POLISH HERITAGE - MARIE HEJNOSZ Polish American Journal

Polish Heritage ********** Published Triannually by the American Council for Polish Culture, Polish American Journal, North Boston, NY Winter, 2020 page: 5, 9 ********** by Marie Hejnosz ********** To know Aleksandra is to know someone of great personal charm, great intelligence and a heart of gold. I know that, each time I see Aleksandra, I will be greeted by a beautiful smile and warm embrace. Looking at her shy demeanor, one would never know how accomplished she is. She was educated at the University of Lódz and the University of Warsaw where she received her Ph.D. in Humanities. While still a student, she published number of short stories and newspaper articles, but her true writing career took off when she began her work for Melchior Wańkowicz, a prominent Polish writer. For her help and research with his latest book, Wańkowicz dedicated that book to her, and in his last will, 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, Stanley Haidasz, Melchior Wańkowicz, and her own uncle Korczak Ziółkowski. ********** From 1981–83, she resided in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the recipient of three writing scholarships. Since April 1990, she has lived permanently in the United States, in Wilmington, Delaware and spending nine years in Texas (Houston and Dallas). ********** My fascination with Aleksandra is intensified by the fact that she is the niece of Korczak Ziółkowski, the famous sculptor of the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota. The monument is dedicated to the famous, brave, Native American leader. Like Aleksandra, I am captivated by the history and culture of Native Americans. I passionately collect books and other information about their way of life and their nearly forgotten culture. In today’s climate of equality for all, somehow no one remembers about those Native Americans whose way of life and culture the European invaders destroyed. **********

********** Aleksandra traveled extensively throughout the South West and beyond with her, now deceased, husband Norman Boehm. Together they visited many Native American communities and Aleksandra diligently took pictures and notes, which served as source material for her later writing. One of her books about Native Americans is “Open Wounds. A Native American Heritage”. Anyone who has an interest in our collective history should read it. ********** According to Bruce E. Johansen, PhD, University of Nebraska: “Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm takes us across the United States, visiting Indian Country, with insight and compassion, raising many issues along the way with the Dr. Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm eye of a traveler from overseas (the book first appeared in Poland). Few people in this country know that the first craftsmen at Jamestown were from Poland, or that the family of Polish ancestry (relatives of hers) are carving a huge memorial to Crazy Horse in South Dakota.” ********** According to Homer Flute, Apache, Trustee/CEO Sand Creek Massacre Descendants Trust, Anandarko, Oklahoma: “The book Open Wounds depicts many of the past and present problems facing Native Americans as minorities in their own country, where bias, envy and jealousies are still strong influences among the Indian people, as portrayed in the author’s story about Crazy Horse being betrayed by his own people. This still happens today. Many non-Indians are misinformed about Indians and reservations because their only source of information comes from fictional movies and books.... This book outlines the tragic obstacles encountered by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski while carving the statue of the Lakota Sioux war chief Crazy Horse. The sculptor experienced many similar situations that parallels the Indians’ situation.” ********** Aleksandra is the author of over 30 books some written in Polish and some in English. She is the recipient of many awards and scholarships that are too numerous to mention here. ********** One of the most prestigious is the Fulbright scholarship which she received in 2006-2007 and award in 2008. Most recently, she was chosen as the recipient of the Wybitny Polak in literature award. ********** Aleksandra made her permanent home in Delaware but she travels to Poland frequently where many of her books are published and widely read. Her Polish repertoire includes books about Melchior Wańkowicz and number of other Polish personalities. Many of her books are also about the heroes of World War II describing the Polish suffering and heroism. One of her latest books on that subject is “Kaia Heroine of the 1944 Warsaw Rising”. According to Zbigniew Brzezinski, PhD, author and National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter, Alexandra’s book is “A moving and compelling account of what heroism entails and what suffering can be endured for the sake of a higher cause.” “Kaia” also received very positive reviews from ********** Stanley Weintraub, author of “The Last Great Victory: The End of World War II, July–August 1945, ” In pages of striking contrast, Kaia moves from a colorful, nearly idyllic life by Polish exiles in southern Siberia earlier in the last century to the graphic horrors of Nazified Poland—and then to the moving aftermath of loss and recovery.” ********** Another interesting fact about Aleksandra is that for 26 years she was happily married to a close relative of Ingrid Bergman. Aleksandra’s husband’s grandmother and Ingrid’s father were brother and sister. Aleksandra writes about this family connection in her beautiful book “Ingrid Bergman and her American Relatives.” ********** Her husband Norman was a staunch supporter of Polish causes; wrote many letters to senators and took other supportive actions. Norman’s bio and his letters to American senators are in the book written by Jan Nowak Jezioranski “Poland’s Road to NATO”. ********** On a lighter side, Aleksandra is a dedicated feline lover and in her home in Delaware, one can always find a fascinating feline. One of Aleksandra’s favorite cats was Suzie and she wrote a lighthearted book about her entitled “On the Road with Suzy: From Cat to Companion”. **********. In summary, I would like to add, that thanks to Aleksandra’s writings, my life and the lives of many others were enriched immeasurably. We are very proud to have Aleksandra as a board member of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia. For additional information, see Wikipedia (both English and Polish) **********

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