Jan Twardowski
Jan Jakub Twardowski was a Polish poet and Catholic priest. He was a chief Polish representative of contemporary religious lyrics. He wrote short, simple, often humorous poems that frequently included colloquialisms. His poetry joined observations of nature with philosophical reflection.
Biography
Jan Twardowski was born on 1 June 1915 in Warsaw, Congress Poland. His parents were Jan Twardowski and Aniela Maria Konderska. Several weeks after his birth, due to the events of World War I, his family moved to Russia. After 3 years, they returned to Warsaw. He finished middle school in 1935.In 1932, he began working with the youth newspaper "Kuźnia Młodych". He had his own column there, for which he wrote poems, short stories, and interviewed various writers.
After middle school, he began studying literature at the Józef Piłsudski University. In 1937 he published his first book of poetry.
During World War II he took part in various operations organised by the Armia Krajowa and fought in the Warsaw Uprising.
After the war, he joined a seminary and began studying theology at the Warsaw University. He became a priest in 1948. In 1959 he became a provost of the Visitationist Church. His writings were published in a popular Polish Catholic magazine, Tygodnik Powszechny. He gained fame in 1960 after publishing his first poetry book, "Znak Ufności". In 1980 he received the PEN Club and Robert Graves lifetime achievement awards, and, in 1996, the Order Uśmiechu. In 2000, Twardowski won the IKAR prize, and was rewarded with the TOTUS prize a year later.
Image:Pomnik ks. Jana Twardowskiego w Warszawie 1.jpg|right|thumb|The Father Jan Twardowski Monument in Warsaw, Poland.
Jan Twardowski died on 18 January 2006 in Warsaw at the age of 90. He was buried within the crypts of the Temple of Divine Providence on the outskirts of the Polish capital, despite the fact that he wanted to be buried at the Powązki cemetery in Warsaw.
Works
Poetry:- 1959: Wiersze, ; Warsaw
- 1970: Znaki ufności,, Kraków: Znak
- 1980: Niebieskie okulary,, Kraków: Znak
- 1983: Który stwarzasz jagody, Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 1986: Nie przyszedłem pana nawracać. Wiersze z lat 1937-1985 "I Have Not Come to Convert You: Poems From the Years 1937-1985"), Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Archidiecezji Warszawskiej
- 1990: Tak ludzka, Poznań: Księgarnia św. Wojciech
- 1991: Uśmiech Pana Boga. Wiersze dla dzieci, Warsaw: Nasza Księgarnia
- 1993: Kasztan dla milionera. Wiersze dla dzieci, Warsaw: Nasza Księgarnia
- 1993: Krzyżyk na drogę, Kraków: Znak
- 1996: Rwane prosto z krzaka, Warsaw: PIW
- 1998: Bóg prosi o miłość - Gott fleht um Liebe, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literary
- 1998: Niebo w dobrym humorze, Warsaw: PIW
- 1999: Miłość miłości szuka, Volumes 1 and 2, Warsaw: PIW, Księgarnia i Drukarnia Świętego Wojciecha
- 2000: Elementarz księdza Twardowskiego dla najmłodszego, średniaka i starszego, Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 2001: Kiedy mówisz, Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 2006: Kilka myśli o cierpieniu, przemijaniu i odejściu, Poznan: Księgarnia Św. Wojciecha