Tradition, Literature and Politics in East-Central Europe (Routledge Histories of Central and Eastern Europe)

Tighe, Carl

Reference

Routledge

Milan Kundera warned that in in the states of East-Central Europe, attitudes to the west and the idea of 'Europe' were complex and could even be hostile. But few could have imagined how the collapse of communism and membership of the EU would confront these countries with a life that was suddenly and disconcertingly 'modern' and which challenged sustaining traditions in literature, culture, politics and established views on identity. Since the countries of East-Central Europe joined the European Union in 2004 the politicians and oppositionists of the centre-left, who once led the charge against communism, have often been forced to give way to right-wing, authoritarian, populist governments. These governments, while keen to accept EU finance, have been determined to present themselves as protecting their traditional ethno-national inheritance, resisting 'foreign interference', stemming the 'gay invasion', halting 'Islamic replacement' and reversing women's rights. They have blamed Communists, liberals, foreigners, Jews and Gypsies, revised abortion laws, tampered with their constitutions to control the Justice system and taken over the media to an astonishing degree. By 2019, amid calls for the suspension of their voting rights, both Poland and Hungary had been taken to the European Court of Justice and the European Parliament and had begun to explore ways to put conditions on future EU funding. This book focuses on the interface between tradition, literature and politics in east-central Europe, focusing mainly on Poland but also Hungary and the Czech Republic. It explores literary tradition and the role of writers to ask why these left-liberals, who were once ubiquitous in the struggles with communism, are now marginalised, often reviled and almost entirely absent from political debate. It asks, in what ways the advent of capitalism 'normalised' literature and what the consequences might be? It asks whether the rise of chauvinism is 'normal' in this part of the world and whether the literary traditions that helped sustain independent political thought through the communist years now, instead of supporting literature, feed nationalist opinion and negative attitudes to the idea of 'Europe'.

Writing and Responsibility

In a world where literary scandals often end up in court, the issue of responsibility in writing has never been more important. In this groundbreaking study, Carl Tighe asks the questions every writer needs to consider: *What is it that writers do? Are they responsible for all the uses to which their writing might be put? Or no more responsible than their readers?*How are a writer's responsibilities compromised or defined by commercial or political pressures, or by notions of tradition or originality?*How does a writer's audience affect their responsibilities? Are these the same for writers in all parts of the world, under all political and social systems? The first part of this book defines responsibility and looks at its relation to ideas such as power, accuracy, kitsch and political correctness. The second part examines how particular writers have dealt with these issues through a series of often-controversial case studies, including American Psycho, Crash and The Tin Drum. Writing and Responsibility encourages its readers to interrogate the choices they make as writers. A fascinating look at the public consequences of the private act of writing, Carl Tighe's book is a must-read for everyone who writes or studies writing.

Literature & Fiction

Literary

In Poland, literature is politics by other means; writers are the real national leadership. The history of post-war Polish literature is also very much the story of opposition to communism. In this pioneering and stimulating study of post-war Polish intellectual history, Carl Tighe analyses the complex interface between politics and literature under communism. It is an analysis which shows clearly that it was not the Catholic Church but the writers of the lay left who were the most consistent critics and opponents of Stalinism. This innovative study draws on the working lives of more than 200 writers, but its focus is on the wily creativity and turbulent careers of a handful of internationally renowned figures: novelist Jerzy Andrzejewski, critic Jan Kott, science-fiction writer Stanis aw Lem, diarist Kazimierz Brandys, journalist Ryszard Kapu ci ski, novelist Tadeusz Konwicki, and historian Michnik.

The Politics of Literature: Poland 1945-1989

History & Criticism

University of Wales Press

Gdansk: National Identity in the Polish-German Borderlands

Carl Tighe aims to open up a debate about nationalism in Poland by examining some of the processes of history in one small but important place. Gdansk and its locality was where World War II started, where Solidarity was formed and where contemporary change is focused. Throughout its history the town has been a major site of exchange between East and West, and as such its own history provides valuable insights into the tensions and processes which have shaped modern Europe. The first section of the book traces the city's history from 8000 BC to 1918: the arrival of Slav and Germanic tribes, urban growth in response to the grain trade, the widening rift between Eastern Europe and a rapidly industrializing West, Germanization and the coming of the Nazis. The second section looks at the period from 1918-45: Nazi exploitation, genocide, kidnapping of "racially valuable" Polish children, the destruction of the city in 1945, Russian and Polish intervention, and attempts to destroy the German identity. Section 3 looks at Post-War perspectives: the reconstruction of the city, its integration into the Polish state and it's meaning as a place to both Poland and West Germany, Gdansk has made history, but history has also been made for it, by rival German and Polish national interests. Tighe uses the history of Gdansk as a way into examining the formation of the modern nations which surround it.

History

Europe

Pluto Press

(This is a gripping read about the era of Solidarity in Poland. It's a diary written by a foreign language tutor who gets caught up in the frustration, excitement and privation of the times. This is truly what it is like to observe a revolution. Honest, cutting and gritty)

Burning Worm

ImPress

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Books by Tighe, Carl

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Tighe, Carl. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Tradition, Literature and Politics in East-Central Europe (Routledge Histories of Central and Eastern Europe)

Tradition, Literature and Politics in East-Central Europe (Routledge Histories of Central and Eastern Europe)

Writing and Responsibility

Writing and Responsibility

The Politics of Literature: Poland 1945-1989

Gdansk: National Identity in the Polish-German Borderlands

Gdansk: National Identity in the Polish-German Borderlands

Burning Worm

Writing and Responsibility