Work on this issue was in full swing before we suddenly realized that this is actually an anniversary issue. Cosmopolitan Review has turned one year old.
Originally planned as a newsletter, something to keep Poland in the Rockies alumni in touch, submissions just kept coming in. Kinia Adamczyk, the founding editor and creative force behind CR, was studying at the College of Europe - Natolin, in Warsaw, at the time, and met people there who were also happy to write for us. To top it all off, PitR's best friend, Professor Norman Davies, contributed an article too.
There were many late nights and early mornings. While Kinia was in Warsaw, the other editors were on the other side of the Atlantic. Judith Browne was in New York, Irene Tomaszewski and Anna Kisielewska were in Montreal; and our technical wizards, Antoni and Jan Kowalczewski, were farther still in western Canada. As we gathered the articles together, we suddenly realized: a new literary child was born. We had a review.
All children need a name and CR was no exception. For a while our trans-Atlantic brainstorm went nowhere. While we wanted something to show our Polish connection, it was equally important to be very much in the world. In desperation Kinia googled words that included the letters "pol" and started reading them out in a conference call linking her with Judith and Irene. And there it was: Cosmopolitan. CosmoPOLitan. That defined us perfectly. Overnight, Jan designed the beautiful skyline of a city somewhere in the cosmos and we were home.
Since that time, CR has maintained its vision, featuring writers and topics from Europe, America and beyond. Our anniversary issue is true to this vision. We recall the generosity of a maharaja and of the city of Barcelona; review a trilingual book published in Catalan, Spanish and Polish; we have Americans in Warsaw and Canadians in Chicago; a small town in Pennsylvania and exotic Barcelona; and we bring news of a new publishing venture owned by an American of Armenian background and an Englishman with a Polish connection. We even review a Review. Take a look.
The Cosmopolitan Review is growing, maturing. Thanks for joining us on this adventure and stick around. It's going to be a fun ride. CR
Photo: "Birthday candle" by Jessica N. Diamond. From creativecommons.org
Summer. That delightful time when one should take a moment to savor warm weather, take a vacation and catch up. Catch up on forgotten friendships, or create new ones. Read a few more books, head to a gallery, or enjoy the green turf to play some football. And what about taking the time to reminisce about fond memories of the past, or about the people, famous or perhaps less known and close to us, who have touched or transformed our lives?
It’s not our fault.
Welcome to the first edition of 
