Andrzej Górny

Andrzej Górny – writer, author of novels and stories, he also writes theatre sketches and reviews and movie screenplays. During his student years he participated in the uprising of 28th June 1956 in Pozna,, against the Stalinist rule in Poland.
For a few years after graduation he worked as a manual labourer in the country. In 1962 he debuted with a short story called The Wedding (,,lub) in the Creativity (Twórczo,,,,) monthly. His stories and the first novel, Reveal, shout (Ods,,o,,, krzyknij) are related to the subject of border zones between villages and small cities, even though the experiences of the protagonists raises them above the cramped horizon of the realistically sketched reality. Adam Hanuszkiewicz has directed the author’s adaptation of The Wedding in television theatre. For ten years he was the literary manager of the Puppet and Actor’s Theatre in Pozna,,.
Since 1975 until 1985 he was the assistant editor in chief of the Stream (Nurt) cultural monthly. His stay in Vietnam, two years after the fall of Saigon and the capture of the southern part of the country by North Vietnamese troops brought with it special experiences that formed the basis of his novel Travelling (W podró,,y), due to censorship issues set in an anonymous south-eastern Asian country. The author revisited his Vietnam experiences once again in a democratic Poland, in the nineties, and wrote a film screenplay: Bottomless (Bez dna), which explored those aspects of Vietnamese reality that could not be tackled on earlier. In the eighties, during the Martial Law he returned to the affair of 1956 Pozna,, June uprising, writing a novel entitled Blood (Krew), published underground. The subject was then raised once again in the nineties, in a film novella Too late, too early, it’s time (Za pó,,no, za wcze,,nie, ju,, czas), and then writing a screenplay for the Pozna,, – 56 movie on its basis, in cooperation with the movie director Filip Bajon.
His last two novels: Let’s go (W drog,,) and Suicidal (Samobój) show the story of the eighties generation, of those who started their life on underground high school newspapers, rebelling against the reality, up until their adulthood, the time of ambiguous relations with the world and with themselves, with its search for the dominant aspect of one’s spiritual life.
Literary achievements of Andrzej Górny:
- Wedding and other stories (,,lub i inne opowiadania), 1966
- If not for the air and wind (Gdyby nie powietrze i wiatr), reports, 1969
- Star, you came (Gwiazdo, przysz,,a,,), stories, 1971
- Reveal, shout (Ods,,o,,, krzyknij), novel, 1972
- A selection of stories, 1976
- Travelling (W podró,,y), novel, 1981, 1985
- I never die (Nigdy nie umieram), stories, 1983
- Blood (Krew), novel, 1989 (published underground, to avoid censorship), 1991
- Let’s go (W drog,,), novel, 2002
- Suicidal (Samobój), novel, 2007
- At feet (U stóp), a selection of theatre sketches and reviews, 1975-2007, 2007
More information about the writer can be found at
www.andrzejgorny.pl
"Samobój" fragment:
· At home he found an e-mail from Jacek. They were in Jeddah. He wrote:
“You are the only man I have thought about when we sailed in here. You should be with us. Look at those white houses, stretching as far as the far mountains on the horizon, immersed in light for ages. It’s an unattainable view, where you will never arrive, and which you need like air. Comfort yourself with the thought that nobody will ever deserve such a whiteness, such an immaculate brightness. Here, you see right away that you have to believe in Allah. Because I’m just a simple son of a bitch, I don’t have to prove it to you. Here – only prayer helps. And I can’t. My parents are long gone and won’t tell me how to do it. Here it’s clear as day, everything is unreachable, what’s seen and what’s unseen. So I don’t try to take out my camera. They would probably take it from me, and I’m ready to agree with them. Nothing should taint this blinding revelation of things, especially not the cold, glass eye of the photo lens. You can only bow your head to the ground at the moments when it’s prescribed. Here, I understood what a raw deal I gave you. It could happen because you’ve left her. But this does not justify me. You were for her, not me. From the beginning. From high school and this newspaper… Remember how Johnny brought me to your basement? (The poor guy’s now in an order, he probably feels even more sinful, gives himself even less right to anything!) You sat alongside on reams of paper, and although I couldn’t see it, I was sure that you held hands all the time, keeping them between your thighs, so it wouldn’t be seen, while I kept blabbing on about the paper for Bazyl. In my mind I kept telling myself: what a girl… Once in lifetime, even for a moment, to have her so still next to me, to just touch arms like you did. Even then I would know that I will never withstand her class. That I’ll get off on a cute ass station, and I won’t be able to get out of it. I left her to a friend of mine who never looked after just any girl… You know, if you hadn’t failed with the finals, I would have never sent that e-mail. “Tit for tat” turns out to work. Although I think this was childish, what you’ve done. I just got down to the cockpit, because it’s past noon. The guard at the containership’s gangway, who is also keeping an eye out for our boat, put down his rug and told us to get back inside, so he wouldn’t be distracted when kneeling eastwards. Because then he would have us behind his back.
We could leave unnoticed. And it’s only eighty kilometers to Mecca! I would have done it, change and go. At least for five minutes – be once like Johnny: with no right to anything. Where millions go and are in their rights – you are one person who is not. This looks like repayment. And it partially is. Usually I gave myself the right to anything – and should they catch me there, they could have refused me even the right to live. Witold did not allow it. To him, the risk I courted was like crying wolf – ridiculous and childish. So you will be able to tell me what you’d like to. See ya."
BOTTOMLESS
Fragments of the “Bottomless” movie screenplay
Scene
A large city in the South-Eastern Asia. The “Rex” hotel. Richard and Michael are sitting at the hotel’s bar, giving them a good view at the dance hall, where typical night club dancing is performed. They have drained their glasses.
Richard
I’ve never really played poker.
Michael
“I’ve never played, I’ve never played”. But you keep winning!
Michael gets off his chair and bends over to Richard, whispering to him:
Michael
Today everything… tomorrow there may be nothing left. Even this city, if they persist. Remember, Marines went home.
Richard
(going with Michael to the elevator)
Then helter-skelter, helter-skelter. Stay alive, brothers and bastards! And we, the jobless…
Michael
You with your heaps of money! Where would you go? How does your heart feel from all this happiness?
They enter the elevator. Richard leans on the wall, and raises his head when the elevator starts moving.
Richard
If fly, then away to the end of the world (he laughs)
Michael
Your prying Kazik will stop being on my heels… only what about the happiness? Not everywhere is happiness waiting especially for you.
The elevator stops. They look at each other.
Richard
Then I’ll tell you. I’m counting on my lucky star getting me into the UN. After this experience here… (makes a gesture leaving no doubts that he’ll succeed, and then looks attentively at Michael) A pity, that you’re such a nobody there. You’d have my soul.
Richard leaves the elevator, not waiting for Michael’s reaction.
Michael
OK. First visit you’ve got at my place, in Putnam. It’s near New York. A few dozen kilometers… I’m never too close. And never a stranger.
They walk down the corridor.
Scene
In the hotel room Richard and Michael play cards. They draw. Richard looks in his cards. He nods that the bets. Michael can’t decide.
Michael
I’m waiting.
Richard turns his head, dissatisfied.
Richard
I could say even worse.
Michael
Don’t bluff. You’re not playing long enough. Forwards. The adept must do so.
Richard
You’re forgetting that it’s not the first time I’m winning. It’s the second day we’re playing.
Michael
(laughs) Don’t push your luck. Keep your guard.
Richard
You’re happy that your opponent will kick your ass? Where do they teach that? In what school? Give me the address!
Michael
Were you a card player… but I know you’re not. And yet you’re winning! This is it. That’s the point.
Richard
Indeed. What’s the point? Explain…
Michael
Your hour… what more can I say? I already had mine. Many times. And can’t random chance defy everyone?
Richard
(looking at Michael, like he’s proposing a slogan to implement)
It’s time for others, brothers! Such an assumption is always right. We’ll see. (a moment of concentration over his hand) I draw.
Richard discards three cards. He looks for a moment at the newly drawn cards. Then he places them on the table with an increasing disapproval for Michael.
Michael
What’s so disgusting? (he gives back his cards) Fate knows what’s for whom.
Richard
Don’t you know too much?
Michael
You’d like to trip up?
Richard shrugs, showing his lack of understanding.
Michael
I wouldn’t have fun doing that. Neither to you nor to myself, of course.
Richard
And just in case? (he smiles) To check your character, maybe it’s worth it?
Michael
(he looks at him carefully) For luck, you need courage. And you’ve got it.
Richard moves, but he turns again for a moment.
Richard
(nodding) And that’s why I had to win. I understand.
Scene
Richard and Michael at the hotel’s bar. Their glasses are empty.
Michael
(looks at his watch) Again?
Richard
I won’t be able to get up in the morning… (he perks up) Maybe now I would lose?
Michael
You have to lose? Without it, you won’t believe you’ve won?
Richard
I already know what’s waiting for me in the next draw.
I’ll lose. So that I could believe.
Michael
It’s shit, not a game. And there must be a game. Otherwise, nobody would take the bait.
Richard
Playing cat and mouse, that’s what we’ll get of it.
Michael
This is not fun. Don’t insult us, we’re not below the level.
Richard
Then what’s fun? (suddenly his face is certain that he’ll surprise Michael) You think that risk has a lot more than we anticipate? Something that can’t be faked? Can’t be sold? A real freedom for a moment, regardless of what’s later. And we slip ourselves this “moment”… (he smiles at Michael)
Michael
Anyhow, Richard, there’s something in it. Poker is luck, or there’s no such thing as luck. Regardless of how we try to trick it, you win. And that’s what counts.
Richard
No tricks? Nothing?!... You and me? Really, most important?... Give me a day, maybe I’ll believe it. (gets up). I’m going to sleep.
Richard walks away vigorously, not waiting for Michael’s reaction.
Michael
(shouting at him) What’s important is that you’ve won!
Scene
Warsaw. Richard in his room stands at the window. He discreetly draws the curtain and looks at the street. Nothing special can be seen, a few cars and people, like on a weekend. The phone rings. He walks to it. Picks up.
Richard
Hello.
Male voice
Mr Richard Tomala?
Richard
Third time lucky. Then it’s boring. You need to invent something more interesting.
Silence. You can hear the other person putting the receiver down. So does Richard, who then returns to his windows. After a moment he looks at the phone. The phone does indeed ring. He walks to it. Picks it up. On the other side silence, although the connection is on.
Richard
Go ahead. Will you finally decide?
Male voice
(the same one as the previous time) Mr Richard Tomala?
Richard does not reply this time. Only after a moment he puts the receiver down, but he does not return to the window. He looks at the door.
Scene
Richard is walking through a not very busy street. He is not in a hurry, looking at passing cars. When standing at a pedestrian crossing he does not move when the green light turns on. He sees that neither does a man next to him. And he even smiles at Richard.
Stranger
Already…
Richard does not react in any manner, although he starts walking, as if invited by the stranger, who walks alongside. When they both reach the sidewalk, Richard turns to him.
Richard
Would you like to talk?
Stranger
With pleasure.
Richard walks on. The stranger does not give up. After some time he speaks.
Stranger
You’re a lucky man.
Richard
You must be crazy.
Stranger
Michael wrote down the amounts you’ve won.
Richard looks at the park behind a high, iron fence. He walks to a nearby entrance. After passing through the gate, Richard slows down, and so does the Stranger.
Richard
You forget that there is such a thing as chance. That is the most interesting thing in cards.
Stranger
There’s always something hiding behind mere chance.
Richard
The devil, as it turns out.
Stranger
A good one. He helped us much… The ciphers were in the package he carried.
Richard
Son of a bitch. (he looks at the stranger) He never told me what’s in the package.
Stranger
Michael is dead. His body was found in a canal, in Saigon. It happened after you’ve left.
Richard turns suddenly towards the nearest bench. He sits down. The rectangular lawns and oval flower beds reveal the broad prospects in the park. The Stranger slowly comes closer and sits on the second end of the bench. They both keep looking ahead.
Stranger
We’ve only learned about you from a private notebook. In his coded sources there is nothing. It’s not like you think.
Richard
Mike… (looks at the Stranger) It’s good you’ve told this. Answering your own questions is dangerous, after all.
Stranger
Would you like to ask about something?
Richard
Not you, no. I have a lot to tell him. (he rises) He once promised me… I don’t know whether he made it. It was not for me.
The Stranger also rises from the bench.
Stranger
This was all just between you and him. You’d have to tell. It could be verified.
Richard
Verified in this situation… No. I don’t have anything to tell you.
Stranger
You will have. More and more… we see.
Richard looks at the park. A few persons are walking, here and there somebody sits on a bench. Calm. Richard breathes in this calm. It never meant for him so much as now. The Stranger walks away without a word.
Richard
(snaps after him) As soon as it started… The end. End.
Stranger
(turns back) Nothing has yet ended, Richard.
Richard
(shouts after the Stranger) We’re not talking about the same thing! We’re not!…
Stranger walks away, not reacting. We’re not sure whether he even heard anything.