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Alfred Kazin
32quotes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Alfred Kazin was born as Alfred Louis Kozinn on May 5, 1915.
Birth and Death Dates
May 5, 1915 - October 3, 1998
Nationality and Profession(s)
American literary critic, essayist, memoirist, biographer, and teacher.
Early Life and Background
Alfred Kazin was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents. His early life was marked by poverty and hardship, but his love for reading and writing provided an escape from the difficulties of his surroundings. Kazin's family moved frequently during his childhood, settling finally on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. He attended Boys High School in Brooklyn before enrolling at City College of New York, where he developed a passion for literature.
Major Accomplishments
Kazin's work as a literary critic and essayist earned him recognition within the academic community and among readers. His critiques were praised for their insightful analysis of modern American literature. Kazin's own writing often explored themes related to identity, culture, and social class. He was an advocate for the importance of literature in understanding human experience.
Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works by Alfred Kazin include:
New York Jew (1945), a memoir that recounts his childhood experiences growing up as a Jewish immigrant in Brooklyn.
On Native Grounds: An Interpretation of Modern American Prose Literature (1942), a critical study of modern American literature that explores the relationship between writers and their cultural context.
Impact and Legacy
Kazin's contributions to literary criticism have had lasting impact on the field. His work continues to be studied in academic circles, providing insights into the ways in which literature reflects and shapes cultural values. Kazin was also a dedicated teacher and educator, inspiring generations of students through his passion for literature.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Alfred Kazin is widely quoted and remembered for his unique perspective on American culture and literature. His writing often captured the essence of what it means to be an outsider looking in – whether that meant being a Jewish immigrant in Brooklyn or a literary critic attempting to make sense of modern American prose.
Quotes by Alfred Kazin
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Everything seems so small here now, old, mashed-in, more rundown even than I remember it, but with a heartbreaking familiarity at each door that makes me wonder if I can take in anything new, so strongly do I feel in Brownsville that I am walking in my sleep.
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Yet it puzzled me that no one around me seemed to take God very seriously. We neither believed nor disbelieved. He was our oldest habit.
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A year after Hemingway died on the front page, Faulkner went off after a binge, as if dying was nobody’s business but his own.
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Art changes all the time, but it never “improves.” It may go down, or up, but it never improves as technology and medicine improve.
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History has become more important than ever because of the to unprecedented ability of the historical sciences to take in man’s life on earth as a whole.
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Modern American literature was born in protest, born in rebellion, born out of the sense of loss and indirection which was imposed upon the new generations out of the realization that the old formal culture-the “New England idea”-could no longer serve.
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