The Ontology of Survival and Exile

Abstract This interview with Jadwiga Maurer was conducted by Justine Pas in Lawrence, Kansas, in July 2006. It was translated and edited by the interviewer who intentionally preserved its conversational style, including repetitions, hesitations, inconsistencies, and even awkward turns of phrase, to retain its potential as an archival source for further studies of Maurer's extensive oeuvre. The interview was conducted over three days at Maurer's home near the University of Kansas, where she had taught as a professor of Slavic languages and literature until her retirement in 2001. Topics included the similarities of the protagonist and plot of Maurer's short stories to her biography, Maurer's long career as a contributor to Wiadomości, the London-based Polish-language émigré literary magazine, where her short stories were first published, as well as Maurer's views on language, literature, and translation.