O płynnej polskości, diasporycznych horyzontach i komparatystyce w Glasgow uwag kilka

On ‘Liquid Polishness’, New Diasporic Horizons and the Comparative Literature Programme at Glasgow University The essay outlines the general methodological approach and various comparative platforms for the discussion of diverse texts whose ‘Polishness’ often defies simple definition. The discussed examples include such texts as J. Głowacki’s play Antigone in New York, Eva Hoffman’s Lost in Translation and her novel The Secret. Two additional texts: The Adventures of Nicholas Wisdom by I. Krasicki and Malvina, or The Heart’s Intuition by M. Wirtemberska are considered for the theme of Constructing the Literary Self in a historical perspective. While presenting these and other texts within a comparative context, Grossman stresses the importance of introducing the notion of ‘liquid Polishness’ (adapted from Bauman). The concept refers to both (1) Polish-inflected texts written outside of the home country and (2) the ever-changing nature of a broadly understood ‘Polishness’ which faces numerous challenges in an enlarged post-2004 Europe. She proposes the inclusion of intercultural texts with Polish roots as a means of introducing foreign students to a more hermetic notion of a home-made ‘Polishness’ which can then be studied with the aid of Polish at an advanced postgraduate level.