Isaac Bashevis Singer - Biography

Isaac Bashevis Singer, recipient of the 1978 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born into a family of Hasidic Jews in Radzymin, Poland. His father was a rabbi. He was educated to be a rabbi himself at the Warsaw Rabbinical Seminary. He left the seminary and moved to America. There he worked for the JEWISH DAILY FORWARD under the pseudonym Warshofsky. He also worked for the newspaper FORVERTS.

His first novel, DER SONT IN GORAZ (SATAN IN GORAY), was published when he was 31. On of his best known works is his second novel, DIE FAMILJE MOSHKAT (THE FAMILY MOSKAT), which was published in 1950. YENTL was made into a popular motion picture starring Barbara Striesand.

Isaac Bashevis Singer died in Surfside, Florida in 1991.

CHRONOLOGY


1904 He was born in Radzymin, Poland.


1908 He moved with his family to Warsaw.


1920 He entered the Tachkemoni Rabbinical Seminary.


1933 He became an associate editor of GLOBUS.


1935 DER SONT IN GORAZ (SATAN IN GORAY); He emigrated to the United States.; He began writing for the JEWISH DAILY FORWARD.


1940 He married Alma Haimann.


1943 He became a United States citizen.


1950 DIE FAMILJE MOSHKAT (THE FAMILY MOSKAT)


1956 DER SHPIEGEL (GIMPEL THE FOOL)


1960 DER KUNSTNMAKHER FUN LUBLIN (THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLIN)


1961 THE SPINOZA OF MARKET STREET


1962 DER KNEKHT (THE SLAVE)


1964 SHORT FRIDAY; He was elected into the National Institute of Arts and Letters.


1966 IN MY FATHER'S COURT; ZLATEH THE GOAT; MAJN TANTS BES-DIN SHTUB; MAZEL AND SCHLIMAZEL; ZLATED THE GOAT AND OTHER STORIES


1967 THE FEARSOME INN; THE MANOR


1968 THE SEANCE; WHEN SCHLEMIEL WENT TO WARSAW


1969 THE ESTATE: A DAY OF PLEASURE


1970 THE FEARSOME INN; A FRIEND OF KAFKA; ELIJAH THE SLAVE; JOSEPH AND KOZA


1971 ALONE IN THE WILD FOREST; THE TOPSY-TYRVY EMPEROR OF CHINA


1972 THE WICKED CITY; ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY


1973 A CROWN OF FEATHERS; THE MIRROR; THE FOOLS OF CHELM AND THEIR HISTORY


1974 SCHLEMIEL THE FIRST; WHY NOAH CHOSE THE DOVE


1975 A TALE OF THREE WISHES; THE MIRROR AND OTHER STORIES; PASSIONS AND OTHER STORIES


1976 NAFTALI THE STORYTELLER; A LITTLE BOY IN SEARCH OF GOD


1978 SHOSHA; TEIBELE AND HER DEMON; YENTL; A YOUNG MAN IN SEARCH FOR LOVE; He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.


1979 OLD LOVE: A CERTAIN BRIDGE


1980 REACHES OF HEAVEN; PASSIONS


1981 LOST IN AMERICA; MESHUGE


1982 THE GOLEM; THE COLLECTED STORIES OF ISAAC BASHIEVIS SINGER


1983 THE PENITENT; His short story, YENTL THE YESHIVA BOY was made into a popular film.


1984 LOVE AND EXILE


1985 THE IMAGE AND OTHER STORIES


1988 THE DEATH OF THE METUSELAH AND OTHER STORIES; KING OF THE FIELD


1991 SCUM; He died in Surfside, Florida. (July 24)


1992 THE CERTIFICATE


1996 A DAY OF PLEASURE AND OTHER STORIES FOR CHILDREN; ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER: CHILDREN'S STORIES AND CHILDHOOD MEMOIRS


1998 SHADOWS ON THE HUDSON