American Studies Encounters

11/05/2026

📚 Another open lecture this week!

We warmly invite you to an open lecture by Simone Knewitz (University of Bonn, Germany):

“Black Lives Matter and the Poetics of Political Protest”

📅 12 May 2026 (Tuesday)
🕐 13:15
📍 Room 2.014

Everyone is welcome!

24/04/2026

Looking for interesting open events? We’ve got an exciting May lined up for you!

🔹 Peter Cipkowski (UCLA)
“Willa Cather and the American Imagination”
📅 May 11, 9:45–11:15 AM
📍 Room 1.517

🔹 Simone Knewitz (University of Bonn, Germany)
“Black Lives Matter and the Poetics of Political Protest”
📅 May 12, 2026 (Tuesday), 1:15 PM
📍 Room 2.014

✨ Open to all—students, faculty, and anyone interested in American literature and culture.

See you there!

23/04/2026

Marek Paryż conducting research in Atlanta, where this year’s Popular Culture Association Annual Conference was held.

Prof. Marek Paryż and Dr. Tomasz Jacheć send their warm greetings from Atlanta where they represent PAAS at the Popular Culture Association Annual Conference. In their free time, they visit must-see places to do some cultural research :)

12/03/2026

A meeting not to be missed!

18/01/2026

🏆 We’re happy to share that our student Kacper Kusio received an honorable mention in the very competitive Best American Studies MA Thesis Competition!

🏆 His MA thesis, “From Bomb Squads to Wharves and Bandanas: Modern Representations of Postcolonial Hip-hop Identity in the Works of billy woods and Mach-Hommy,” was supervised by Justyna Włodarczyk.

His MA reviewer wrote that "It is a rare pleasure to read a text in which Rage Against the Machine or Public Enemy are mentioned along with Spivak or Glissant."

🏆 Huge congratulations to Kacper and to all the other winners! 🎉

19/12/2025

Merry Christmas from ZKLAP (Department of North American Literatures and Cultures)!

28/11/2025

Our Zakład' s Thanksgiving Hangout

🍂 Yesterday our Zakład spent Thanksgiving together. It was great to take a break from deadlines and enjoy each other’s company.

🦃 We also used the occasion to welcome Ola Kamińska to our Zakład. We're really happy she's joining us, and we can’t wait to work (and have fun!) together.

💛 Thanks to everyone who showed up, brought snacks, and made the evening so enjoyable. Let’s definitely do this again soon — we clearly know how to celebrate! 🍁

04/11/2025

📚 Last week, our student club .it.uw had the pleasure of hosting Kaja Gucio () for a lively and inspiring evening devoted to the art of literary translation.
Chaired by Anna Pochmara and the club’s mentor Joanna Ziarkowska, the event kicked off with a discussion of James by Percival Everett — one of the most talked-about novels of recent years — and soon turned into a broader conversation about the craft, challenges, and joys of being a translator. Students asked plenty of sharp and thoughtful questions about the realities of working with language and literature.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us despite the late hour — and to the amazing organizers who not only ran the event but also baked a cake for the audience and brought mini cheesecakes for the guests! 🍰💛
Just a few days after our meeting, Kaja’s nomination for the Irena Tuwim Translation Award was announced ( ) — a wonderful and well-deserved recognition of her outstanding work! 🌟
And even better news: Kaja will be back in the spring to lead a translation workshop — we can’t wait! 🌸

03/11/2025

Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting Eve Dunbar (Rice University), who visited us thanks to an IDUB Mentor grant awarded to our Ecocriticism and Black Studies Research Team — Anna Pochmara, Aneta Dybska, and Kamil Chrzczonowicz. 🦋📚
Prof. Dunbar—author of Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction and Black Regions of the Imagination—gave a great talk about Black politics and nonhuman animals. The room was full, the discussion lively, and the energy fantastic! ✨
A few days later, Prof. Dunbar also met with Justyna Włodarczyk and her Animal Studies Research Team for a follow-up seminar, where the conversation continued in a more informal and inspiring setting. 🐾
Prof. Dunbar sends her greetings from Texas and thanks everyone who took part in the events. A native of the North East, she appreciated the chance to experience autumn in Poland — complete with Łazienki Park squirrels, golden foliage, and rainy afternoons.