Norman Rosten
Encyclopedia
Norman Rosten was an American poet
, playwright
, and novelist.
and was graduated from Brooklyn College
and New York University
, and the University of Michigan
, where he met Arthur Miller
. Each won the Avery Hopwood Award.
In 1979, Brooklyn's borough president Howard Golden
named Rosten as the poet laureate of Brooklyn
.
Among Rosten's work outside the field of poetry, he wrote the libretto for Ezra Laderman
's opera "Marilyn". He also wrote the screenplay for the Sidney Lumet
's film Vu du Pont, adapting Miller's "A View from the Bridge
." He visited Mickey Knox
in Rome.
His work appeared in The New Yorker.
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...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and novelist.
Life
He grew up in Hurleyville, New YorkHurleyville, New York
Hurleyville, New York is a hamlet in the Town of Fallsburg, New York in Sullivan County, New York. The town lies along County Road 104 and was originally developed because it was on the main route between the Villages of Liberty and Monticello...
and was graduated from Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he met Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
. Each won the Avery Hopwood Award.
In 1979, Brooklyn's borough president Howard Golden
Howard Golden
Howard Golden was the long-time Democratic borough president of Brooklyn serving from 1977 to December 31, 2001. Prior to becoming Brooklyn Borough President, Golden served as City Councilman for the Borough Park section of Brooklyn...
named Rosten as the poet laureate of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
Among Rosten's work outside the field of poetry, he wrote the libretto for Ezra Laderman
Ezra Laderman
Ezra Laderman is an American composer of classical music.-Biography:His parents, Isidor and Leah, both emigrated to the United States from Poland. Though poor, the family had a piano. Ezra writes, "At four, I was improvising at the piano; at seven, I began to compose music, writing it down...
's opera "Marilyn". He also wrote the screenplay for the Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
's film Vu du Pont, adapting Miller's "A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller that was first staged on September 29, 1955 as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The play was unsuccessful and Miller subsequently revised the play to contain two acts; this...
." He visited Mickey Knox
Mickey Knox (actor)
Abraham "Mickey" Knox is an American actor, screenwriter, film producer and novelist. He is associated with the Hollywood blacklist when he was forced to move to Italy to work. As an actor, he currently has 78 listed credits. Quentin Tarantino named his lead character after him in the film...
in Rome.
His work appeared in The New Yorker.
Awards
- 1940 Yale Series of Younger Poets CompetitionYale Series of Younger Poets CompetitionThe Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition is an annual event of Yale University Press aiming to publish the first collection of a promising American poet...
- 1941 Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
Poetry
- Return Again, Traveler, Yale University Press, 1940
- The big road: a narrative poem, Rinehart & Company, Inc., 1946
- Imagine Seeing You Here: a world of poetry, lively and lyrical
Plays
- First Stop to Heaven, 1941 (premiere 1956)
- Mardi Gras
- The Golden Door