DOROTA MASŁOWSKA AND THE POROSITY OF GENRES: BETWEEN SLAM AND HIP-HOP, IN-BETWEEN POETRY, THEATRE, AND PROSE

Abstract

The article presents the differences between slam and rap and hip-hop in order to draw a comparison between two hybrid novels by Dorota Masłowska, Paw królowej [Peacock of the Queen] (Masłowska 2005) and Other People [Inni ludzie] (Masłowska 2018). First, Siatkowska-Callebat examines the prosodic techniques that Masłowska employs in these seemingly prose texts (rhythm, rhyme, versification, alliteration, etc.). Secondly, the article reflects on the theatricality of these novels and their “secondary orality”. Based on the comparison of these two works, which are thirteen years apart, it can be argued that, even if Masłowska does not explicitly refer to slam (which she does in the case of rap), over the years her works have evolved from being influenced by hip-hop to embracing slam. This example illustrates the extent to which genre boundaries are blurred in contemporary literature.