Leopold Tyrmand
Encyclopedia
Leopold Tyrmand was a Polish
novelist and editor. He studied architecture for a year at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris before the war, and during the war was a resistance fighter in Poland, a waiter in Germany (an experience he wrote about in his semi-autobiographical novel "Filip"), and a prisoner in a Norwegian concentration camp. Before he returned to a devastated Poland, he worked with the Norwegian Red Cross. Leopold Tyrmand rose to prominence for his publication of anti-regime newspapers in Poland. In 1954, he wrote a diary, which he later edited and released in 1980 as "Dziennik 1954"
. The book, which gives a unique description of the daily life in Stalinist Poland, is now considered to be one of his greatest achievements. He emigrated to the United States
in 1966.
In the United States, Tyrmand lived in New York City and New Canaan, Connecticut, until 1976, and regularly published essays in American periodicals such as The New Yorker
and The New York Times
, "Commentary" and "The American Scholar". He became the co-founder and vice-president of the Rockford Institute
, a conservative foundation critical of American publishing values and their apparent bias toward liberal writers. He served as editor of Chronicles of Culture
, an anti-communist
journal.
His books included Kultura Essays, Explorations in Freedom, Notebooks of a Dilettante, On the Border of Jazz and Seven Long Voyages. His most famous novel was Zły (published in English as The Man With White Eyes). Tyrmand was instrumental in introducing jazz music to Poland, and is considered the "guru" of the Polish jazz movement. He started the first Polish jazz festival, which he named "Jazz Jamboree," in the 1950s; the festival, whose theme song he picked ("Swanee River") attracted notables of jazz from the West, and continues to this day. To Tyrmand, jazz was a declaration of freedom, and thus a political statement.
Tyrmand died of a heart attack in Fort Myers, Florida
. He was 64 years old. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen, and his children, Matthew and Rebecca.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
novelist and editor. He studied architecture for a year at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris before the war, and during the war was a resistance fighter in Poland, a waiter in Germany (an experience he wrote about in his semi-autobiographical novel "Filip"), and a prisoner in a Norwegian concentration camp. Before he returned to a devastated Poland, he worked with the Norwegian Red Cross. Leopold Tyrmand rose to prominence for his publication of anti-regime newspapers in Poland. In 1954, he wrote a diary, which he later edited and released in 1980 as "Dziennik 1954"
Diary 1954
Diary 1954 , a book by Leopold Tyrmand containing his notes from the first three months of 1954.- Creation and publication history :...
. The book, which gives a unique description of the daily life in Stalinist Poland, is now considered to be one of his greatest achievements. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1966.
In the United States, Tyrmand lived in New York City and New Canaan, Connecticut, until 1976, and regularly published essays in American periodicals such as The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "Commentary" and "The American Scholar". He became the co-founder and vice-president of the Rockford Institute
Rockford Institute
Rockford Institute is a conservative think-tank associated with paleoconservatism, based in Rockford, Illinois. It is known for the John Randolph Club, and publishes Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture....
, a conservative foundation critical of American publishing values and their apparent bias toward liberal writers. He served as editor of Chronicles of Culture
Chronicles (magazine)
Chronicles is a U.S. monthly magazine published by the Rockford Institute. Its full current name is Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture. The magazine is known for promoting anti-globalism, anti-intervention and anti-immigration stances within conservative politics, and is considered one of...
, an anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
journal.
His books included Kultura Essays, Explorations in Freedom, Notebooks of a Dilettante, On the Border of Jazz and Seven Long Voyages. His most famous novel was Zły (published in English as The Man With White Eyes). Tyrmand was instrumental in introducing jazz music to Poland, and is considered the "guru" of the Polish jazz movement. He started the first Polish jazz festival, which he named "Jazz Jamboree," in the 1950s; the festival, whose theme song he picked ("Swanee River") attracted notables of jazz from the West, and continues to this day. To Tyrmand, jazz was a declaration of freedom, and thus a political statement.
Tyrmand died of a heart attack in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
. He was 64 years old. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen, and his children, Matthew and Rebecca.