Sunday, September 7, 2025

Kazimierz Braun - Collected Plays, Vol. 4 Theater of Memory Published in September 2025

 ISBN 978-1-945938-71-9 (hardcover), 416 pages, 
incl. 6 pages of introduction and 410 of text. $64.00. 

 ISBN 978-1-945938-72-6 (paperback), $45.00

 ISBN 978-1-945938-73-3 (eBook, PDF), $30.00 

Video - 2025 Golden Award by the Modjeska Cub to Kazimierz Braun.   https://youtu.be/75e0aMXUEJg

Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays. Tom 4. Volume 4. Teatr Pamięci. Theater of Memory by Kazimierz Braun is a bilingual collection of plays  published by Moonrise Press in September 2025 completes the four-part Collected Plays bilingual edition in Polish and English. 

This is the fourth volume of the collection that includes also:

    Tom 1. Volume 1. Teatr Jednego Aktora. Plays for One Actor. 

    Tom 2. Volume 2.  Teatr Niezgody. Theater of Discord. 

    Tom 3. Volume 3. Teatr Artystek. Theater of Women Artists. 

All four volumes include the same brief dedication in English and Polish: 

 We Wstępie do swego dramatu Pierścień Wielkiej-Damy pisze Cyprian Norwid: „…idzie dziś o dzieła dramatyczne, które by nie mniejszy dla osobnego czytania i dla gry scenicznej przedstawiały interes”. Tak i ja myślę. Ofiarowuję te dramaty zarówno czytelnikom, jak ludziom teatru: reżyserom, aktorom, scenografom, producentom. 

K.B.

In the Introduction to his drama The Ring of a Great Lady, Cyprian Norwid writes: "... as I see it, today we’re in need of dramatic works that would be no less interesting for a private reading as well as for a stage performance." So do I think. I am offering these dramas both to readers and to people of the theater: directors, actors, set designers, producers.

K.B.

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 CONTENTS OF VOLUME 4 - THEATER OF MEMORY (416 p.)

 ISBN 978-1-945938-71-9 (hardcover)

 ISBN 978-1-945938-72-6 (paperback)

 ISBN 978-1-945938-73-3 (eBook, PDF)  

SPIS TREŚCI

Teatr Pamięci — 1

Niewyznane Zwierzenia —   3

Promieniowanie. Rzecz o Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie  —  17

Dzieci Paderewskiego —  37

Paderewski Wraca — 77

Płonący Anioł. Rzecz o Leonie Schillerze — 121

Szkło Bolesne. Opowieść Matki o Powstaniu  Warszawskim — 161

Nota o autorze — 409

CONTENTS

Theater of Memory — 207

Unconfessed Confession  —  209

Radiation. The Story of Maria Skłodowska-Curie  —  219

Paderewski’s Children  —  239

Paderewski’s Return  —  277

An Angel in Fire. A Story of Leon Schiller —  321

The Warsaw Uprising. A Mother’s Story  — 363

Note About the Author — 409

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Teatr pamięci to czwarty tom zbioru dramatów Kazimierza Brauna. Zawiera on sztuki, w których autor zaprasza czytelnika lub widza, aby towarzyszyli włoskim aktorom Commedii dell Arte, występującym w Paryżu w latach 1730.; aby stanęli w pobliżu potężnego geniuszu uczonej Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie; aby byli świadkami losów i dzieł wielkiego pianisty, kompozytora i męża stanu Ignacego Paderewskiego; zadumali się nad losem wielkiego reżysera Leona Schillera; znaleźli się w Warszawie szykującej się do Powstania w 1944 r., a następnie bohatersko walczącej z niemieckim najeźdźcą. 

Kazimierz Braun jest reżyserem, pisarzem i teatrologiem. Prowadził teatry i reżyserował w Polsce, a także w Ameryce, Irlandii, Kanadzie, Niemczech i innych krajach. Uczył na uniwersytetach w kraju i w USA. Wydał liczne książki z historii i teorii teatru. W jego dorobku pisarskim znajdują się również powieści, opowiadania, dramaty i poezje. Jego sztuki były wystawiane w Polsce, Irlandii Kanadzie i USA.

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Theater of Memory is the fourth volume of a collection of dramas by Kazimierz Braun. It includes plays in which the author invites the reader / spectator to accompany the Italian actors of the Commedia dell Arte performing in Paris in the 1730s; to stand close to the powerful genius of the scientist Maria Skłodowska-Curie; to witness the fate and works of the great pianist, composer and statesman Ignacy Paderewski to pondered over the fate of the great director Leon Schiller; to find themselves in Warsaw preparing for the Uprising in 1944, and then heroically fighting the German invaders. 

Kazimierz Braun is a director, writer and scholar. He was artistic director and general manager of professional theatres in Poland. He directed in Poland, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and other countries. He taught at Polish and American universities. He published several books on theatre history and theory, as well as novels, dramas, and poetry. His plays have been staged in Poland, USA, Canada, and Ireland.


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CONTENTS OF VOLUME 3 - THEATER OF WOMEN ARTISTS (250 pages)

ISBN 978-1-945938-68-9 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-945938-69-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-945938-70-2 (eBook, PDF)  

SPIS TREŚCI

Teatr Artystek — 1

Tamara L .—  3

Opowieści Poli Negri  — 31

Powrót Ordonki  —  63

American Dreams — 97

Nota o autorze — 243

CONTENTS

Theater of Women Artists —  125

Tamara L.—   127

Pola Negri Tales — 153

The Return of Ordonka —  183

American Dreams — 217

Note About the Author  — 243

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CONTENTS OF VOLUME 2 - THEATER OF DISCORD (312 pages)

ISBN 978-1-945938-66-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-945938-65-8 (paperback)

ISBN  978-1-945938-67-2 (eBook, PDF)  

 

SPIS TREŚCI
Teatr niezgody — 1
Wiatr Niepodległości —  3
Postscriptum: Powrót do domu —  26
Lanckorońska  —  28
Internowani. Zły Sen  —  55 
Bojkot. Dramat w dwóch częściach —  86
Kwarantanna  — 126
Nota o autorze —  305

CONTENTS
Theater of Discord —  153
Wind of Independence — 155
Postscript: Returning Home  —  178
Lanckorońska —  180
Internees. A Nightmare —  209 
Bojkot. Drama in Two Parts  — 240
Quarantine —   279
Note About the Author  —   305

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CONTENTS OF VOLUME 1 - PLAYS FOR ONE ACTOR (364 p.)

ISBN 978-1-945938-62-7 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-945938-63-4 (paperback) 

ISBN  978-1-945938-64-1 (eBook, PDF)


SPIS TREŚCI

Moje przygody w teatrze jednego aktora—3

Sztuki dla aktorki  — 15                    
Królowa Emigrantka  —  17
Hollywood znaczy święty las — 57

Sztuki dla aktora —   75
Kościuszko. Naczelnik  —   77
Powrót Norwida  —  97
Sienkiewicz. Ku niepodległości — 115
Mistrz Paderewski   —  135
Cela Ojca Maksymiliana  — 151
Nota o autorze — 357


CONTENTS
My Adventures With Plays For One Actor— 177

Plays For An Actress —  187
Emigrant Queen  ——  189
Hollywood Means The Sacred Forest  — 237

Plays For An Actor —  255
Kościuszko. The Commander — 257
Norwid Returns — 277
Sienkiewicz. Towards Independence — 295 
Maestro Paderewski  — 315
Father Maximilian’s Cell  —333

Note About The Author — 357


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Prof. Braun on Zoom, May 2025.

THE THEMES OF CONSCIENCE, PATRIOTISM AND BETRAYAL
IN PLAYS BY KAZIMIERZ BRAUN

The Collected Plays. Dramaty Zebrane by Kazimierz Braun gather together results of decades of the playwright's work creating "patriotic theater" that focuses mostly on Polish history and Poland's great historical figures. The set consists of 23 plays in Polish accompanied by their English translations, with a total of 1341 pages. The four volumes are organized first by category (plays for one actor /actress are in volume 1, other volumes have casts of different number), and then by content (volumes 2 through 4 contain plays focusing on various subjects and issues, from gender - in Vol. 3 Theater of Women Artists, through dissent and discord - in Vol. 2 Theater of Discord, to memory, history seen from afar, from a distant, reflective perspective - in Vol. 4, Theater of Memory.  All plays are organized into two sections, first in Polish, then in English. The large book format 8 1/2 by 11 inches, and hardcover edition predestine these volumes for library shelves, though paperback edition and PDF edition are also available. 

Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Postcard by Artur Szyk

Braun has been particularly attentive to Polish heroes associated with the restoration of Poland's independence in 1918. Three plays are about Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), pianist, composer and statesman credited with "resurrecting" Poland after 123 years of the country being divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria. A play for one actor "Maestro Paderewski" was written for the talented and dedicated Polish-American actor Marek Probosz, and conceived after their successful collaboration on the staging of "Norwid Returns" - a solo play dedicated to the tragic fate and timeless art of the great Romantic poet, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, 1821-1883). 

 Two other Paderewski plays are found in Vol. 4. "Paderewski's Children" (focusing on the patriotic activities of Lieutenant (later Colonel) Chwalski – a poeta, playwright, and the handler of the Paderewski puppet, during the creation of Polish Army in Canada in 1917 (it later became the Haller's Army and fought alongside Americans against the Germans in WWI). and "Paderewski's Return" presents the dilemma of the pianist’s return to the stage after a decade when he was dedicated solely to political activities and struggle for Poland’s independence.

The Nobel-Prize-winning novelist,  Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) who was also active in Paderewski's patriotic committees, appears at the end of his life in Poland, when he is leaving his manor to its uncertain fate  during WWI ("Henryk Sienkiewicz - Towards Independence" in Vol. 1). Finally, a fascinating and little-known episode from Poland's struggle for independence is found in Braun's family history: the "Wind of of Independence" presents his family's patriotic activities in Tarnow during the turmoil when WWI ended, Poles rose in an insurrection and Austrian troops withdrew. 


Tadeusz Kosciuszko's portrait by Karl Gottlieb Schweikart -Wikimedia Commons. 

The great heroes of Polish history whose pivotal moments  and experiences are captured by Kazimierz Braun include General Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817), a hero of the American Revolutionary War who fought for Poland's independence in 1794, was imprisoned for two years and sent back to America by the Tsar (this play definitely should be staged in 2026, the 250th anniversary of American Independence). "Father Maximilian's Cell" presents the tragic fate of Father Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFMConv. (1894-1941), a Catholic Saint murdered in German NAZI Auschwitz Concentration Camp, where he volunteered to replace another man who was a father and thus unwilling to die. These two great patriots of impeccable character and moral virtues are celebrated worldwide. 

Countess Karolina Lanckoronska (1898-2002) is far less known, even though, her heroism and self-sacrifice were enormous. An heir of an aristocratic family and an art historian, during WWII she was harassed first by Soviets and then by Germans for her role in the Polish resistance movement.  Soviets “nationalized” her estate, threw her out of her job for the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów and took over her apartment. After moving to Kraków and engaging in her anti-German activities, she was arrested and imprisoned in Ravensbrück. After the war, she emigrated to Italy, where she established a foundation helping many Polish students. 

Another great patriot was an actress, director, producer, celebrity and fashion icon, Helena Modrzejewska (1840-1909) known in America as Helena Modjeska, a Shakespearean actress of worldwide fame. Modjeska came to California in 1876 with a group of utopian-minded artists, Henryk Sienkiewicz among them, and since 1877 conquered the American stages, specializing in Shakespearean repertoire and giving thousands of performances.  Her patriotic and anti-Russian speech at the World Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago had her permanently banned from returning to her native Poland (Russian partition) so she settled in California and continued to perform, as well as assist numerous artists in their budding careers. 

 Modjeska's farewell to her beloved home of Arden in the Silverado Canyon area of Orange County before she moved to the Bay Island in Newport Beach, sets the stage for reminiscences about her past friendships, romances, and passions in a solo play, "Emigrant Queen." Polish emigre actresses Nina Polan and Maria Nowotarska  became "Queens" and aptly impersonated Modjeska on the stage.

Several plays were written for two actresses from the Polish Salon of Poetry and Theater in Toronto, Maria Nowotarska (originally from The J. Slowacki in Kraków), and her daughter Agata Pilitowska.  They toured the world with these plays, educating audiences about Polish history and culture, and helping emigres preserve Polish language and identity. Maria Sklodowska-Curie (1867-1934), a double Noble-Prize-winning scientist was seen in a dialogue with her daughter ("Radiation").  In other plays, a beautiful, and successful artistic celebrity is contrasted with an older figure, acting as a voice of conscience or memory.  

"Tamara L" pairs the flamboyant Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka (1894-1980) with a wise and pious Mother Superior. "The Return of Ordonka" highlights the successes of the Polish singer and film star Hanna Ordonówna (b. Maria Anna Pietruszyńska, 1902-1950) and her fate during WWII when she survived Soviet occupation by joining the Second Corps of Polish Army under General Anders and helping care for Polish war orphans evacuated from the Soviet gulags to safety in India or Iran.  The greatest Polish star in inter-war Hollywood, Pola Negri (b. Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec, 1897-1987) talks about her career, her romance with Rudolf Valentino, her interest in starring in German films in the 1930s, and career highlights. The play, illustrated with film fragments, truly brings the silent movie star to life. 

Pola Negri in "The Way of Lost Souls" - Wikimedia Commons. 

The final "biographical" play traces the betrayal of youthful ideals during the onset of communism in Poland occupied by Soviet forces after 1945 - the influential theater director Leon Schiller (1887-1954). A devout Catholic in his youth, member of the Third Order of lay brothers of St. Francis, he made a complete turnaround during the Stalinist era of repressions, forceful introduction of "socialist realism" themes and rejection of all references to religion.  

White the characters are fictitious, the drama of youth sacrificing their lives for the nation in 1944, depicted in the "Warsaw Uprising" - seems very real, as it is based on a sublimation of thousands of tragedies of this tragic gesture - the underground Home Army fighters battled the overwhelming forces of Germans and Russians under their command for 63 days from 1 August 1944 to 3 October 1944.  18 thousands of fighters died, but over 200,000 civilians were massacred by German Nazi, Waffen SS, and RONA forces. Only the mother survives her children and visits the cemetery at the end of Braun's poignant, dramatic play. 

The theme of betrayal of one's conscience and beliefs for the sake of a potential material and artistic success (that often never materializes due to the characters' tragic ending) appears in several plays without "real-life" characters. Plays about fictional characters place them in the liminal circumstances of imprisonment after the fall of Solidarity ("Internees. A Nightmare"), return to the stage after political betrayal ("Bojkot. Drama in Two Parts"), emigration to the U.S. in the 1980s ("American Dream" about two misguided actresses, and "Hollywood Means Sacred Forest" about one lost soul, that dreamed about American success after emigration without knowing the language), and the Covid 19 shutdowns, censorship and globalist takeover ("Quarantine").  In the latter play for two actors, "Sylvia" who remains faithful to her youthful ideals, and "Pierre" who sells his soul to the devil of success and fame, the "play in the play" is of the commedia dell'arte - a genre that fascinates Braun as a theater historian, and that is also explored in a brief comedy "Unconfessed Confession" about the genesis of modern theater.

With their wealth of imaginative settings, fascinating upright and fallen characters, dramas of conscience and choice, the four volumes of Collected Plays by Kazimierz Braun deserve to be studied, read, and performed by  Poles worldwide for years to come. 

Maja Trochimczyk, Ph.D.
President, Moonrise Press




Presentation of award from Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club, to Kazimierz Braun -the 2025 Golden Award (Złota Nagroda) for lifetime achievement in theater arts - as playwright and director. With actors Agata Pilitowska of Polish Theater in Toronto and Marek Probosz of Los Angeles. Interview by dr. Maja Trochimczyk, president of the Club.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Moonrise Press & Paderewski Music Society Present Aga Zaryan in a Unique Jazz Concert, 9 August 2025

Sprawozdanie z TV Polonia, 12 sierpnia 2025 r.
https://twojapolonia.tvp.pl/polacy-na-swiecie/usa-aga-zaryan-oczarowala-los-angeles,88313165

 PICKING UP THE PIECES 2 - AGA ZARYAN WITH 

DAREK OLESZKIEWICZ, LARRY KOONSE, MUNYUNGO JACKSON

Aga Zaryan will visit Los Angeles to work with Darek Oleszkiewicz, Larry Koonse, and Munyngo Jackson on a new album at first entitled “Picking Up the Pieces 2.” New "Second Time Around"... Featuring the same lineup as 20 years ago, the album will be recorded between August 11 and 13 and first presented to the public in a pre-premiere concert on Saturday, August 9, 2025, during a concert at the Kulak’s Woodshed, jointly organized by the Paderewski Society and Moonrise Press. Held on Saturday, 9 August 2025, at 8 pm (do not come at 7pm as announced earlier, there are no restaurants nearby, only one Jons store!). Kulak's Woodshed is located at 5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607. This tiny venue seats up to 49 visitors and features state of the art multi-camera and multi-mic recording and broadcasting setup, posting live or recorded concerts on Facebook and in other places. Tickets ($55) may be ordered on The Paderewski Society website: PaderewskiMusicSociety.org. 

The first joint album of this group of expert musicians, Picking Up the Pieces (2006/2011), is a deeply expressive, critically and commercially successful album that marked Aga Zaryan’s transition from national to international acclaim. Featuring a potent mix of jazz standards and a few original pieces, it explores emotional and spiritual narratives centered on women’s experiences. The album was a major breakthrough: it achieved double platinum in Poland and became a European adult contemporary bestseller. Critics praised its intimate feel and fresh interpretations. Newsweek highlighted Zaryan’s “charm and talent.”


AGA ZARYAN‘s creativity is the quintessence of that which is finest in the history of jazz, a continuation of the tradition of legendary accomplishments by female jazz vocalists. The artist owes her worldwide recognition to a unique style, with a characteristic lightness of phrasing and a warm, matte tone of voice. She was the first Polish artist to release records under New York’s legendary Blue Note Records label. With this, the Artist joined names such as: Norah Jones, Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Bobby McFerrin. Aga Zaryan is a recipient of the most important awards in the music world, recognized as one of Poland’s finest jazz vocalists (a many-time winner of Jazz Forum magazine’s  Jazz Top poll – in the Jazz Vocalist of The Year category). 

The record-breaking sales of her albums show that ambition, and a sublime style, allow her to reach a wide-ranging community of listeners. The Artist wins the hearts of audiences, performing all over the world. Zaryan is also actively involved in a number of social causes, being a PAH Ambassador and an associate of KPH, and having been awarded the Star of Charity in 2017. This year, she was recognized as the best jazz vocalist in the Jazz Top 2024 survey by the Jazz Forum magazine. 

DAREK OLESZKIEWICZ, known professionally as DAREK OLES, is a Grammy-nominated jazz bassist and educator.  Born in Wrocław, Poland, Darek began his musical education early and played various instruments before focusing on the acoustic bass. He gained recognition in Poland through numerous awards and performances with leading jazz groups. In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied with Charlie Haden at the California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship. Oles has since become a faculty member at both CalArts and the University of Southern California. Oles has performed and recorded with jazz luminaries such as Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, and many others. His extensive discography includes about 100 albums, several of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards.


LARRY KOONSE – Born in San Diego Larry Koonse grew up in a musical family and began studying guitar at age seven, deeply influenced by his father, jazz guitarist Dave Koonse. At fifteen, he recorded his first album with his dad (Dave and Larry Koonse; Father and Son Jazz Guitars). In 1984, he became the first to earn a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from USC. Career highlights include 

◦ International Touring & Collaborations: Spent six years touring with the John Dankworth quartet and vocalist Cleo Laine 

◦ Session & Ensemble Work: Featured on over 300 albums, including sessions for Mel Tormé, Luciana Souza, Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer, and others. ◦ Grammy Recognition: Multiple Grammy nominations with Billy Childs’s chamber sextet (Lyric and Autumn: In Moving Pictures) and Luciana Souza’s projects (Tide, Book of Chet). 

• Solo Projects & Ensembles: Led and co-led groups such as the L.A. Jazz Quartet (e.g., Conversation Piece, Astarte, Family Song) and released critically acclaimed solo albums (Jazz Compass label): Americana, Dialogues of the Heart (with Dave Koonse), Storybook, and What’s in the Box.

 • Noteworthy Performances: Soloist at Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall, Sydney Opera House, performances with the L.A. Philharmonic and other major orchestras. Played at high-profile events, such as Nelson Mandela’s inaugural SAMIX festival in South Africa. Larry Koonse has built a remarkable career as a versatile and deeply respected jazz guitarist, seamlessly balancing rich recording and performance credentials with decades of teaching and mentorship.


Percussionist, composer, arranger, producer, author, and four-time Grammy winner MUNYUNGO JACKSON brings an ever-growing collection of instruments to his craft. This warm and unassuming West Coast artist is a sought-after presence in virtually any musical setting, from funk, pop, and jazz to Latin, reggae, and the traditional dance music of Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Haiti, Brazil, and Cuba. Munyungo was born in Los Angeles, California, into a creative family. His parents, Arthur Jackson Jr. and Genie Jackson, were both deeply involved in music, dance, and writing, and Munyungo is the nephew of the legendary jazz, pop, and blues singer-pianist Nellie Lutcher, who recorded for Capitol Records. Munyungo is an accomplished musician with more than 30 years of experience. His exceptional versatility has earned him widespread respect and made him a highly sought-after performer for studio sessions, concerts, and tours. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with iconic artists such as Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Kenny Loggins, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, the Zawinul Syndicate, George Howard, Ronnie Laws, The Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes, Bennie Maupin, Bill Summers, Marcus Miller, and many others. He has also worked with numerous ethnic music and dance ensembles, further showcasing his talents.

KULAK’S WOODSHED is a Live Music Video Recording Venue that seats 49, with 24 Track Pro Tools audio and Webcast created for the promotion of singer songwriters. Artists here range from beginners to Grammy winners.Created by Paul Kulak in 1999, Kulak’s Woodshed evolved into a community labor of love, operated by skilled volunteers and supported by audience donations. All are welcome, any age, and music styles. Self serve snacks, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Pet friendly. Their last Polish event was a concert by Ewa Zmijewska and Shandy Caspar in 2019. NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL PERMITTED. 

Established in 2008, the PADEREWSKI MUSIC SOCIETY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that honors the legacy of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the celebrated concert pianist, composer, philanthropist and Prime Minister who guided Poland to independence after WWI. Paderewski edited Chopin's scores for publication and is known as THE person who brought Chopin's works to light with his rousing worldwide performances in the early 1900s. Since its inception, in addition to having organized three international piano competitions, the Society has sponsored concerts, piano recitals, masterclasses, fundraising events and film screenings. The roster of world-class artists presented included well-established names as well as the most promising members of the younger generation and included Lee Kum Sing, John Perry, Piotr Kosinski, Hubert Rutkowski, Xiayin Wang, Andrew Yang, Zheeyoung Moon, Adam Wibrowski, Edward Wolanin, Peter Toth, Gloria Campaner, Dmitry Rachmanov, Gloria Cheng, Kamil Pacholec and Wojciech Kocyan. Most recently, the Society established a scholarship fund to aid in the education of most deserving young pianists.



Since 2008, MOONRISE PRESS (President Maja Trochimczyk), published over  20 books of poetry and studies of Polish culture. Past publications include Gorecki in Context: Essays on Music (2017), two histories of the Modjeska Club in Polish and English, and 15 volumes of poetry by California poets.  Current projects include Four-volume Collected Plays by Kazimierz Braun (vol. 4 is in preparation), 168 sonnets by Konrad Tademark Wilk, and more. The press also contributed to USC Polish  Music Center’s Paderewski Lectures and Modjeska Club events. 


FOTOGRAFIE 



























Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Ella Czajkowska presents Alchemy of Words at Monthly Reading of Village Poets in Tujunga

On June 22, 2025, Ella Czajkowska presented "Alchemy of Words" at Monthly Reading of Village Poets at the Bolton Hall Museum in Tujunga. In her introduction of the featured poet, Maja Trochimczyk cited the following about the poet and the book. 

"Her love of creative writing was born in high school, where she started writing poetry and short stories. In 2015, Ella started to write poetry in both Polish and English, and from 2017 she writes only in English. Her book of Polish language poetry, entitled “Tam, gdzie umierają marzenia”, was published in Rzeszów by Sowello in 2019. Her English-language poems appeared in the California Quarterly and the Crystal Fire anthology (Moonrise Press, 2022). She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022 by the California State Poetry Society for her poem The Calling.

  

"Ella worked for many years as Public Relations (PR) Manager for the EWELINEB brand. She has produced music and PR materials for fashion shows at the Fashion Week in New York, London, and Amsterdam, among others. Ella’s other great passion and inspiration in life is music. Surrounded by it her whole life, with both her father and mother having graduated from prestigious music schools, there was always a great respect for art and culture in her family home. All throughout her childhood she would be taken to theaters and opera houses, where her love for opera, ballet, and classical music ever grew. A graduate of two music schools, Ella learned to play piano, clarinet, and percussion—piano remains her favorite instrument to this day. A true Renaissance person with a wide range of interests, talents, and knowledge, she was born in Warsaw, Poland and lives in Los Angeles, California."


Roza Yoder, Beata Czajkowska, E. Czajkowska, Maja Trochimczyk, June 22, 2025

The Alchemy of Words is the first English-language poetry book of Ella Czajkowska who previously published a book of poems in Polish. These 70 poems deal with themes of nature, divinity, human emotions, existential contemplation and the complexities of life. The poems explore the beauty and terror of natural world, the fleeting nature of joy, the struggles of existence, and the interplay of love and hate. Through vivid imagery and entrancing verse, the poems evoke a sense of wonder and introspection. They invite readers to an adventure of  exploring human experience, reflecting upon the intricacies of life and the power of language and art. 



"Elzbieta's poems electrify, like touching a spark to gunpowder, seeing a starless sky explode in a blaze of colors. Exciting. Original. Thought provoking. Inspiring." ~ Marek Probosz, actor, director, and writer. "Ella Czajkowska ushers a voice of sublime sincerity into our increasingly outlandish human realm." ~ Piotr D. Siemion, Ph.D., Author and Essayist.

The Sublime Senses 

               Until the heart stops it desires.

               Until the mind stills it aspires;

 

                Until the senses take 

                their leave they deceive—

                such dreams they weave...




The Calling

 

Take my hand, we shall drink golden starlight 


from the brass chalice of curiosity,


adorn our hair with stars’ glittering light. 


We shall clothe ourselves in silver moonlight 


and blush our faces with sunlight’s kiss,


and dance through the dust of time unmeasured, 


whirl till we are dizzy with awe 


and drunk on the songs of the universe.


 I have not truly known freedom until 

I have shaken off the chains of attachments

to this world, this low-land

—of biological, mechanical, electric—

of static, of moving, till I felt the seductive

beckoning of the ephemeral,

the limitless melody of cosmos.

 

I measure myself in dawns and twilights, 

in inhales and exhales, breathless moments, 

in dreams and daydreams and nightmares

as I unravel into blooming.

I am a flower floating eternally,

a soundless drifting in space on waves

of the darkly enchanting oceans, 

nebulae of purples and pinks.

 

And I dare you to not heed my calling, 

and I dare you to resist the pulling, 

the fire, the resonance in the bones

which leaves the traitorous flesh a-trembling.

And I hail to you: Come! We shall walk down, 

down to the center, down to the core,

down to the end of all, down till it’s up, 

until it becomes the beginning.


Joe DeCenzo, Ella Czajkowska, Susan Dobay, Maja Trochimczyk, Bory Thach at reading from "Crystal Fire" anthology at Scenic Drive Gallery, Monrovia, 2022.

All You

 Breathe in, breathe out. Let it go, let it flow.


Let it seep out like water through fingers,


Like sand—drop after drop, grain after grain. 


Empty out all the filth, discard the trash—

There is no use for useless and no worth to worthless,


No sense in senseless, no purpose to purposeless.


There is a song to be found in silence,


Peace—in motionlessness wrapped in chaos. 


Seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting


The moment—a breathless wealth of endlessness 


Hidden in a second, an age of blissful now.


Freedom is found in a mind unburdened from want,


From expectations, desires and needs, and thus from fear— 


Of losing, of needing more, and not receiving enough.

 


You are the grain of sand in a desert dune— 


A drop of water in infinite ocean—


You are the breath, the design, the universe.

 

Not everything is about you— Everything is about you—

 

‘I create myself’