European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Capturing War through the words of Kapuscinski by de Reavis staff writer he polish writer Ryszard Kapuscinski snot Only the Foremost journalist his coun try has Ever produced but also one of its most Well known abroad. Salman Rushdie described himself in an interview As a Kapuscinski fanatic buttonhole ing everyone he knew to read Kapuscinski s books. Other prominent Kapuscinski fans Are the Ameri can author John Updike and the British playwright Tom Stoppard. Kapuscinski 62, was unknown in the United states until the Early 1980s. That s when a couple of friends William Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska Brand living in Pennsylvania trans  his Book the emperor downfall of an Auto crat which was printed by Harcourt Brace Jovano Vich. He was hailed by critics As the most exciting new voice to come to the attention of the Western liter Ary establishment in years the British theater directors Jonathan Miller and Michael Hastings adapted the Book for a play in 1987. Since then there have been several British and american theater productions adapted from the Book y v i in addition to turning out reports for the polish news Agency Pap and other newspapers Kapuscinski has written seven books about his experiences that most critics and fans feel Are closer to the truth than news dispatches anyone can give us the nuts and bolts Rushdie said in an interview,." Kapuscinski penetrates to. Something deeper and  Kapuscinski s Book on the soviet Union Irh Peri pm appeared i English Ina gust. It is  Book to appear in English. That Book Cost me years to write Kapuscinski said during a Book publicity Stop in Darmstadt Ger Many earlier this month. I had to do a lot of re search and Reading of historical texts before Fin Ishing it. I m glad that it was so Well received internationally. It has been translated into 30 Lan   / As a journalist Kapuscinski has repeatedly demonstrated an uncanny Talent for appearing whenever and wherever there is a War so far Kapuscinski has covered More than 30 revolutions coups and upheavals in the third world in his journalistic career which started right after he graduated from Warsaw University in 1955. Kapuscinski s first article was written for the.pol-. Ish youth journal 5randarm/oc i cd. His piece got him into hot water with officials because he documented the terrible working conditions at Nova Huta a vaunted steel factory in Southern Poland. His investigative reporting so enraged authorities that Kapuscinski had to go into hiding and was fired from the paper. Bill later a governmental task Force confirmed his findings. He was awarded a medal and was asked to rejoin the paper s staff. Riding High on this Success Kapuscinski was Able to persuade the newspaper to Send him As a correspondent to India. Kapuscinski became an immediate Star in Poland with his unique View and immense historical knowl. Edge of the events lie covered. The Kapuscinski style has been described As magical impressionism meaning he juxtaposes dabs of reality and surr Cullity. The Reader s natural distance to events joins the two into one whole and vivid picture. Kapuscinski s philosophy is that he cannot write about civil strife or Svars unless he experiences How life is lived by the poor and Ordinary people of the i by  Eichborn Wertag polish author Ryszard Kapuscinski who has reported on Many conflicts Calls coverage of Rwanda so poor that one does t know whether to contribute it to sheer ignorance or eurocentric  Region under his scrutiny. He attributes that technique to the fact that he grew up in a poor Region of Poland the town of Pinsk which is now in Belarus. Pinsk he said introduced him to different Cul Tures and ethnic groups. It was a world of All types of people jews poles ukrainians belorussian armenians gypsies. They lived if not in perfect Harmony in proximity Pinsk is the key to the Kapuscinski personality. He was born there on March 4,1932, to a teacher Cou ple Ylaria and Jozef. Kapuscinski describes Pinsk As much like third world places today. The town had Dusty unpaved roads and animal drawn carts. It had no Isidoor plumbing or telephones and most townspeople could not afford shoes they covered their feet with tree bark. When i went to places like Nigeria Algeria an Gola Iran Brazil or Algeria i found it easy to talk to Ordinary people about what was important to them he said. Everywhere was a Little like  Kapuscinski goes where Angels fear to tread. So far he has beaten the Odds of being killed by design or Accident. Examples he went to the front  War where nut Many europeans dared go. He was probably the Only european to go smack in the Middle of the angolan civil War. At the same time the portugese were High tailing out of Angola As fast As they could Kapuscinski went looking for a front line Battle while chaos ruled. He was in the Belgium Congo now Zaire Dur ing its upheaval. He was on Zanzibar when the army revolted. He was in Tanganyika when a counter coup struck that nation s capital of dares Salaam. In 1970 he broke the news of the so called soc cer War in Al Salvador. Among the personalities he met were the cuban Freedom fighter Che Guevara the chilean political Leader Salvador Allende Gossens and the congolese revolutionary Patrice  had to do it All on a polish by