STERN, ANATOL

STERN, ANATOL (1899–1968), Polish poet, author, and translator. Born in Warsaw, Stern was a political radical and a leading member of the futurist school, playing an important part in Polish literary life between the world wars. He was especially well known as a representative of Poland's new writing with strongly defined social tendencies. Stern's works include the verse collections Futuryzje (1919); Anielski cham ("Angelic Lout," 1924); Ziemia na lewo ("Earth to the Left," 1924), written in collaboration with Bruno *Jasienski; Bieg do bieguna ("Race to the Pole," 1927); Europa (1929); and Rozmowa z Apollinem ("Conversation with Apollo," 1938). He also published the novel Namiętny pielgrzym ("The Passionate Pilgrim," 1933) and the play Szkoła genjuszów ("School for Geniuses," 1933), which was staged in Warsaw. After the outbreak of World War ii, Stern fled to the USSR, where he was promptly arrested and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. In 1942 he was transferred to the Middle East as a soldier in the Free Polish army and remained in Palestine until 1948, when he returned to Poland.

His later works include the novel Ludzie i syrena ("People and the Siren," 1955) and two volumes of verse: Wiersze i poematy (1956) and Poezje (1918–1968) (1969). Stern also published translations from French and Russian literature. A volume of his recollections and essays, Poezja zbuntowana ("Poetry of Revolt"), appeared in 1964; and Legendy naszych dni ("Legends of Our Time"), a collection of sketches, in 1969.

bibliography:

Słownik współczesnych pisarzy polskich, 3 (1964), 214–20.

[Stanislaw Wygodzki]