February 22, 2024 – Vox Populi publishes four Guzlowski poems – Four poems written by John Guzlowski about his mother and World War II were published today by the journal Vox Populi. The poems echo the themes elucidated in Guzlowski’s book Echoes of Tattered Tongues, published by Aquila Polonica. Read the article online or in pdf….

 

February 21, 2024 – Prof. Barbara Milewski Named Schechter Fellow at USHMM – Swarthmore Professor Barbara Milewski, co-winner of the 2023 Aquila Polonica Article Prize, has been named the Joyce and Arthur Schechter Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies.

The Fellowship provides her the opportunity to complete research on her manuscript exploring music making in the Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, and Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. Professor Milewski emphasized the importance of knowing Polish history. While researching Chopin, she explored how Poles used music to preserve a sense of national identity, even when no Polish state existed between 1795 and 1918. In much the same way, Polish political prisoners used music to maintain a sense of their identity in the concentration camps during WWII.  Read the article online or in pdf….

 

February 5, 2024 – Crozet, VA – The Ice Road at Glenbrook Book Club – Alice Faintich presented a program and led a discussion about her father’s book The Ice Road and the Soviet deportation of Polish civilians to Siberia during World War II at the well-attended Glenbrook Book Club in Crozet, VA.

 

 

December 2023 – European Journal of American Studies Interviews John Guzlowski – The new quarterly edition of the European Journal of American Studies features an interview with John Guzlowski, author of the award-winning Echoes of Tattered Tongues. Read the interview online or in pdf….

 

 

December 7, 2023 – Author Julian Kulski Featured in New Netflix Series – The inspiring story of Polish WWII hero Julian Kulski, author of The Color of Courage, is set to reach a global audience through the upcoming Netflix series World War II: From the Frontlines. The first episode of the series will highlight Kulski’s extraordinary bravery during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Germans. Click here for the series trailer. Read the entire article online or in pdf….

 

 

December 1–3, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Polish Perspectives at 2023 NCSS Conference – Once again, the American Council for Polish Culture organized and manned the Polish Perspectives booth at the Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. As in past years, Aquila Polonica donated several copies of its titles for the Polish Perspectives booth, along with two small posters of the Polish Air Force squadron insignia that will soon be for sale in our online store, which were given away to teachers. Cecilia Glembocki, who was one of the volunteers manning the booth, said the books were in such demand that they were all  gone by the end of the first day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 21, 2023 – Taiwanese Edition of The Auschwitz Volunteer Gets New Cover – Happy to share that Taiwanese publisher Acropolis has just reissued their Complex Chinese translation of The Auschwitz Volunteer with a terrific new cover!

 

 

 

 

November 14, 2023 – Aquila Polonica Article Prize Winner Announced – We’re thrilled to announce that Barbara Milewski, Daniel Underhill Professor of Music at Swarthmore College, and Bret Werb, Music Collection Curator at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, have won the 2023 Aquila Polonica Article Prize for their article “Chopin’s Żydek, and Other Aprcryphal Tales,” Journal of Musicology (2022) 39 (3): 342–370. More details….  For the press release, click here.

 

 

November 5, 2023 – The Color of Courage Presented at Polish Museum of America – A copy of The Color of Courage by Julian Kulski was presented to Scoutmaster and President of the Board of the Polish Museum of America, Richard Owczesny, by Bozena Bienias who had filmed an interview with Kulski for a documentary about Poland in World War II. The book is currently on display in the library of the Polish Museum of America.

 

 

 August 17, 2023 – Hollywood Film About Pilecki Announced –  The Polish Film Institute and Hollywood’s Powder Hound Pictures have announced a joint venture to finance and produce a biographical film about Polish hero Witold Pilecki. Pilecki’s most comprehensive report on his secret undercover mission as a prisoner at Auschwitz was published by Aquila Polonica under the title The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery.  Read more online or in pdf….

 

 

May 11, 2023 – The Ice Road event in Charlottesville, VA –  Alice Waydenfeld Faintich was invited to present her one-hour multimedia program on the WWII Soviet forced deportations of Polish civilians to Siberia, based on her father’s book The Ice Road, at a meeting of the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out) group in Charlottesville, Virginia. The audience had lots of questions about this virtually unknown aspect of WWII, which continued after the program as they all lunched together.

 

 

March 1, 2023 – The Ice Road at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge – Alice Waydenfeld Faintich presented a one-hour multimedia program on the WWII Soviet forced deportations of Polish civilians to Siberia, based on her father’s book The Ice Road, at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge, Charlottesville, Virginia. In addition to the well-attended live event, the program was being streamed on the internal cable system and was also recorded for later watching by those who weren’t able to attend. 

 

 

 February 27, 2023 – Nominations Open for Aquila Polonica Article Prize – Nominations are now open for the 2023 Aquila Polonica Article Prize. The deadline for nominations and self-nominations is July 1, 2023. The Aquila Polonica Article Prize is awarded every other year to the author of the best English-language scholarly article published (either online or in print form in a peer-reviewed academic journal) during the previous two years on any aspect of Polish studies. Administered by the Polish Studies Association, which appoints the independent judges, the award carries a $500 honorarium donated by Aquila Polonica Publishing. Nominees must be members of the Polish Studies Association, and can renew or join here.  More details …

 

January 15, 2023 – Italian Edition of The Auschwitz Volunteer Gets New Cover – We’re excited to share that Italian publiser Piemme is doing a new edition of their translation of The Auschwitz Volunteer with a very attractive new cover!

 

 

 

December 2022 – Serbian edition of The Auschwitz Volunteer published – In mid-December 2022, the Serbian-language edition of The Auschwitz Volunteer was published, launched by a well-attended event at the Serbian National Library in Belgrade in organized by the Serbian publisher Marsove knjige in cooperation with the Polish Embassy and the Genocide Victim’s Museum.

 

 

 

December 2–4, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Polish Perspectives at 2022 NCSS Conference – Once again, the American Council for Polish Culture organized and manned the Polish Perspectives booth at the Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. As in past years, Aquila Polonica donated several copies of its titles for the Polish Perspectives booth, along with two small posters of the Polish Air Force squadron insignia that will soon be for sale in our online store, which were all given away to teachers. 

 

 

 April 25, 2022 – John Guzlowski at Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA – Prof. Gerard Sherayko, Randolph College, invited author John Guzlowski to speak to his class on the Holocaust and read from his book Echoes of Tattered Tongues. Guzlowski read several poems from the book, and then took questions from the students, who seemed to have been very moved by the poetry.

 

 

April 12, 2022 – University of Illinois Literatures & Languages Library Review of Echoes of Tattered Tongues – The University of Illinois Literatures & Languages Library posted an excellent review of John Guzlowski’s poetry in Echoes of Tattered Tongues, titled “The Trauma of War and Displacement in the Poetry of John Guzlowski.” Acknowledging Guzlowski as “arguably the most accomplished Polish-American poet on the contemporary scene,” the review quotes some of Guzlowski’s poetry, calling his poems “emotionally powerful” and noting that Guzlowski’s poetry “has universal relevance giving voice to countless refugees displaced and traumatized by wars in the past and current centuries.” Read the entire review online OR in pdf….

 

December 9, 2021 – 2021 Aquila Polonica Article Prize Winner Announced – Jessica Robbins, Associate Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University, has won the 2021 Aquila Polonica Article Prize. The biennial Aquila Polonica Article Prize is given to the author of the best English-language article published during the previous two years on any aspect of Polish studies. Administered by the Polish Studies Association (“PSA”), which appoints the independent judges, the award carries a $500 honorarium donated by Aquila Polonica Publishing. Robbins’s winning article, “Expanding Personhood beyond Remembered Selves: The Sociality of Memory at an Alzheimer’s Center in Poland” published in Medical Anthropology Quarterly, was a case study of elderly Poles being treated for memory loss. Robbins observed treatment that encouraged the recall of common national memory as opposed to individual memories, with salutary effects on the patients. Her argument about what she calls the “sociality of memory” offers a way forward for the care of those with Alzheimer’s disease, but also offers broader insights about the social position of the elderly, nationalism, memory, and modern Poland. The prize committee also awarded Honorable Mention to Professor Tomasz Grusiecki of Boise State University and Oliver Zajac of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for their articles. More…   For the press release, click here.

 

 

December 6, 2021 – No Name Bookclub: Ice Road Presentation – Alice Waydenfeld Faintich presented a one-hour multimedia program on the WWII Soviet forced deportations of Polish civilians to Siberia, based on her father’s book The Ice Road, to the No Name Bookclub in Crozet, VA.

 

 

 

 

December 1, 2021 – 303 Squadron Audiobook now available! – The audiobook for 303 Squadron has just been released on Audible.com, brilliantly narrated by award-winning British narrator Simon Vance. Click here to get it!

 

 

November 15, 2021 – John Guzlowski poem wins Pain Poem Award – The Pain Poem Award was given to John Guzlowski for his poem “My Mother’s Optimism” from his book Echoes of Tattered Tongues, published by Aquila Polonica.

 

 

 

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 – John Guzlowski featured at Hudson Valley Writers Center event – John Guzlowski, reading from his book Echoes of Tattered Tongues, will be one of three writers featured at the 16th Annual Slapering Hol Press War & Peace Reading, to be held via Zoom from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. Registration and more details at https://feedback.facebook.com/events/156934543274536

 

 

August 12, 2021 – Passing of Julian Kulski – It is with great sorrow that we report the death of Julian Kulski, author of The Color of Courage—A Boy at War: The World War II Diary of Julian Kulski. Mr. Kulski died at home in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at age 92, after a year-long illness. We are privileged and honored to have known and worked with Mr. Kulski. Funeral services will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on September 17, 2021. Additional funeral ceremonies will be held in Poland in early October, and will be official, with a military honor guard accompanying burial of Mr. Kulski’s ashes in the Kulski family tomb at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

This indomitable, courageous and gracious gentleman was recruited into the Polish Underground Army at age 12, undertook a secret mission into the Warsaw Ghetto with his commander to liaise with Jewish resistance leaders at age 13, was arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo at age 14, fought as a commando in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising at age 15, and ended the war in a German POW camp from which he escaped at age 16. He made his way to England, where he had to learn English, then to the U.S. where he worked his way through Yale University, obtaining both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture, followed years later by a doctorate in Urban Planning from the Warsaw Institute of Technology.

Mr. Kulski built a successful career as an architect, in both his own private practice and working around the world on projects as a consultant for the World Bank. He is the author of several books and more than 100 articles in professional journals. Mr. Kulski led the urban and regional planning programs at Notre Dame University and at George Washington University, and later established the first city planning program at Howard University.

He is the recipient of numerous awards from the Polish government, including the highly prestigious Cross of Valor, the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit, Silver Cross of Merit with Swords, the Home Army Cross, the Polish Army Medal (four times), and the Cross of the Warsaw Uprising.

Julian Kulski was a lifelong patriot of both his birth and adopted homelands, Poland and the U.S., and a fervent champion of freedom and democracy. In his Epilogue to The Color of Courage, Mr. Kulski concludes: “The fight for freedom does not cease with the winning or losing of individual battles, but is timeless. It does not take long to turn freedom-loving people into slaves under a totalitarian dictatorship….This makes me certain that no amount of effort, no amount of resistance, and no amount of tears is too much in defense of liberty.”

We salute this great hero of WWII. RIP after a life well-lived, Julian Kulski.

 

July 15, 2021 – Fevers of the Mind Interview with John Guzlowski – Literary site Fevers of the Mind conducts one of its signature “Quick-9 Inteviews” author John Guzlowski. The nine questions focus on Guzlowski’s writing career and influences. Guzlowski lists comic books, great high school teachers, his father, and the Chicago immigrant neighborhood where he grew up among the list of what influenced his writing. Read the entire article online OR in pdf.

 

 June 26, 2021 – Kuryer Polski article about Aquila Polonica — Kuryer Polski published an in-depth feature about Aquila Polonica and its president Terry Tegnazian, written by journalist Bogdan Kotnis. Among other things, Mr. Kotnis says: “The quality of Aquila Polonica work has been recognized through several prestigious awards and a growing readership. We should not only read Aquila Polonica publications but also make every effort to make these books available for every American student in colleges and high schools. A reader is pleasantly surprised by updated translations of dated material and the content expanded by proprietary video illustrations, which can be activated by scanning QR codes in text, or by an addendum to a book. Some publications can easily be used as college or high school textbooks. They are enhanced with methodologically appropriate questions for discussions and assignments for tests or term papers.” Read the entire article online OR in pdf…

 

June 25, 2021 – Parrot Literary Corner interviews John Guzlowski – Author John Guzlowski was interviewed on Parrot Literary Corner by host Dustin Pickering. The interview focused mostly on John’s award-winning book Echoes of Tattered Tongues. John read some selections from the book, and discussed the years-long process which resulted in the powerful array of poems that make up Echoes of Tattered Tongues. Parrot Literary Corner hosts live interviews via Zoom with poets and writers globally. Watch the interview on Youtube.

 

  April 17, 2021 – 2021 Symposium at Institute of World Politics – Aquila Polonica president Terry Tegnazian was one of the featured lecturers at the 2021 Kosciuszko Chair Spring Symposium. She presented a multimedia program (via Zoom, due to the pandemic) titled “Beyond Bravery: Poland in World War II,” providing an overview of Poland’s role as one of the Allies, richly illustrated with photos and five short films. More info at https://www.iwp.edu/events/38964/ (scroll all the way down the page at that link for description of program; video expired on April 18, 2021).

 

April 5, 2021 – The Auschwitz Volunteer Now Available in Japanese – A Japanese edition of  The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki is now available. Japanese-language rights were acquired by Misuzu Shobo Publishers in Tokyo, from Aquila Polonica Publishing, Los Angeles. This new Japanese edition joins the German, Italian, Portuguese, Finnish, complex Chinese (Taiwan), and simple Chinese (Mainland China) editions, previously licensed by Aquila Polonica to foreign publishers in those languages. Read the entire press release here…

 

 

 February 6, 2021 – Book Story Gal podcast focuses on John Guzlowski – The Book Story Gal podcast on Spotify devoted an entire episode to author John Guzlowski and his book Echoes of Tattered Tongues. Listen to the podcast at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rLaD77gUUCL0Kibn82fnm.