h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi!

I'm curious how you picked up 'Mr. Cogito' ? It looks for me as taken out from Z.Herbert's poetry...

You are correct there. I have always loved Zbigniew Herbert's poetry (and some of his Polish contemporaries) and the character of Mr. Cogito (although I hardly resemble him). So, when I decided I should use a nickname like everybody else here, I picked this. You're the first to correctly identify it, so I guess most people here aren't the most familiar with Polish poetry.

I am not so much familiar with Polish poetry, I just happen to be Polish. In the 70s Mr.Cogito has been (at least for some - mostly students) a symbol of independent thinking - in opposition to the then-governing ideology. Probably this opposition wasn't Herbert's intention, but in those times literature was always regarded in such context, by both readers and critics - and government of course.

Anyway, nice to know that some of our contemporary culture is known that far away

Now, you made me want to read Mr.Cogito again ! I have a book somewhere behind all my SF...

Well, after she won the Nobel, Wislawa Scyzmborska (pardon my spelling) was being promoted even by daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey. And Csezlow Milosz sells rather well and teaches at Berkeley. I like Zbigniew Herbert the best though and was sad when he passed away last year.

Of course, I can't read Polish, so it's just translations to me. It's interesting to hear the context it was read in during the 70s. It seems to me that he may have meant some of that, but was probably a bit chagrined at how overt it sounds (getting the attention and concern of the government is not a good thing).

Thanks for chatting. It's fascinating to see how people many timezones apart can come together on one site.

Well, after she won the Nobel, Wislawa Scyzmborska (pardon my spelling) was being promoted even by daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey. And Csezlow Milosz sells rather well and teaches at Berkeley. I like Zbigniew Herbert the best though and was sad when he passed away last year.

Of course, I can't read Polish, so it's just translations to me. It's interesting to hear the context it was read in during the 70s. It seems to me that he may have meant some of that, but was probably a bit chagrined at how overt it sounds (getting the attention and concern of the government is not a good thing).

Thanks for chatting. It's fascinating to see how people many timezones apart can come together on one site.

Well, after she won the Nobel, Wislawa Scyzmborska (pardon my spelling) was being promoted even by daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey. And Csezlow Milosz sells rather well and teaches at Berkeley. I like Zbigniew Herbert the best though and was sad when he passed away last year.

Of course, I can't read Polish, so it's just translations to me. It's interesting to hear the context it was read in during the 70s. It seems to me that he may have meant some of that, but was probably a bit chagrined at how overt it sounds (getting the attention and concern of the government is not a good thing).

Thanks for chatting. It's fascinating to see how people many timezones apart can come together on one site.

Yikes!