcję Baumana jako punkt wyjścia, analizuję odbiór współczesnej literatury polskiej w angielskim przekładzie w XXI wieku. Obraz współczesnej Polski, który anglojęzyczni krytycy, tłumacze i wydawcy kreują jest nie tylko odzwierciedleniem zmian i sytuacji za Odrą, ale również produktem wpływu globalizacji i późnej nowoczesności.
Original English-language version of article published in Czas Kultury (4/2014).
Czas kultury (4/2014), 2014
Crime Scenes: Modern Crime Fiction in an International Context , 2014
Images. The International Journal Of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, no. 20, 2012
“Zeszyty Komiksowe”, numer 12, wrzesień 2011: Komiks historyczny, Sep 2011
Abstract: Bruno Schulz was intricately linked with Poland's Skamandrite literary center in Warsaw... more Abstract: Bruno Schulz was intricately linked with Poland's Skamandrite literary center in Warsaw. His career as a writer began in Warsaw and was nurtured in journals that carried the Skamander torch. His place in the literary milieu of the interwar period cannot be understood without reference to his place within this center.
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Papers by Thomas F Anessi
Abstract: The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation of English surtitles for a Polish production based on Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play in question, 2008: Macbeth, was a highly stylized, big-budget adaptation written and directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. It is set in the modern day and contains text and scenes added by Jarzyna to comment on contemporary politics and military culture. The Polish he uses and the language found in the Barańczak translation that served as a source text for 2008: Macbeth feel more contemporary than Elizabethan English; therefore, the material written by Jarzyna is much closer to Barańczak’s “original” text than to Shakespeare’s. An additional challenge in writing the surtitles was the canonical status of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the familiarity of audiences with its text; a translation focused on conveying Jarzyna’s artistic messages could thus alienate viewers who approach 2008: Macbeth as a foreign-language reworking of Shakespeare, rather than an original work. Applying common theoretical concepts, such as adaptation/translation, source/target, and textual/performative, the article examines the process and strategies employed in producing the English supertitles for 2008: Macbeth, and they play’s reception in the U.S. and U.K.
Keywords: Macbeth, adaptation, surtitles, multimedia, source text
One such work is Maria Kuncewiczowa’s Cudzoziemka, whose title character, Róża, is a Polish musician who moves to Warsaw after having grown up in Russia. Poland’s regaining independence threatens her identity, rather than reinforcing it. Róża’s biography, appearance, speech, artistic ambitions, and especially gender, all contribute to her feeling like and often being perceived as a foreigner in Warsaw. This alienation is highlighted in scenes involving cross-border travel, where incongruities between geographic and cultural space create tensions that highlight the liminality of her identity.
A second novel focusing on Poland’s borders is Sergiusz Piasecki’s bestseller Kochanek Wielkiej Niedźwiedzicy, which follows the exploits of Władek, a smuggler on Poland’s eastern frontier. The Polish-Soviet border in Piasecki’s novel represents not a boundary line, but rather one of a number of reference points for ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and even ethical distinctions. It is a construct whose power to divide is a function of the state, personified by those – on both sides – assigned to defend its integrity.
Although the two works belong to very different literary genres – the psychological and adventure novel, respectively – both employ borders to construct stories about a search for identity. The heroes of the novels root their sense of self and home in their actions, especially while engaging in their “occupations” as a musician and a smuggler. Their repeated physical and public affirmations of identity are analogous to what Judith Butler refers to as the “performative” quality of gender identity. In my conclusion, I examine how the two novels’ construction of Poland’s borders is a gendered one.
Abstract: The article presents the challenges of dramatic adaptation through a case study: the translation of English surtitles for a Polish production based on Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play in question, 2008: Macbeth, was a highly stylized, big-budget adaptation written and directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. It is set in the modern day and contains text and scenes added by Jarzyna to comment on contemporary politics and military culture. The Polish he uses and the language found in the Barańczak translation that served as a source text for 2008: Macbeth feel more contemporary than Elizabethan English; therefore, the material written by Jarzyna is much closer to Barańczak’s “original” text than to Shakespeare’s. An additional challenge in writing the surtitles was the canonical status of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the familiarity of audiences with its text; a translation focused on conveying Jarzyna’s artistic messages could thus alienate viewers who approach 2008: Macbeth as a foreign-language reworking of Shakespeare, rather than an original work. Applying common theoretical concepts, such as adaptation/translation, source/target, and textual/performative, the article examines the process and strategies employed in producing the English supertitles for 2008: Macbeth, and they play’s reception in the U.S. and U.K.
Keywords: Macbeth, adaptation, surtitles, multimedia, source text
One such work is Maria Kuncewiczowa’s Cudzoziemka, whose title character, Róża, is a Polish musician who moves to Warsaw after having grown up in Russia. Poland’s regaining independence threatens her identity, rather than reinforcing it. Róża’s biography, appearance, speech, artistic ambitions, and especially gender, all contribute to her feeling like and often being perceived as a foreigner in Warsaw. This alienation is highlighted in scenes involving cross-border travel, where incongruities between geographic and cultural space create tensions that highlight the liminality of her identity.
A second novel focusing on Poland’s borders is Sergiusz Piasecki’s bestseller Kochanek Wielkiej Niedźwiedzicy, which follows the exploits of Władek, a smuggler on Poland’s eastern frontier. The Polish-Soviet border in Piasecki’s novel represents not a boundary line, but rather one of a number of reference points for ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and even ethical distinctions. It is a construct whose power to divide is a function of the state, personified by those – on both sides – assigned to defend its integrity.
Although the two works belong to very different literary genres – the psychological and adventure novel, respectively – both employ borders to construct stories about a search for identity. The heroes of the novels root their sense of self and home in their actions, especially while engaging in their “occupations” as a musician and a smuggler. Their repeated physical and public affirmations of identity are analogous to what Judith Butler refers to as the “performative” quality of gender identity. In my conclusion, I examine how the two novels’ construction of Poland’s borders is a gendered one.