Copernicus Lecture

On Friday evening I attended the annual Copernicus Lecture at the University of Michigan. This series is organized to promote a deeper understanding of Poland, its people, and its culture and they've brought in a number of important Polish writers, artists, and intellectuals over the years, including Adam Zagajewski in 2005.

This year the speaker was Krzysztof Czyżewski, a social activist, poet, essayist, and publisher. He founded The Borderlands Foundation and since 1993 has been the editor-in-chief of Krasnogruda, a publication devoted to Central and Eastern European cultures, art, and literature.

He spoke on the subject of borderlands, its relation to the work of the great poet Czeslaw Milosz, and the need for a new movement of bridge-building and dialogue among peoples.

It is my hope that Absinthe, in a very small way, can contribute to bridge-building between Europe and the U.S.