"Echoes of Tattered Tongues: Memory Unfolded" by John Z. Guzlowski (Aquila Polonica Publishing, 2016) was just named winner of the 2017 Montaigne Medal by the
Eric Hoffer Award, which is presented each year to the most thought-provoking books.
The Montaigne Medal recognizes books that either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought. It is given under the umbrella of the
Eric Hoffer Award in honor of the great French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who influenced people such as
William Shakespeare, René Descartes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and
Eric Hoffer. The
Eric Hoffer Award is one of the largest international book awards for small, academic, and independent presses, http://www.hofferaward.com.
"Being awarded the 2017 Montaigne Medal is an incredible honor. My publisher and I are both thrilled with this additional recognition that my book Echoes of Tattered Tongues is one of the most important books published this past year," said author John Guzlowski. "We did not even know that my book was being considered for this award until we were notified several weeks ago that it was one of the finalists."
The Montaigne Medal is the second major award won by "Echoes of Tattered Tongues." Last month, this book won the Gold Award for Poetry at the 2017
Benjamin Franklin Awards administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association.
In this major tour de force, author John Guzlowski traces the arc of one of the millions of immigrant families of America, in this case, survivors of the maelstrom of World War II.
Publishers Weekly describes "Echoes of Tattered Tongues" as "gut-wrenching, narrative lyric poems," and Foreword Reviews called it a "devastating, one-of-a -kind collection." "A searing memoir," said Shelf Awareness, naming the "Echoes of Tattered Tongues" book trailer its Book Trailer of the Day. Kelly Cherry, Poet Laureate of Virginia (2010–2012) said about this book: "Deeply moving. A powerful, lasting, and sometimes shocking book. Superb."
Using an innovative weave of poetry and prose, Guzlowski unfolds the story of his own family backwards through time. His parents, young Christian Poles, were taken by Germans to work as slave laborers in German concentration camps, and barely survived. The author and his sister were born in refugee camps in Germany after the war. The family was finally able to immigrate to the United States in 1951 as Displaced Persons, and settled in a tough immigrant neighborhood in Chicago.
To learn more: www.polww2.com/AboutEchoes
Watch the book trailer: www.polww2.com/EchoesTrailer
"This is a haunting look at a virtually unknown aspect of World War II, with impacts that echo through generations and reflections relevant to today's refugee situation," said Terry Tegnazian, president of Aquila Polonica Publishing. "John Guzlowski's writing, with its powerful imagery, will stay with you long after you close the book."
About John Guzlowski: Guzlowski is Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Eastern Illinois University, and currently lives in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Purdue University.Over a writing career that spans more than 40 years, Guzlowski has amassed a significant body of published work in a wide range of genres: poetry, prose, literary criticism, reviews, fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in numerous national journals and anthologies, and in four prior books. Guzlowski's work has garnered high praise, including from Nobel Laureate Czesław Miłosz, who called Guzlowski's poetry "exceptional."
Aquila Polonica Publishing, www.AquilaPolonica.com, is an award-winning independent publisher based in Los Angeles, specializing in publishing the Polish WWII experience in English. The company is a member of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). Aquila Polonica's titles are distributed to the trade in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Australia and New Zealand by National Book Network, www.nbnbooks.com, and are available from fine bookstores, online retailers, and all major wholesalers.
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