He debuted as a poet in 1967 with a poem printed in the Catholic monthly Bond and that same year co-founded the quarterly magazine Puls. As an activist, he was one of the original signatories of the protest "Letter 59" against changes made to the Polish People's Republic Constitution in 1976. In addition to his intellectual and literary pursuits, he was an avid boxer, mountain climber, and a member of the Mountaineering Club. He died May 26, 1993 in Paris.
Bierezin is counted among the leading artists of the Polish New Wave along with artists such as Stanisław Barańczak, Ryszard Krynicki, and Adam Zagajewski. He wrote poems that echoed verbal storytelling and were characterized by the powerful force of his unique personality. He is often compared in form and style to the American writer Charles Bukowski. Antoni Kępiński described the style as "first comes truth, structure, second ". The "Truth" of this poet was not only a personal truth, but a truth rooted in the political and historical struggles of Poland. Here is an example of how he experimented with alliteration: Paryż bez Ciebie / jest tylko jeszcze jednym, smutnym / wyludnionym, wschodnioeuropejskim miastem, / jak Wieluń, Warszawa czy Władywostok (Paris without you / is just another, sad / desolate, Eastern European town, / such as Wielun, Warsaw or Vladivostok.)
He began his career as a poet studying Polish literature at the University of Łódz. It was there, in 1968, that he became a member of the student strike committee. In 1971, he was convicted of opposition activities and for belonging to the “Ruch” movement. Repression intensified with time and in 1974 his works were officially banned. In 1977, he was expelled from the University for his cooperation with the Workers Defense Committee, and interned in prison. A volume of poems written in those turbulent times, “Wam” (“For You”), are a testimony to his rebellious nature and struggles with the authorities.
In 1982, Bierezin emigrated from Poland to live in exile in Paris, where he worked with Radio Free Europe and the magazine "Culture". He also earned a living as a licensed lifeguard and swimming instructor. Many who knew him during this period speak of him as living through a profound psychological crisis. Never the less, his friend Paweł Huelle recounts that he was planning a series of short stories before he was tragically struck and killed by a car near Pont d'Alma.
The poet is remembered in Łódz by a literary prize for emerging poets named in his honor. The Jacek Bierezin Prize has been awarded since 1995 to outstanding debut poets as part of the National Poetry Competition.
Paweł Huelle has described Bierezin's poetry as
inspired heavily by his own biography, but also – as worthy of mention – his biography was shaped in accordance with the dictates of poetic experience. [...] Admirers saw him as follower of Rimbaud, the rebel poet and lover of intense experiences. Critics have called his attitude an anachronism.
His technique was based on repetition, and this allowed for an uncompromising description of reality. At the same time, the poet was able to achieve a high tone reminiscent of Zbigniew Herbert in the work that begins with the words "Ashes poem lovely and helpless ..." This diversity of tone shows the great talent of a prematurely deceased author.
Selected works:
Poetry:
• “Lekcja liryki” (“The Lesson lyrics") Publisher Łódz, Łódz, 1972.
• “Wam. Poezje” (“For you. Poems”), Literary Institute, Paris, 1974 (introduction to the book, signed by the nom de plume "Felix Niedolski" is written by Stanislaw Baranczak).
• "W połowie życia" ("In the middle of life"), Independent Publishing House "Nowa", Warsaw 1980.
• "So many things ", Dembinski Editions, Paris 1990.
• "Lifeline", Literary Publishing, Krakow 1999 (posthumous edition).
Columns:
• Z pustyni i z puszczy. Felietony sprzed odnowy" ("From the desert and wilderness. Columns before renewal") (Student Publishing House “Sowa”, Warsaw 1981).
Author: Paweł Kozioł, November 2010