MAŚLIŃSKI Józef

Born on 8 August 1910 in Wilno (Vilnius); son of the postal worker and carpenter Saturnin Maśliński and Stefania, née Kosińska. He attended the K. Chodkiewicz Grammar School in Lida, where he edited the school newspaper. From 1928 he studied medicine for three years at the Stefan Batory University (USB) in Vilnius, before moving the Faculty of Fine Arts at the same university, specializing in drawing. He also attended lectures in philosophy and literary history. He was a member of the Academic Sports Association (Akademicki Związek Sportowy), where he was involved in the boxing and skiing sections. He was also active in the student mutual aid association Fraternal Aid (Bratnia Pomoc), working at a canteen. He had other jobs, too, as he found himself in difficult material circumstances. He was involved in scholarly associations Sekcja Twórczości Oryginalnej (STO) Koła Polonistów Słuchaczy USB (the Section for Original Works of the Circle of Polish Philology Students at USB), which was open to Polish philology students at USB, and Akademicki Klub Włóczęgów (the Academic Wanderers' Club, where he was known as Anielka). He made his debut in 1930 with the poem Na wyraj (To Vyraj), which appeared in the periodical "Tęcza" (no. 25). The following year he joined the literary group Żagary and started publishing in its periodicals: "Żagary" (1931/32; a monthly supplement of the daily "Słowo"), "Piony" (1932; a supplement of the newspaper "Kurier Wileński") and in the independent journal "Żagary" (1933/34; where he was also a member of the editorial committee). In his literary criticism and writings on literary theory, he explored the Avantgarde as a literary movement. In 1933, he co-created the 11th Wilno Szopka Akademicka (Academic Nativity) and designed the cover for the resulting volume. He was involved in the Wilno Środy Literackie (Literary Wednesdays), reporting on the events for "Kurier Wileński". In 1934, he founded the same newspaper's Sunday supplement "Kolumna Literacka" (Literary Column), which he edited until 1938. Most probably he published in it using the pen-name Ariel Pirmas. He contributed articles and theatre reviews ti the main edition of "Kurier Wileński". He also published articles in "Środy Literackie" (1934-35). He lectured on Mieczysław Szpakiewicz's Theatre Studies programme at the municipal Miejskie Theatres in Wilno, where he was also literary director for a year. He was also a columnist for Polish Radio in Wilno. In 1938/39, he edited the journal "Comoedia", which was published in collaboration with the Na Pohulance Theatre. The periodical focused on art, literature and theatre, with Maśliński publishing articles and translations of French poetry there. He contributed caricatures of writers and actors to the Wilno press. He was a member of the Polish Professional Writers' Union (ZZLP) and the Wilno Journalists' Syndicate (Syndykat Dziennikarzy Wileńskich). He prepared a volume of poetry, Ręce ziemi (The Earth's hands), which never appeared in print. He remained in Vilnius following the outbreak of the Second World War. During the period of the existence of the Republic of Lithuania and the subsequent Soviet occupation, he worked with "Kurier Wileński" (1939-41), publishing numerous theatre reviews, poems and translations (likewise using the pseudonym Ariel Pirmas, which he also used together with A. Rymkiewicz to publish the longer poetic work Moja podróż [My journey] in 1940/41) and with "Prawda Wileńska" (1940-41; including theatre reviews and translations; he also used the by-line J.M.). He also directed plays at the Theatre for Young Audiences (Teatr Młodego Widza). Throughout the German occupation he was involved in underground literary life. In 1943/44, it was most probably Maśliński who published under the name Guy in "Goniec Codzienny", a newspaper approved by the German authorities (source: "Almanach sceny polskiej", 2002/2003, p. 249). Following the German retreat, he was appointed assistant director at the Polish Dramatyczny Theatre in Wilno. Together with the theatre company he left the city in May 1945 for Torun, where the Congress of the Polish Professional Writers' Union (ZZLP) made him responsible for organizing cultural life in the city. He was involved in developing the work of the Ziemia Pomorska Theatre in the city, where he became literary director. He was also a director there in the 1945/47 and 1947/48 seasons. For several months in late 1946 and early 1947 he worked at the theatre inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture and Art in Warsaw. After returning to Torun he served as director of the local branch of the Association of Polish Stage Artists (ZASP). In 1947, he passed the extramural exam in directing at the State Theatre School (PWST) in Lodz. The following season he was literary director, then artistic director and managing director of the Municipal Drama Theatres (Miejskie Teatry Dramatyczne) in Warsaw. Following the dissolution of this institution he was appointed artistic director at the Powszechny Theatre (1949-50). During this period he published poems, theatre reviews, articles and translations of French and Russian literature in periodicals including "Arkona" (1945-47), "Kuźnica" (1947-48) and "Odrodzenie" (1947-49). In 1950, he moved to Krakow, where he lectured at (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna, PWST), while in 1951 he was also manager and director at the youth theatre Teatr Młodego Widza. Between 1953 and 1955, he directed plays at the Dramatyczny Theatre in Czestochowa. He also taught courses in interpreting poetry at the Irena and Tadeusz Byrski Theatre Studies programme that was based at the Stefan Żeromski Theatre in Kielce. Between 1956 and 1961, he directed plays in several cities around Poland, although by then he had settled permanently in Krakow. Between 1957 and 1990, he collaborated with the weekly "Życie Literackie", writing the regular press review column Przegląd prasy (using the alias M.A. STYKS), which also featured memoirs alongside polemical pieces on literature and theatre. He published literary and theatre reviews in the same periodical alongside translations from French and Russian, as well as caricatures. He also published reviews in 1959-60 in "Gazeta Krakowska". He was a contributor to Polish Radio programmes, discussing literature and theatre. In 2000, he moved to the old people's home for artists, Dom Artysty Seniora in Krakow. He died on 28 October 2002 in Krakow, where is buried at the Rakowicki Cemetery.