Jerzy Kutnik

Prof. Jerzy Kutnik (b. Maria Curie-Skłodowska University graduate, 1977) is a Professor at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) and former Head of the Department of American Studies (2005-2014). He holds a 1985 Ph.D. in American Literature from Adam Mickiewicz University and a 1997 postdoctoral degree (habilitation) at UMCS. His career spans roles as Dean of Social Sciences at Vincent Pol University, President of the Polish Association for American Studies, and organizer of international conferences including CAGE100 (2012) and Wordstruck (2014).

• Education: MA (1977), Ph.D. (1985), Habilitation (1997)
• Key Appointments: Department Head (2005-2014), Dean (2002-2013), Fulbright Fellow (1991-1992)

Research Interests focus on American avant-garde literature, John Cage studies, and interdisciplinary connections between literature and music. His work explores postmodern aesthetics, language experimentation, and cultural representations of identity. Publications like The Novel as Performance (1986) and CAGE111 (2023) demonstrate his long-term engagement with Raymond Federman, Ronald Sukenick, and Cage's conceptual approaches.

Recent Scholarship (2012-2023) examines Cage's Indeterminacy project, the CAGE100 symposium, and intersections between music and holiness. His Wordstruck conference (2014) and CAGE111 (2023) book highlight collaborations with Linda Hirst and Edyta Frelik on avant-garde interdisciplinary frameworks.

• Major Awards: Silver Cross of Merit (2000), Cultural Merit Decoration (2005), multiple Rector's Awards
• Translation Work: Polish translations of Raymond Federman and John Cage
• Editorial Roles: Co-editor of Re-Visioning Democracy (1995), CAGE100 (2015)