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In celebration of fifteen years at Enter Stage Right -- Bionote of Mark Wegierski

By Mark Wegierski
web posted January 1, 2018

Mark Wegierski completed his Ontario Secondary School Honour Graduation Diploma (OSSHGD) at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS), a unique “public/private” model school linked for a number of years to the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto, as well as to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).  After writing the competitive examination, he began in Grade 7 in September 1973 (as part of the regularized, enriched/intensive six-year program at UTS). His year of intake was the first co-educational one at the UTS – where half of the available places were allotted to females – hence he was especially fortunate to have been accepted in that year, when there were 50 percent less spaces available for males. His studies continued into Grade 8, and then four years of study, then equivalent to the then-standard in Ontario five years of Grades 9-13. (At UTS, there was at that time, a system of designation of Levels I-IV.) He graduated as part of the Class of ’79 (in June 1979), as an Ontario Scholar.  He also won the DuVernet Award for Best Essay in Senior-Year Philosophy.  Among some fond memories of UTS were his participation in the Southern Ontario Model (United Nations) Assembly (SOMA), especially the occasion when he was part of a two-man delegation representing the Republic of Peru.

Also, during the Summer of 1975, Mark Wegierski had completed a Polish Ethnography Study Program (235 hours/college level) based in Kielce, Poland, for which he received a Diploma.

In August 1975, he received an Honourary Diploma for Participation in the First Polish Poetry and Prose Dramatic Recital Festival for Persons of Polish Descent Living Abroad, held in Torun, Poland.

In August 1977, he received a Diploma of Recognition for Propagating the Beauty of the Polish Language and Popularizing Polish Literature, at the Second Polish Poetry and Prose Dramatic Recital Festival for Persons of Polish Descent Living Abroad, also held in Torun, Poland.

Having successfully completed his studies at UTS, Mark Wegierski was accepted into St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, where he finished a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with distinction, with a double Major in History and English Literature (1979-1983). The degree also included courses in Political Science, Philosophy, and Modern Languages.

This was followed by an M.A. in History (1983-1984) at the University of Toronto, focusing on International Relations, Modern and East-Central Europe, and the History of Ideas. Subsequently, Mark Wegierski completed a Master of Library Science (1985-1987) at the University of Toronto, focusing on Collection Development in academic, and public reference libraries; Archives; and Rare Books.

A memorable occasion at the University of Toronto was his participation in a model United Nations assembly, when he powerfully represented the Republic of El Salvador.

In 1989, Mark Wegierski took the course, “Online Information Retrieval: An Introduction” at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Library and Information Science (FLIS), Continuing Education.

On January 17, 1991, Mark Wegierski placed first out of 54 persons in a branch-wide Management Skills Exercise (Division Support Branch, Computer and Telecommunication Services Division, Ontario Ministry of Government Services).

Also in 1991, Mark Wegierski completed a Records Management Seminar (7 sessions – 21 hours in total), from RIM Services Inc., Toronto.

He returned to studies at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies, in 1998, with three Writing seminars.

He then studied at Ryerson University, Continuing Education, with four Creative Writing Workshop courses in 1999-2004.

In 2000, he participated in the prestigious Taddle Creek Summer Writers’ Workshop (four days) (with well-known Canadian science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer as his instructor) at Hart House, University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.

In 2005, he achieved the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA), The Humber School for Writers (an eight-month program).

In 2004-2009, he achieved the Certificate in Creative Writing at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.

In 2007-2009, he participated in eight sessions of the Humber Writers’ Circle, at Humber College, The Humber School for Writers. Each session lasted 135 minutes, and included an hour-long lecture, and 75 minutes during which the “first pages” of up to twenty participants, previously submitted electronically, were given quick “flash” assessments.

In 2013, he took a three-month Online Mentorship with Caitlin Sweet, a noted Canadian fantasy and science fiction author, at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies.

Mark Wegierski has been published in the scholarly journals Review of Metaphysics, Telos (New York), and Politeja (Krakow: Jagiellonian University), among others. He has appeared in Polish in the scholarly collection, Literatura polska w Kanadzie (Polish literature in Canada) (Katowice: University of Silesia, 2010).

In Canada, he has appeared in the popular publications Alberta Report, Books in Canada, and The Next City, among others, as well as in the mass-circulation newspapers, Calgary Herald, Ottawa Citizen, Saint John Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick Reader), and Windsor Star. He has also appeared in the French-language, Quebec-based journal, Égards (Considerations).

In the United States, he has appeared in the popular magazines, American Enterprise, American Outlook, Chronicles, The World & I, and World Magazine, among others, and in the mass-circulation newspaper Providence Journal (RI).

His article about Canada was reprinted in Annual Editions: World Politics, 1998-99 (Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 1998), a major college/university reader.

He has extensively appeared in Polish-Canadian and Polish-American publications, once in a Polish-Australian newspaper, and frequently in popular magazines, mass-circulation newspapers, and some e-zines in Poland.

He has also appeared in the British publications, Salisbury Review, Right Now, and Quarterly Review, as well as the German weekly, Junge Freiheit (Young Freedom).

In 2017, his poem was published in the collection Full Stop (Warsaw, Poland: IRF Press), pp. 37-39.

Since April 2002, Mark Wegierski has continuously appeared on various recognized webzines, posting on the Internet approximately once every 9 days since that time.

Some more recent academic conferences where his paper was delivered include: “Transatlantic Encounters” (University of Lodz) 2008; Sir Thomas More Colloquium (Polonia University in Czestochowa) 2010; “Conservatism: Made in USA” (Catholic University of Lublin) 2010; American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting: 2010 (Washington, D.C.); Polish Association for the Study of English (PASE): 2010 (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan –Kalisz Campus), 2011 (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun); “Poisoned Cornucopia” Conference (University of Opole) 2012; Polish Association for Canadian Studies (PACS) Congress, 2013 (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan); Polish Association for American Studies (PAAS), 2013 (University of Wroclaw); Fantastic Literature Conference (University of Lodz):  2012, 2014, 2016; “Media in America” (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin) 2017; and Telos Conference: 2012 (L’Aquila, Italy), 2017 (Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia).

Some other recent academic and association conferences (attendance only) include the APSA Annual Meeting: 2009 (Toronto); Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (CCWWP): 2012 (Humber College – Lakeshore Campus, Toronto); Freedom Press Canada Symposium: Spring 2013 (Toronto), Spring 2014 (Toronto); Civitas Canada: 2009 (Toronto), 2014 (Toronto); the Canadian Writers’ Summit (CCWWP and other writers’ and publishers’ associations) 2016 (Harbourfront Centre, Toronto); and the Canadian Constitution Foundation (Toronto Conference): 2008, 2009, 2017. ESR

Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher.

 

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