Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm (born 15 April 1949) is a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

-born United States–based writer and academic. She obtained her Ph.D. in humanistic studies at the

Warsaw University The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializat ...

. Her works include historical biographies,Dr Christoph Mick, review of
Kaia, Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising
' by Aleksandra Ziółkowska-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.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...

(a relative of Ziółkowska-Boehm's husband, Norman Boehm), and cats.

Biography

Ziółkowska-Boehm is the daughter 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

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

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

University of Łódź The University of Łódź (, ) is a public research university founded in 1945 in Łódź, Poland, as a continuation of three higher education institutions functioning in Łódź in the interwar period — the Teacher Training Institute (192 ...

. After her

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate 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 prac ...

, 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 writin ...

, 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 will ...

, he bequeathed all his archives to her. From 1977–81, 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), known as Zbig, was a Polish-American diplomat and political scientist. He served as a counselor to Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and was Jimmy Carter's National Securi ...

, Stanley Haidasz,

, and her own uncle,

Korczak Ziółkowski Korczak Ziolkowski (; September 6, 1908 – October 20, 1982) was a Polish-American artist and sculptor known for designing the Crazy Horse Memorial. Early life Ziolkowski was born September 6, 1908, in Boston to Polish parents. Orphaned at t ...

. From 1989, she resided in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous 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 America. It lie ...

, spending nine years in Texas (

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

and

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Personal life

From 1990 until his death in 2016, she was married to Norman Boehm. Ziółkowska-Boehm has one son, Thomas Tomczyk, who is a journalist, photographer, and architect. He founded ''Bay Islands Voice'', ''Motmot Magazine'', and ''PAYA Magazine'', and is the author of ''Roatan Magic Hidden Jewel of the Western Caribbean'' ().

Education and professional memberships

* Master's Degree in Literature from the

(1973) * Doctor's Degree in Humanities from the

University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...

(1979)

Affiliations

Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm is a member of a number of professional associations in Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States, including: * Polish Writers Association

Stowarzyszenie Pisarzy Polskich The Polish Writers Association (Polish: ''Stowarzyszenie Pisarzy Polskich'') is an organization of Polish writers, poets, playwrights, critics and translators. SPP, established in 1989 is a continuation of the Professional Union of Polish Writers ...

, SPP (Warsaw; 1990–) *

ZAIKS The Society of Authors ZAiKS (, where the acronym stands for the Society′s original founding name, ''Society of Authors and Stage Composers'', or ''ZAiKS''), established 1918, was for many years the sole legal Polish copyright collective, and ...

, Polish Society of Authors and Composers (Warsaw; 1976–) * Zwiazek Pisarzy Polskich Na Obczyznie/Polish Writers Union Abroad, ZPPnO (London; 1990–) *

Polish American Historical Association The Polish American Historical Association (PAHA), founded in 1942, is a scholarly not-for-profit association dedicated to the study of Polish American history and culture. Originally a section of the larger Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in ...

(

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. Founded in 1849 as the State Normal School, CCSU is Connecticut's oldest publi ...

, New Britain, CT; 2012–) * Józef Piłsudski Institute of America (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 ...

(New York; 1990–) *

Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (PIASA) is a Polish-American scholarly institution headquartered in Manhattan (New York City), at 208 East 30th Street. History The Institute was founded during the height of World War II, on 1 ...

(New York; 1991–) *

PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922, and headquartered in New York City, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide th ...

(New York; 1998–) *

Fulbright Association The Fulbright Association is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose members are Fulbright Program alumni and friends of international education. Established on February 27, 1977, the association supports and promotes international edu ...

(Washington D.C.; 2007–)

Awards

* 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. He also largely influenced Ukra ...

Foundation (

, 1983) *

Ministry of Culture (Ontario) The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport, were created on June 6, 2024 by dividing the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport into 2 new Ministries. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the o ...

(1983) *

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is an American 501(c) non-profit organization that focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training ...

in Washington, D.C. (1985) * The

(NYC; 1990) * Recipient Kontrasty award (

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...

, 1980) * Zloty Exlibris award, Książnica Pomorska,

Szczecin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Poland-Germany border, German border, it is a major port, seaport, the la ...

(2001) * The Union of Polish Writers Abroad,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

award (2007) * Fellowship in literature by the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

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 Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; r 1859– 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman who was a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the nation's prime minister and foreign minister during which time he signed the Tre ...

medal by the Polish Army Veterans Association of America (2014) * Gold Cross of Merit (20 June 2014) * Gold Award by the Polish Booksellers Association (Warsaw, 20 October 2014) * Skalny Civic Achievement Award, The

(PAHA),

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

(2014) * Honorary citizenship of the

Gmina Sławno, Łódź Voivodeship Gmina Sławno is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. Its seat is the village of Sławno, which lies approximately west of Opoczno and south-east of the regional capital Łódź. The ...

(2014) *

Gloria Artis The Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture () or Gloria Artis Medal, is a departmental decoration of Poland in arts awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland to persons and organizations for distinguish ...

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

", 2021 * Title of Honorary Member of the "Major Hubal Family" Association ("For the author of many books about the fate of soldiers of the Polish Army Major"

Hubal In Arabian mythology, Hubal () was a god worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia, notably by the Quraysh at the Kaaba in Mecca. The god's icon was a human figure believed to control acts of divination, which was performed by tossing arrows before the ...

, including about Romuald Rodziewicz"), 2022 *

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 b ...

Award (for books promoting Polish History; 2022)

Works

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

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

1975, 1978, 1988; *Z miejsca na miejsce (''From One Place to Another''); Kraków 1983,

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

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, Canada...''); Warsaw 1986; *Diecezja Łódzka i jej biskupi (''

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, prov ...

and its bishops''); Łódź 1987; *Moje i zasłyszane (''Mine and Overheard Stories''); Warsaw 1988; *Kanadyjski senator ('' Canadian Senator''); Warsaw 1989; *Na tropach Wańkowicza (''On Wańkowicz Footsteps''); Warsaw 1989, 1999; / ; Expanded Edition: ''Na tropach Wańkowicza po latach'' (''In Wańkowicz's Footsteps - After the Years'' ); Warsaw 2009; * M. Wańkowicza 1964 (''The Trial of M. Wańkowicz 1964'' ); Warsaw 1990; *Nie tylko Ameryka (''Not only America'' ); Dom Ksiazki, Warsaw 1992; *Korzenie sa polskie (''The Roots Are Polish'' ); Warsaw 1992; *Ulica Żółwiego Strumienia (''Turtle Creek Boulevard''); Dom Ksiazki, Warsaw 1995, Wyd. Twoj Styl 2004; ; *Amerykanie z wyboru i inni (''American by Choice''; Dom Ksiazki, Warsa] 1998; ) *Podróże z moją kotką (''Travels with My Cat''); Warsaw 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''); Warsaw 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 (London) awarded it Best Book of the Year, 2007. *Otwarta rana Ameryki (''America's Open Wound''); Bielsko Biała 2007; *Dwór w Kraśnicy i Hubalowy Demon (''The Krasnica Estate and

's Demon''); PIW Warsaw 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, Warsaw 2012; *

prywatnie (''

In Private''); Prószynski i S-ka, Warsaw 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, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

and other stories); Iskry, Warsaw 2014; * Wokół Wańkowicza (''Around Wankowicz''); Warsaw PIW 2019; * Pisarskie delicje (''Writing Delicious''); Warsaw Bellona 2019; * Melchior Wańkowicz przypominany (''Melchior Wańkowicz Remembered''); Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń 2024; In CANADA: *Senator Haidasz (

1983; ) *Dreams and Reality Polish Canadian Identities (

1984; ) *The Roots Are Polish (

2000, 2004; ) * Senator Stanley Haidasz - A Statesman for All Canadians (

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

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

Purdue University Press Purdue University Press, founded in 1960, is a university press affiliated with Purdue University and overseen by Purdue University Libraries. Purdue University Press is currently a member of both the Association of University Presses, to which i ...

West Lafayette, Indiana West Lafayette ( ) is a city in Wabash and Tippecanoe Townships, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, approximately northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash ...

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

Lexington Books Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

, 2012; ) / 2014, ) * The Polish Experience Through World War II: A Better Day Has Not Come (Lanham MD:

, 2013; ) / 2015; ) *

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

, 2013; 2017, ) * Polish Hero Roman Rodziewicz Fate of a

Soldier in

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...

, and Postwar England (Lanham, MD:

, 2013; ) 2017, ) *

and Her American Relatives (Lanham, MD:

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

, 2013; ) *Love for Family, Friends, and Books (Lanham, MD:

, 2015; ) * Untold Stories of Polish Heroes From World War II (Lanham, MD:

, 2018; ) In BRASIL: A ferida aberta da América (Donizela, Curitiba, Brasil 2024).. In Portuguese, Translation: Matheus Moreira Pena.

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 (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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

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

Cambridge, England Cambridge ( ) is a city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of ...

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

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

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, Kraków 2020; *''

Marquis Who's Who Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...

in the East'',

New Providence, NJ New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

, 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,

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

2006; * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ziolkowska-Boehm, Aleksandra 1949 births Living people Polish women writers Polish emigrants to the United States Writers from Łódź Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Writers from Wilmington, Delaware PEN International University of Łódź alumni Polish women academics University of Warsaw alumni 20th-century Polish women 21st-century Polish women writers