Konstanty Aleksander Jeleński (2 January 1922 - 4 May 1987) was a Polish essayist.

Biography

Konstanty Aleksander Jeleński (in French: Constantin Jelenski) was born on 2 January 1922 in Warsaw, Poland. He died on 4 May 1987 in Paris, France. At the age of eighteen he left Poland to serve the Polish Army in France. He lived the remainder of his life as an émigré, first in Italy for several years after the Second World War, then settling in Paris in 1951. In Paris, Jeleński was active in Polish émigré literary circles. He led the Eastern European division of the

Congress for Cultural Freedom The Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) was an anti-communist advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. In 1966 it was revealed that the CIA was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the ...

(after 1967, the International Association for Cultural Freedom) and was a prolific contributor to the Association's monthly publication Preuves and to

Kultura ''Kultura'' (, ''Culture'')—sometimes referred to as ''Kultura Paryska'' ("Paris-based Culture")—was a leading Polish-émigré literary-political magazine, published from 1947 to 2000 by ''Instytut Literacki'' (the Literary Institute), ini ...

, the Polish émigré literary journal. Beginning in 1975, he became increasingly active with the

Institut national de l'audiovisuel The (abbrev. INA), () is a repository of all French radio and television audiovisual archives. Additionally it provides free access to archives of countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. It has its headquarters in Bry-sur-Marne. Since 200 ...

. Jeleński's criticism, translations and edited works addresses a wide range of literary, political and artistic topics, especially twentieth-century Polish literature and history. Among his most influential works are many critical essays about

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937 he published his f ...

and the edited volume ''Anthologie de la poesie polonaise'' (1965). Since 1952, Jeleński was remaining in a relationship with Argentine painter

Leonor Fini Leonor Fini (30 August 1907 – 18 January 1996) was an Argentinian born Italian surrealist painter, designer, illustrator, and author, known for her depictions of powerful and erotic women. Early life Fini was born in Buenos Aires, Argentin ...

. Until his death they lived together and with Fini's former partner Italian painter

Stanislao Lepri Stanislao Lepri (12 June 1905 - 1980) was an Italian surrealist painter and former Italian consul to the Principality of Monaco. Biography Born in the house of "marquis Lepri marquis of Rota" Member of the Roman nobility, Stanislao Lepri was the I ...

in Paris.Aleksandra Klich, ''Kot, Kot, nie odchodź''. Wysokie Obcasy Extra nr. 2(11)/2012, pp.62-68 (in Polish). Alleged biological father of Jeleński was

Carlo Sforza Count Carlo Sforza (24 January 1872 – 4 September 1952) was an Italian diplomat and anti-fascist politician. Life and career Sforza was born at Lucca, the second son of Count Giovanni Sforza (1846-1922), an archivist and noted historia ...

References

Milosz, Czeslaw. The History of Polish Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983.

External links

* A guide to th
Konstanty Jelenski Papers
at th

1922 births 1987 deaths Polish male writers Polish LGBT writers Polish expatriates in Italy Polish expatriates in France 20th-century LGBT people People associated with the magazine "Kultura" {{Poland-writer-stub