Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm (born 15 April 1949, in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

), is a Polish-born U.S.-based writer and academic. She obtained her Ph.D in

Humanistic studies Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at th ...

at the

Warsaw University The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...

. Her works include historical biographies,Dr Christoph Mick, review of
Kaia, Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising
' by Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm. the current outlook of Native Americans, autobiographical stories of her travels,

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary '' Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is ofte ...

, and cats.

Biography

Ziółkowska-Boehm is the daughter of Henryk Ziółkowski (1916–1992) and Antonina (née Laśkiewicz; 1922–2009). She has two brothers, Henryk (born 1946) and Krzysztof (born 1950). She attended the V Liceum ogólnokształcące im. W.Reymonta in her native

. After this she studied five years of Polish language and literature at the University of Łódź. After her

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

, she completed a Ph.D in humanistic studies in

. As a university student, she published her short stories and articles in Łódź and Warsaw newspapers and periodicals. She began her writing career as an assistant to

Melchior Wańkowicz Melchior Wańkowicz (10 January 1892 – 10 September 1974) was a Polish army officer, popular writer, political journalist and publisher. He is most famous for his reporting for the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II and writing ...

, a prominent Polish writer. For her help and research with his latest book, Wańkowicz dedicated that book to her, and in his

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wi ...

, he bequeathed all his archives to her. In the years 1977-1981 she was a member of the Repertoire of the Polish Television Theater. She created the scenario for ''2 Korpus w piosenkach Ref-Rena'', a musical, for Warsaw TV in 1991. She appeared in four documentaries dedicated to:

Zbigniew Brzezinski Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzeziński ( , ; March 28, 1928 – May 26, 2017), or Zbig, was a Polish-American diplomat and political scientist. He served as a counselor to President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and was President Jimmy Carter' ...

Stanley Haidasz Stanley Haidasz, (March 4, 1923 – August 6, 2009) was a Canadian politician and doctor. Life and career Haidasz was born to Polish parents who immigrated to Canada in 1910 from Stanislawów. He studied medicine graduating from the Universi ...

, and her own uncle Korczak Ziółkowski. From 1981–83, she resided in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada as the recipient of three writing scholarships. Since April 1990, she has lived permanently in the United States, in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Unami language, Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North ...

, spending nine years in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

(

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

and

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

Personal life

She has one son, Thomas Tomczyk who is a journalist, photographer, architect, founder of Bay Islands Voice, Motmot Magazine and PAYA Magazine, and author of ''Roatan Magic Hidden Jewel of the Western Caribbean'', . Since 1990 she had been married to Norman Boehm (cousin of

, retiree of the Arabian American Oil Company and Exxon Mobil Corporation. He died in 2016); author: ''From a Small Town to the Big World ''(Foreword:

Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

), .

Education and professional memberships

* Master's Degree in Literature from the University of Łódź (1973) * Doctor's Degree in Humanities from the

University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...

(1979)

Affiliations

Ziolkowska-Boehm is a member of a number of professional associations in

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, including: * Polish Writers Association Stowarzyszenie Pisarzy Polskich, SPP (Warsaw; 1990- ) * ZAIKS, Polish Society of Authors and Composers (Warsaw; 1976-) * Zwiazek Pisarzy Polskich Na Obczyznie/Polish Writers Union Abroad, ZPPnO (London; 1990-) * Polish American Historical Association (

Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University (Central Connecticut, CCSU, Central Connecticut State, or informally Central) is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1849 as the State Normal School, CCSU is Connecticut ...

, New Britain, CT; 2012-) *

Józef Piłsudski Institute of America The Józef Piłsudski Institute of America (full name: Józef Piłsudski Institute of America for Research in the Modern History of Poland) was created in New York City in July 1943. It is an archive, museum and research center devoted to the stud ...

(New York; 2012-) * Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia (2019-) *

Kosciuszko Foundation The Kosciuszko Foundation is a charitable foundation based in New York City. It was created by Stephen Mizwa to fund programs that promote Polish-American intellectual and artistic exchange. History The Polish American Scholarship Committee was ...

(New York; 1990- ) * Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (New York; 1991- ) *

PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of lite ...

(New York; 1998-) * Fulbright Association (Washington D.C.; 2007-)

Awards

She is a recipient of numerous literary awards and scholarships: * Oxford Language Center in England (1975) * Canadian Polish Research Institute (1982) *

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...

Foundation (

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, 1983) *

Ministry of Culture (Ontario) The Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (previously the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport until October 2019), was created on January 18, 2010 when the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism were combined un ...

(1983) *

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educa ...

in Washington, DC (1985) * The

(NYC; 1990) * Recipient Kontrasty award (

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

- Bialystok 1980) * Zloty Exlibris award Ksiaznica Pomorska,

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

(2001) * The Union of Polish Writers Abroad,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

award (2007) * Fellowship in literature by the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

Division of Arts - ("for Artistic Excellence in Creative Nonfiction")(2006) *

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

scholarship (2006–07), and award (2008) * Ignacy Paderewski medal by the Polish Army Veterans Association of America /SWAP/, (2014) *

Gold Cross of Merit The Cross of Merit () is a Polish civil state decoration established on 23 June 1923, to recognize services to the state. History At the time of its establishment in 1923, the Cross of Merit was the highest civilian award in Poland. It was awa ...

(June 20, 2014) * Gold Award by the Polish Booksellers Association (Warsaw, October 20, 2014) * Skalny Civic Achievement Award, The Polish American Historical Association (PAHA),

, New Britain, CT. (2014) * Honorary citizenship of the Gmina Sławno, Łódź Voivodeship (2014) *

Gloria Artis Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkin ...

award (Warsaw, 2015) * Turzanski Foundation Literary Award, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2015) * Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia Award (“in recognition for outstanding literary achievements”), (2018) * Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation - Expressions of Recognition and Admiration (Warsaw, 2019) * Witness to History /Świadek Historii/ award (“in recognition of the special merits in commemorating the History of the Polish Nation”; IPN- Institute of National Remembrance, Warsaw 2019) * Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who (2020) * Outstanding Pole Abroad Award (New York 2020; Pangea Network USA, Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation „Teraz Polska”) * Title of “VIP Alumni of University of Lodz”, 2021 * The

Janusz Kurtyka Janusz Marek Kurtyka (13 August 1960 – 10 April 2010) was a Polish historian, and from December 2005 until his death in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash, the second president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). Kurtyka was bo ...

Award for the books promoting Polish history (2022)

Works

In Poland: *Blisko Wańkowicza (''Near Wańkowicz'' ); Wyd. Literackie

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

1975, 1978, 1988; *Z miejsca na miejsce (''From One Place to Another'' );

1983,

1986, 1997; ; ; *Kanada, Kanada (''

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, Canada...'' );

1986; *Diecezja Łódzka i jej biskupi (''

Diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

and its bishops'' );

1987; *Moje i zasłyszane (''Mine and Overheard Stories'' );

1988; *Kanadyjski senator ('' Canadian Senator'');

1989; *Na tropach Wańkowicza (''On Wańkowicz Footsteps'' );

1989, 1999; ; ; Expanded Edition: ''Na tropach Wańkowicza po latach'' (''In Wańkowicz's Footsteps - After the Years'' );

2009; * M.Wańkowicza 1964 (''The Trial of M. Wańkowicz 1964'' );

1990; *Nie tylko Ameryka (''Not only America'' ); Dom Ksiazki,

1992; *Korzenie sa polskie (''The Roots Are Polish'' );

1992; *Ulica Żółwiego Strumienia (''Turtle Creek Boulevard'' ); Dom Ksiazki,

1995, Wyd. Twoj Styl 2004; ; *Amerykanie z wyboru i inni ('' American by Choice'' ); Dom Ksiazki,

1998; *Podróże z moją kotką (''Travels with My

Cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

'' );

2002, 2004; ; (awarded "Book of the Year" by Polish bookstores (23–29 December 2002)). *Nie minelo nic, procz lat (''Nothing Changed, Only the Years Passed by'' );

2003 With Szymon Kobyliński; *Kaja od Radosława czyli historia hubalowego krzyza (''Kaia, Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising'' ); Muza, Warsaw 2006, 2014; , . The Union of Polish Writers Abroad (

) awarded it as the best book of the year in 2007. *Otwarta rana Ameryki (''

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

's Open Wound'' ); Bielsko Biała 2007; *Dwór w Kraśnicy i Hubalowy Demon (''The Krasnica Estate and Hubal's Demon'' ); PIW

2009, 2015; . For the book, she received honorary citizenship of County Slawno. *Lepszy dzien nie przyszedl juz (''A Better Day Has Not Come Yet'' ); Iskry,

2012; *

prywatnie (''

In Private'' ); Prószynski i S-ka,

2013; * Druga bitwa o Monte Cassino i inne opowiesci, (Second

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...

and other stories); Iskry,

2014, * Wokół Wańkowicza (''Around Wankowicz'');

PIW 2019, * Pisarskie delicje (''Writing Delicious'');

Bellona 2019, In CANADA: *Senator Haidasz (

1983; ) *Dreams and Reality Polish Canadian Identities (

1984; ) *The Roots Are Polish (

2000, 2004; ). Introduction:

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Bruce J.Legge * Senator

A Statesman for All Canadians (

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

2014; ). In USA: *Open Wounds - A Native American Heritage (Nemsi Books, Pierpont, S. D. 2009; ). Foreword: Radoslaw Palonka. *On the Road With Suzy From Cat to Companion (2010 by

Purdue University Press Purdue University Press, founded in 1960, is a university press that is part of Purdue University. It is a unit of Purdue University Libraries. History An administrative unit of Purdue University Libraries, Purdue University Press has its roots ...

West Lafayette West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister c ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

; ) *Kaia Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising (Lanham, MD:

Lexington Books Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...

, 2012, ), 2014, . Foreword:

Bruce E. Johansen Bruce Elliott Johansen (born January 30, 1950) is an American academic and author. He is the Frederick W. Kayser Professor of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is the author or editor of many books and articles, notably on ...

. * The Polish Experience Through World War II: A Better Day Has Not Come (Lanham MD:

, 2013, ), 2015, . Foreword: Neal Pease. *

Poland's Master of the Written Word (Lanham MD:

, 2013, ). Foreword: Charles S. Kraszewski.;. 2017, * Polish Hero Roman Rodziewicz Fate of a Hubal Soldier in

Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed int ...

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...

, and Postwar England (Lanham, MD:

, 2013, ). Foreword: Matt DeLaMater; 2017, *

and Her American Relatives (Lanham, MD: Hamilton Books, 2013, ). *Love for Family, Friends, and Books (Lanham, MD: Hamilton Books, 2015, ), * Untold Stories of Polish Heroes From World War II (Lanham, MD: Hamilton Books, 2018), Foreword : James S. Pula, ; . The chapter of "Kaia Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising" (title: "NKVD Camp No. 41 in Ostashkov") appeared in the Ukrainian translation in the magazine "Журнал Київ" nr 11–12, 2018, translated by Teodozja Zariwna. Excerpts from the book "The Polish Experience Through World War II: A Better Day Has Not Come” appeared in the Ukrainian translation in the magazine ВСЕСВІТ ("Wseswit", Київ/Kyiv), nr 3–4,2020, translated by Valentyna Sobol. Excerpts from the books "Love for Family, Friends and Books”, “Dreams and Reality Polish Canadian Identities”, "Canada, Canada ..." appeared in German in anthology (NORDOST-ARCHIV, Luneburg, Germany / Neue Folge Band VIII )1999, translated by Hans-Christian Trepte. The chapter of the book: "Open Wounds of America" (title: "The Sadness of Reservations") appeared in the Portuguese translation ("A tristeza das reservas") in the academic journal LATINIDADE (11-Numero 2 - Julho-Dezemnro 2019), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Translated by Tomasz Łychowski.

References

Sources

* James S. Pula, ''The Polish American Encyclopedia'', McFarland, Jefferson, NC 2011, pg 564, *''Who Is Who In Polish America'' (ed. Boleslaw Wierzbianski). Bicentennial Publishing Corp.

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

1996, *''Kto jest kim w Polsce'' (''Who Is Who in Poland''), Interpress,

1989, *''International Who's Who of Intellectuals'',

Cambridge, England Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge became ...

1999–2000, * ''Five Thousand Personalities of the World'',

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Sout ...

1992, * ''Polscy pisarze współcześni'' (''Polish Contemporary Writers''), (ed. Lesław Bartelski), Warsaw 1995, * ''Agata i Zbigniew Judyccy: Polonia. Słownik biograficzny'', Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2000, , * ''Encyklopedia polskiej emigracji'' (ed. Kazimierz Dopierala), Volume 5, Oficyna Wydawnicza Kucharski Toruñ 2005, pp.425–26, *''Wielka Encyklopedia Polonii Swiata'' (ed. Professor Zbigniew Piasek. In English and Polish). Instytut Edukacji i Rozwoju w Częstochowie oraz Wydawnictwo Akademii Polonijnej Educator, Częstochowa, 2014, pp. 371-373, * ''Encyclopaedia of World Polonia Heritage Ambassadors of World Polonia''. Edited by Zbigniew S. Piasek, Wydawnictwo Politechniki Krakowskiej, Krakow 2020. *'' Marquis Who’s Who in the East'', New Providence, NJ, 1998 (USA, since 27th edition) *'' Marquis Who’s Who in the World 2000'', New Providence, NJ. (USA, since 17th edition) *'' Marquis Who’s Who in America'', New Providence, NJ (USA, since 54th edition) *'' Marquis Who’s Who of American Women'', New Providence, NJ (USA, since 22nd edition) * ''Contemporary Writers of Poland'' (ed. Danuta Blaszak), 2005, * Krzysztof Narutowicz / Alicja Grajewska, ''Konstelacje'', IW PAX, Warsaw 1980, pp. 142–50; * Krzysztof Maslon, ''Nie uciec nam od losu'', Prószynski i S-ka, Warsaw 2006, pp. 29–37; * Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, ''Poland's Road to NATO'', Towarzystwo Przyjaciól Ossolineum, Wroclaw 2006; * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ziolkowska-Boehm, Aleksandra 1949 births Polish women writers Polish academics Living people Polish emigrants to the United States Writers from Łódź Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) American women writers People from Wilmington, Delaware Writers from Wilmington, Delaware PEN International Writers from Delaware Writers from Texas University of Łódź alumni Polish women academics American women academics University of Warsaw alumni 21st-century American women Fulbright alumni