Farewells to PlasmaFew Polish prose writers of the past ten years have attracted as much delight and bewilderment as Natasza Goerke. Her stories, which are commonly fastened with predicates like "surreal," "grotesque," "ludicrous," "ironic," and "extravagant," call to mind the absurdist and parabolic work of Daniil Kharms, Slawomir Mrozek, Clarice Lispector, and Antonio Tabucchi. Although her reluctance toward straightforward narration, her refusal of any "responsibility" on the part of the writer to provide metaphysical product for the national masses, and her involvement with esoteric perspectives such as Buddhism and Asian cultures generally, all have caused less avant-garde-friendly critics to shake their heads in consternation, her erudition and extremely fine feeling for the Polish language have earned her recognition from all quarters as one of the most innovative and important voices of the younger generation. (from the Translator's Note) Farewells to Plasma is a selection of short stories and prose from the three volumes Goerke has published in Polish. |
Contents
Waiting Underground Transitions | 11 |
A Plot | 25 |
Siberian Palms | 38 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
afternoon Amanda Antonio Tabucchi asked Augustyn Baba Yaga began Bertha Billie Bioplast cheeks cigarette course Crosswoolf Dalai Lama Daniil Kharms Denisa dream Eileen Elvis Costello emperor's nightingale eyes face farewells to plasma feeling fell freelancer girl Hammer-Hammer Hammill's hands Hans Hansen happened head heart Hector Helen Hammill Hrab husband Ignacy Ignacy's John Pinstripe Klara knew koalas Konstantin Kraków Lama laugh letters live looked Margarita mirror Miss Pinzgauer morning mother Musk Musk's nanny goat Natasza Goerke never night once Patti Smith Patz-Oller poems poet Poland Polish Polish language Poznań Prague Sara shadow shouted sighed silence sitting Sławomir Mrożek sleep smile Solomon stopped stories street suddenly tears Tenzing things thought took Transcendental Happiness turned umbrella Vaclav Dragon Verbaal voice walked Wanda pussy Wanda Rutkiewicz wanted whispered window woman women word write wrote Zero Zero's