Alfred Kazin (1915–1998)
Author of A Walker in the City
About the Author
Alfred Kazin, a literary critic and professor of English literature, was born in Brooklyn on June 5, 1915. He was educated at City College and Columbia University. Kazin established his own critical reputation in the mid-1940s with On Native Grounds (1942), a study of American literature. His later show more work, Bright Book of American Life (1973), is both a recapitulation of modernism and an evaluation of American writers who have achieved prominence since 1945. Modernism, a favorite topic of Kazin, is in his view a literary revolution marked by spontaneity and individuality but lacking in precisely the mass culture appeal necessary to its survival. Contemporaries (1962) includes reflective essays on travel, five essays on Freud, and some very perceptive essays on literary and political matters. The final section, "The Critic's Task," concerns itself with the critic's function within a popular and an academic context and with critical theory and principles. Starting Out in the Thirties (1965) describes Kazin's early years with The New Republic as book reviewer and evaluates his contemporaries in a period when the depression and radical political thought, pro and con, deeply affected literary production. In the midst of the current antihumanistic trend in literary theory, Kazin remains a literary critic of the old school, believing in the relevance of literature to modern life. Alfred Kazin died on June 5, 1998. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Alfred Kazin
On Native Grounds: An Interpretation Of Modern American Prose Literature (Harvest Book) (1942) 171 copies
The World of History: Great Historical Writings by Henry Steele Commager and Others (A Mentor Book) (1954) — Editor — 6 copies
Literature as a necessity of life 2 copies
The Open Street 2 copies
An American Process 1 copy
The Indispensable Blake 1 copy
Theodore Dreiser 1 copy
Associated Works
A Sense of History: The Best Writing from the Pages of American Heritage (1985) — Contributor — 465 copies
For the Love of Books: 115 Celebrated Writers on the Books They Love Most (1999) — Contributor — 452 copies
An American Album: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Harper's Magazine (2000) — Contributor — 133 copies
Forgotten Heroes: Inspiring American Portraits from Our Leading Historians (1999) — Contributor — 109 copies
Writing New York: A Literary Anthology (Expanded 10th-Anniversary Edition) (2008) — Contributor — 93 copies
New York Panorama: A Comprehensive Guide to the Metropolis (1938) — Introduction, some editions — 54 copies
Alger Hiss, Whittaker Chambers, and the Schism in the American Soul (2002) — Contributor — 25 copies
African American History Collection, CD 2. The Negro in American Culture — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1915-06-05
- Date of death
- 1998-06-05
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Place of death
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Cause of death
- cancer (prostate, bone)
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
- Education
- City College of New York
- Occupations
- writer
literary critic - Relationships
- Birstein, Ann (spouse | 1952-1982)
Kazin, Michael (son) - Organizations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (Literature, 1965)
The New Republic
Fortune - Awards and honors
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award (Literature, 1949)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 41
- Also by
- 32
- Members
- 1,813
- Popularity
- #14,180
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 10
- ISBNs
- 65
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 3