Summer; 2007
Issue 41
In This
Issue:
*Consul General's message
*Presidential Message
*American Writers Exhibit
*Summer Jazz Festival
*Conference on Missile Defense
*E-journalUSA
Greetings
from the U.S. Consulate in Krakow!
As I’m writing this, we are getting ready to celebrate July 4th, American Independence Day. We’re looking forward to our Independence Day events in Wroclaw on July 2 and Krakow on July 3. It is America’s 231st birthday this year, and it is truly an honor to be with our friends in Poland for this special occasion. Poles and Americans share so many common values, one of which is an enduring commitment to freedom. We will never forget Poland’s role in America’s independence with the leadership of the great Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
Of course, Krakow had its own celebration this past month-the 750th Anniversary of the founding of Krakow. Ambassador Ashe and I had the privilege to participate in several of the wonderful events here. The annual Jewish Festival is also currently underway, bringing an outstanding variety of concerts, films exhibitions and other events to the city.
Here in Krakow, the universities and schools have ended for the year, but we have many American students here for summer courses. I’m so glad that more and more American students are experiencing the life and culture of this region. We welcomed students from Emporia State University earlier this month at the consulate. Catholic University began its thirteenth annual program at the Jagiellonian University School of Law, and American secondary school teachers and science scholars will be here this month as part of the Fulbright program.
We’ve also had some important visitors this month, from Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois, who was here with a trade delegation, to Professor Robert Leiber from Georgetown, who was here in Krakow to talk about energy security. I was delighted to greet a group of American cadets from our military academies, who were here on a State Department funded program to learn about the Holocaust and Polish and Jewish history. These young people have tremendous intelligence and empathy, and I know as future leaders, they will not forget their experience in Poland.
We were also privileged to host a wonderful evening of poetry at Klub Pod Jaszczurami with American poet C.K. Williams, Polish poet Adam Zagajewski, American poet Cecilia Wolloch and Polish poet Krystyna Lenkowska. The poets read in both English and Polish to a packed crowd in what was truly a magical night.
Recently I visited the Schindler Factory with the Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow for Culture, Janusz Sepiol and heard about the city’s wonderful new plans to develop the museum that tells the story of Oskar Schindler and the Jews who worked in the factory. There will also be a contemporary art museum at the site, bringing a new energy to the neighborhood of Podgorze. The plans for the new space are spectacular.
As many of us and many of you think about vacations, I’d like to wish you a wonderful summer. We’ll be back with our next Spotlight in September.
Anne Hall, Consul General
Independence Day - Presidential Message
THE WHITE HOUSE I send greetings to Americans everywhere celebrating Independence Day. Two hundred thirty-one
years ago, 56 brave men signed their names to a bold creed of freedom that set the course of our Nation and changed the history of the world.
On this anniversary, we remember the great courage and conviction of our Founders, and we celebrate the enduring principles of our Declaration
of Independence. Through selfless sacrifice and unrelenting determination, the patriots of the American Revolution ensured that our
Nation's claim to liberty and equality would not be dismissed or forgotten. The ideals they fought for and the country they helped establish
are lasting symbols of hope to the entire world. Our commitment to America's founding truths remains steadfast. We believe that freedom is
a blessing from the Almighty and the birthright of every man and woman. As our Nation faces new challenges, we are answering history's call
with confidence that our legacy of freedom will always prevail. On Independence Day, we express our gratitude to the generations of
courageous Americans who have defended us and those who continue to serve in our country's hour of need, and we celebrate the liberty that
makes America a light to the nations. Laura and I wish you a Happy Fourth of July.
May God bless you, and may He bless our wonderful country. GEORGE W. BUSH
Office of the Press Secretary
(Kennebunkport, Maine)
June 29, 2007
INDEPENDENCE DAY, 2007
American Writers Photo Exhibit
An exhibit of 43 photographs of contemporary American writers by Nancy Crampton opened at Galeria Marchołt in Katowice, ul. Warszawska 37 on Thursday June 28, at 18:00. Nancy Crampton, the photographer who created the exhibit, has been a photographer of literary artists for thirty-five years. Her exhibition features portraits of major American novelists, poets and playwrights. Each photograph is paired with a text from the writer including his thoughts on the craft, recollections of the moments which influenced his writing or a discussion of the social importance of writing. Many of the subjects of the photographs are well-known, such as Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer, Toni Morrison and John Cheever. Nancy Crampton collected more than a hundred of these portraits in the book, “WRITERS”, published in 2005. To celebrate the book, exhibitions of many of the photographs were held in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.
The exhibit in Katowice will be open until July 17 and then will travel to the Public Library in D±browa Górnicza.
Cover
Writers
The 12th Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica Pod Baranami
12th Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica Pod Baranami in Krakow will take place on July 7 - August 5. Once again, the program of the Jazz Festival will be full of great concerts by outstanding Polish and international jazz stars, among them many American musicians. The organizers of the Summer Jazz Festival have invited the legendary American guitarist Larry Coryell to play at the "Krakow Jazz Guitar Summit" at the Philharmonic on Saturday, July 7th, the famous Rashid Ali Quintet will commemorate John Coltrane at the Radio Krakow concert on Thursday, July 26th, at 7 pm and Harriet Lewis, the American jazz singer, will participate in the concert on New Orleans Sunday, July 8th. New Orleans Sunday will include outdoor concerts on the main Market Square starting at 12:00, and at 5 p.m. there will be a New Orleans style parade along the main streets of the Old Town.
The main venue for the month-long festival will be the Piwnica Pod Baranami, a cellar club at 27 Rynek Glowny (Main Sq.) where jazz concerts are scheduled every night.
There will also be special concerts celebrating the 750th Anniversary of City of Krakow on Saturday, July 21st at the Szczepański Square, and a concert commemorating the great Polish musician Andrzej Kurylewicz Wednesday, July 18th at 7 pm at Centrum Manggha with famous Polish artists such as Tomasz Stańko, Janusz Muniak and Jarek ¦mietana.
More information on the Summer Jazz Festival at: http://www.cracjazz.com/
The US Consulate General, together with Institute of Strategic Studies, Krakow’s leading think tank on international relations, held a conference on missile defense in Palac Pugetow on Friday, June 29. The conference provided a forum for discussions at the time when missile defense negotiations are taking place either in Warsaw or Washington. Panelists in the conference included such guests as Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe, Dr Patricia Sanders, Executive Director of the US Missile Defense Agency, Guy Roberts, Deputy Secretary at NATO, Dr Witold Waszczykowski, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and the main Polish negotiator for the anti-rocket shield project and Bogdan Klich, European Parliament Deputy and former Vice-Minister of Defense.
This issue of eJournal USA analyzes the increasing internationalization
of the film industry, both in terms of audiences and filmmaking talent; the rise of a more personal style of independent filmmaking in recent
years; the market for foreign-produced films in the United States; and the effects of the Internet and the digital revolution on how movies
get made and distributed.
PDF version of the journal: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0607/ijse/ijse0607.pdf
ejournalUSA Cover Photos: Theater: © 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation Inset of Scarlett Johansson at 2005 Academy Awards: © AP Images/Kevork Djansezian
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U.S. Consulate General, ul.
Stolarska 9, Krakow, tel.: 12 424-5100
PRIVACY