[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 18 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF WISLAWA SZYMBORSKA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 3, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
Ms. Wislawa Szymborska, a Nobel Prize winning Polish poet.
  Ms. Szymborska was born on July 2, 1923 in Brin, Poland. At the age 
of eight, in 1931, her family moved to Krakow, where she spent the rest 
of her life. During World War II, in order to avoid deportation to 
Germany, Ms. Szymborska worked as a railway clerk. Following the War, 
she attended Jagellonian University where she studied Polish literature 
and sociology. She began working for the literary magazine, ``Zycie 
Literackie'' in 1953. She served as a columnist and poetry editor until 
1981.
  In 1945, Ms. Szymborska published her first poem, ``Szukam slowa'' (I 
am Looking for a Word) in the Dziennik Polski newspaper. She published 
her first book of poetry, ``Dlatego zyjemy'' in 1952 and her last will 
be published posthumously. Ultimately, Ms. Szymborska will be credited 
with more than 21 volumes of poetry published, many in several 
languages.
  Ms. Szymborska was recognized and honored numerous times throughout 
her illustrious career. She has been coined the ``Mozart of Poetry'' 
and the ``Greta Garbo of World Poetry.'' Ms. Szymborska has been 
awarded the Geothe Prize, Herder Prize, Polish PEN Club prize and in 
1996, and she was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. She 
also received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Poznan 
University. In 2011 she was honored by Polish President Bronislaw 
Komorowski with The Order of the White Eagle for her cultural 
contribution to Poland.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of 
Ms. Wislawa Szymborska. Her work and her memory will live on with all 
who were blessed by knowing of her.

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