TY - JOUR AU - Tuszyńska, Justyna PY - 2021/12/23 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - The formation of memory: Contemporary stories about ‘Gay-RL’ JF - Literatura Ludowa. Journal of Folklore and Popular Culture JA - JFPC VL - 65 IS - 3 SE - Articles DO - 10.12775/LL.3.2021.004 UR - https://apcz.umk.pl/LL/article/view/36664 SP - 37-49 AB - <p>This paper constitutes an analysis of works depicting non-heteronormative reality of the Polish People’s Republic (pol. Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa/PRL) in the context of memory studies. The texts that are the subject of investigation focus on both homosexuality (mainly male) and the PRL with its everyday absurdities, as well as its social and political intricacies: Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jędrowski, Kryptonim Hiacynt (Codename Hyacinth) and Zbrodnia, której nie było (The Crime that Never Was) by Andrzej Selerowicz, Zatoka ostów (The Bay of Thistles) by Tadeusz Olszewski, and Gejerel (Gay-RL) by Krzysztof Tomasik. The analysis reveals numerous strategies and tactics for rewriting and substituting the memory of this part of the Polish history. All the texts examined in this paper use the same tactics, present the same motifs, and arise from the same need for filling the gaps in the collective memory. As a result, they create (a missing) narration that enters into dialogue with history. Hence, they can be understood, according to the definition formulated by Marianne Hirsch, as postmemory actions.</p> ER -