Piotr Odmieniec Włast

Piotr Odmieniec Włast (25 June 1876 – 8 March 1949 in Izabelin; until 1907: Maria Jakubina Komornicka) was a Polish writer of Young Poland period, translator and literary critic. Born female, rejects this identity in 1907, but returns to using feminine pronouns and the original name toward the end of life.

Biography The poet's parents were Augustyn Komornicki and Anna Dunin-Wąsowicz, and their grandfather was Teodor Anzelm Dzwonkowski (1764–1850). The writer came from an affluent landowning family, and spent the childhood in a property in Grabów. In 1889 Anna Dunin-Wąsowicz came to Warsaw with her 6 children to grant them lessons from the best teachers (Piotr was taught literature by prof. Piotr Chmielowski). Włast had a literary debut in a newspaper "Gazeta Warszawska" in 1892 with short stories Z życia nędzarza and Staszka. In 1883 the same newspaper published a novella Rozłąka. In 1894 a collection of short stories Szkice was published, in the same year „Gazeta Poznańska” published a drama Skrzywdzeni. Then, under father's pressure, Włast went to Cambridge, to attend lectures at the Newnham College for six months. The diary of the stay was published under the ironic title Youth Paradise at the beginning of 1896. After return, Włast, Wacław Nałkowski and Cezary Jellenta published in 1895 a literary manifesto Forpoczty.

In June 1898 The marriage was considered unsuccessful, and Lemański considered impetuous and morbidly jealous. According to Jan Lorentowicz's account, during his honeymoon, Lemański shot his wife twice with a pistol at Krakow's Planty Park. The relationship broke up after two years.

In 1900 Włast published (under the name Komornicka) Baśnie. Psalmodie, and in 1901 a cooperation with "Chimera" edited by Zenon Przesmycki started. The writer published poetry, including series Czarne Płomienie (1901), prose (Biesy, 1902), translations from English, as well as reviews, signed "Włast".

According to Maria Dernałowicz, in 1907 in the Bazar Hotel in Poznań (during a trip with mother to Kołobrzeg

Legacy The work of Piotr Włast (as Maria Komornicka) was published in 1996 by literary scholar Maria Podraza-Kwiatkowska. In the eighties Maria Janion published the essay "Where is Lemańska?" dedicated to Włast - its reprint in the book „Kobiety i duch inności” (1996), as well as the publication in this book of another sketch of Janion devoted to Włast "Maria Komornicka, in memoriam", caused increased interest of the young Polish writer among scholars. In the 21st century, Włast's renaissance took place – feminist critics, LGBT scholars, and journalists became interested in the writer's life and work. Noteworthy is the monograph (565 pages) Strącona Bogini by Brygida Helbig published in 2010 in Krakow.

Wiktor Dynarski, transgender discourse scholar, stated that "Maria Komornicka has never existed/been there.". In July 2016, Warka celebrated the 140th anniversary of the birth of Maria Komornicka with the participation of Brygida Helbig and Tomasz Komornicki.

Works Szkice. Warszawa 1894 with Wacław Nałkowski, Cezary Jellenta: Forpoczty. Lwów 1895 Baśnie. Psalmodie. Warszawa 1900 Maria Podraza-Kwiatkowska (red.): Utwory poetyckie prozą i wierszem. Maria Komornicka. Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 1996.

Marya Komornicka (as Piotr Odmieniec Włast).

Translations Edward Bulwer-Lytton: Zanoni. Powieść z czasów rewolucyi francuskiej. T. 1–3, Warszawa 1906 Edward Bulwer-Lytton: Zanoni. Opowieść o różokrzyżowcu. Romans mistyczny z czasów Rewolucji Francuskiej. Sandomierz 2015

Redaction Słówniczek muzyczny. (Harras), Warszawa 1887