Lenore Marshall
Encyclopedia
Lenore Guinzberg Marshall (September 7, 1899, New York City
- September 23, 1971, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
) was an American poet
, novelist, and activist.
in 1919.
She married James Marshall, son of famed New York lawyer, Louis Marshall
. Lenore and James had two children, Ellen and Jonathan; they lived in New York City
. James served on the Board of Education in New York City for seventeen years, including as its president. He called for the creation of UNESCO during World World II.
From 1929 to 1932, Lenore Marshall worked as an editor at Cape and Smith, where she was instrumental getting them to publish The Sound and the Fury
by William Faulkner
. She also edited As I Lay Dying.
Her work appeared in Harper's, and The New Yorker.
, who was a member, and who wrote the anti-lynching story "Nigger Jeff".
In 1956, with Norman Cousins
, she helped found SANE
, the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. She continued her anti-nuclear work with the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility. She corresponded with Irving Howe
.
She lived at the Dorset Hotel, and New Hope, Pennsylvania
.
In 1971, she was on the board of PEN
.
.The Prize was created in 1975 by the New Hope Foundation of Pennsylvania, which, until 1987, was a philanthropic foundation created by Lenore Marshall and her husband, James Marshall, to "support the arts and the cause of world peace"; Lenore Marshall, a poet, novelist, editor, and peace activist, had died in 1971.
"Her prose is freshest when it is specific, describing a union organizer with great affection or an advocate of nuclear weapons with unusual cruelty. There are passages about her children written with wide-open eyes and a generous heart. When she deals more generally with Literature or Politics or Life, she sometimes gets fuzzy or even affected."
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- September 23, 1971, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
) was an American poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, novelist, and activist.
Life
She was the daughter of Harry and Leonie (Kleinert) Guinzburg. She graduated from Barnard CollegeBarnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
in 1919.
She married James Marshall, son of famed New York lawyer, Louis Marshall
Louis B. Marshall
Louis Marshall was an American corporate, constitutional and civil rights lawyer as well as a mediator and Jewish community leader who worked to secure religious, political, and cultural freedom for all minority groups...
. Lenore and James had two children, Ellen and Jonathan; they lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. James served on the Board of Education in New York City for seventeen years, including as its president. He called for the creation of UNESCO during World World II.
From 1929 to 1932, Lenore Marshall worked as an editor at Cape and Smith, where she was instrumental getting them to publish The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury is a novel written by the American author William Faulkner. It employs a number of narrative styles, including the technique known as stream of consciousness, pioneered by 20th century European novelists such as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Published in 1929, The Sound and...
by William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
. She also edited As I Lay Dying.
Her work appeared in Harper's, and The New Yorker.
Activism
In 1933, she became the treasurer of the Writers' League Against Lynching, and corresponded with Theodore DreiserTheodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
, who was a member, and who wrote the anti-lynching story "Nigger Jeff".
In 1956, with Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins was an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate.-Early life and education:...
, she helped found SANE
Peace Action
Peace Action is a peace organization formed through the merger of The Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy and the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign...
, the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. She continued her anti-nuclear work with the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility. She corresponded with Irving Howe
Irving Howe
Irving Howe was an American literary and social critic and a prominent figure of the Democratic Socialists of America.-Life and career:...
.
I am not embattled. I'm battling, and that makes life so much more interesting.
She lived at the Dorset Hotel, and New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
.
In 1971, she was on the board of PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
.
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize is given each year by the Academy of American PoetsAcademy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
.The Prize was created in 1975 by the New Hope Foundation of Pennsylvania, which, until 1987, was a philanthropic foundation created by Lenore Marshall and her husband, James Marshall, to "support the arts and the cause of world peace"; Lenore Marshall, a poet, novelist, editor, and peace activist, had died in 1971.
Reviews
On The Hill is Level: "It is a novel of philosophical ideas and of literary culture, of moral idealism and social criticism. The central theme is a woman's struggle to emancipate herself and lead a good life.""Her prose is freshest when it is specific, describing a union organizer with great affection or an advocate of nuclear weapons with unusual cruelty. There are passages about her children written with wide-open eyes and a generous heart. When she deals more generally with Literature or Politics or Life, she sometimes gets fuzzy or even affected."