The American Studies Center Library has received a large collection of books belonging to the late Andrzej Wala (1942–2018), a historian, poet, and co-founder of Polish-American Ethnological Society.

Andrzej Wala devoted a substantial part of his life to studying the history and culture of Native Americans and was an esteemed specialist in the field. In 1976, he co-founded the Polish-American Ethnological Society and from 1985 until his death he acted as its Executive Director. He was also an author of a book of poems, a collection of satirical rhymes, as well as a collection of radio speeches.

Mr. Wala left an extensive collection of books, containing 500 volumes, focusing heavily on the history and culture of Native Americans. Thanks to the generosity of his wife, Mrs. Barbara Wala, the entire collection was gifted to the ASC Library. The entire collection will be catalogued and marked with a special bookplate commemorating Andrzej Wala and will soon be available for both researchers and students.

The American Studies Center and the Polish-American Ethnological Society are planning to organize a special seminar as soon as the epidemiological situation makes it possible.

News

Changes in Dr. Gajda-Łaszewska’s office hours schedule

June 26, 2024

Dr. Gajda-Łaszewska will be available in the office on Tuesday (2 July 2024), 1:30-3:30 pm and online (ZOOM) on Thursday (4 July 2024), 12:00-2:00 pm.

June 17-18: Polish-language conference „Jak uczyć o płci i seksualności? Interdyscyplinarność, instytucjonalizacja, zaangażowanie społeczne.”

June 17, 2024

Konferencja „Jak uczyć o płci i seksualności? Interdyscyplinarność, instytucjonalizacja, zaangażowanie społeczne” ma na celu stworzenie przestrzeni, w której mogą się spotkać społeczności akademickie, aktywistyczne, artystyczne, eksperckie tworzące i przekazujące wiedzę o płci i seksualności. Jaka mogłaby być dziś edukacja seksualna? Gdzie jest miejsce na feministyczny i queerowy aktywizm w akademii? Czy słowem kluczowym jest „równość” czy „nierówności”? Czy potrafimy wspólnie wyobrazić sobie studia magisterskie o płci i seksualności w Polsce? Zapraszamy na 6 paneli dyskusyjnych.

Year 2023/2024

June 11: Biosocial Groups, Biosocial Criminals – the Body and Medicine as Organizing Agents

June 11, 2024

Weird Fictions Research Group cordially invites you to the very last event this semester! The lecture will show how medical anthropology and cultural studies can shed light on medicine-related social and cultural phenomena.

Year 2023/2024

June 6: Marketing Barbie’s “Curvy New Body”: Mattel’s Fashionistas Line and its Legacy Brand Politics

June 6, 2024

We would like to invite you to an upcoming lecture given by a Fulbright Scholar, Doctor Rebecca C. Hains! During this lecture, you will have the pleasure of listening to Dr. Hains’s exploration of Barbie from the feminist perspective, the history of Barbie’s body type, and the feminist critique around it. The talk will also discuss the PR surrounding the “Curvy” Barbies’ release, a topic that has sparked many intense debates.

Year 2023/2024

June 5: Dissecting Theater: Medical Horror on Stage

June 5, 2024

Weird Fictions Research Group cordially invites you to a penultimate event this semester! We will discuss the ways in which medicine and theater are correlated and how medical horror stories can thrive on stage. We will explore the universal nature of theater by analyzing the sources of fear in Starkid’s The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals as well.