Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
Encyclopedia
Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (March 25, 1940 – August 26, 2011) was a noted novelist and poet who was a Professor of English at Brooklyn College
for over thirty years. She won numerous national writing awards and contributed book reviews for the New York Times.
's South Side High School
in 1958. In the Fall, she enrolled at the University of Chicago
, where she earned her Bachelors in 1961, Masters in 1963, and her Doctorate in 1966.
After returning to New York City
, she married a fellow English Professor, Neil Jerome Schaeffer (A Columbia University graduate, Chairman of the English Department at Brooklyn College, and a noted scholarly author in his own right) in 1970; they had two children, Benjamin (born 1973), and May (born 1977).
in Chicago. She then began teaching at the Illinois Institute of Technology
and became an assistant professor of English after receiving her doctorate. She moved back to New York City in 1967 as an assistant professor at Brooklyn College
, becoming an associate professor in 1972, then professor of English in 1974. In 1985, she was named Broeklundian Professor at Brooklyn College. She retired from Brooklyn College in 1997. After retirement, she and her husband Neil, lived at their second home in Vermont full-time until 2002. In 2002, they returned to Chicago, living there temporarily until they sold their Brooklyn property and moved to Chicago permanently in 2004.
Schaeffer was a visiting Professor at her alma mater, the University of Chicago
from 2002-2009, teaching fiction and creative writing before illness forced her to stop teaching in March, 2009. After a long illness, she passed away on August 26, 2011, and is survived by Neil, Benjamin and May.
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...
for over thirty years. She won numerous national writing awards and contributed book reviews for the New York Times.
Education & Family
The daughter of Irving and Edith (née Levine) Fromberg, Susan Fromberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's South Side High School
South Side High School (Rockville Centre, New York)
South Side High School is the only public high school in the town of Rockville Centre, New York. South Side serves grades 9 through 12 and boasts a variety of academic, extra-curricular and athletic programs, including the International Baccalaureate Curriculum in junior and senior years. School...
in 1958. In the Fall, she enrolled at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where she earned her Bachelors in 1961, Masters in 1963, and her Doctorate in 1966.
After returning to 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...
, she married a fellow English Professor, Neil Jerome Schaeffer (A Columbia University graduate, Chairman of the English Department at Brooklyn College, and a noted scholarly author in his own right) in 1970; they had two children, Benjamin (born 1973), and May (born 1977).
Publications
As of 2007, her published work included 14 novels, a collection of short stories plus others, 6 volumes of poetry and two children’s books. She contributed frequently to the New York Times Book Review and had a number of scholarly articles on writing published in journals. Her most recent project, "Memories Like Splintered Glass" is her first memoir.Novels
- Falling, New York, Macmillan, 1973.
- Anya, New York, Macmillan, 1974.
- Time in Its Flight, New York, Doubleday, 1978.
- Love, New York, Dutton, 1981.
- First Nights, New York, Knopf, 1983.
- The Madness of a Seduced Woman, New York, Dutton, 1984.
- Mainland, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1985.
- The Injured Party, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1986.
- Buffalo Afternoon, New York, Knopf, 1989.
- Green Island, Penguin Books, 1994.
- The Golden Rope, New York, Knopf, 1996.
- The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat, New York, Knopf, 1997.
- The Snow Fox, W.W. Norton, 2004.
- Poison, W.W. Norton, 2006.
Short Stories
- The Queen of Egypt, New York, Dutton, 1980.
- "In the Hospital and Elsewhere," in Prairie Schooner (Lincoln, Nebraska), Winter 1981-82.
- "Virginia; or, A Single Girl," in Prairie Schooner (Lincoln, Nebraska), Fall 1983.
Poetry
- The Witch and the Weather Report, New York, Seven Woods Press, 1972.
- Granite Lady, New York, Macmillan, 1974.
- The Rhymes and Runes of the Toad, New York, Macmillan, 1975.
- Alphabet for the Lost Years, San Francisco, Gallimaufry, 1976.
- The Red, White, and Blue Poem, Denver, The Ally, 1977.
- The Bible of the Beasts of the Little Field: Poems, New York, Dutton, 1980.
Children's Books
- The Dragons of North Chittendon, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1986.
- The Four Hoods and Great Dog, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1988.
Career & Personal Life
After earning her Masters degree and while working on her Ph.D., Fromberg instructed English at Wright Junior CollegeWilbur Wright College
Wilbur Wright College, formerly known as Wright Junior College, is a public community college which offers multiple 2-year associate's degrees, as well as occupational training in manufacturing, medical, and business fields.-History:...
in Chicago. She then began teaching at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
and became an assistant professor of English after receiving her doctorate. She moved back to New York City in 1967 as an assistant professor at 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...
, becoming an associate professor in 1972, then professor of English in 1974. In 1985, she was named Broeklundian Professor at Brooklyn College. She retired from Brooklyn College in 1997. After retirement, she and her husband Neil, lived at their second home in Vermont full-time until 2002. In 2002, they returned to Chicago, living there temporarily until they sold their Brooklyn property and moved to Chicago permanently in 2004.
Schaeffer was a visiting Professor at her alma mater, the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
from 2002-2009, teaching fiction and creative writing before illness forced her to stop teaching in March, 2009. After a long illness, she passed away on August 26, 2011, and is survived by Neil, Benjamin and May.
Honors
- Granite Lady was nominated for a National Book Award for PoetryNational Book Award for PoetryThe National Book Award for Poetry has been given since 1950 and is part of the National Book Awards, which are given annually for outstanding literary works by American citizens...
in 1974. - Wallant award for Anya: 1974
- O. Henry AwardO. Henry AwardThe O. Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American master of the form, O. Henry....
: 1978, 1997, 2006 - St. Lawrence Book Award: 1984
- 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...
: 1984 - Centennial Review Award for poetry: 1985
- The University of Chicago Alumni Association awarded her their Professional Achievement Citation in 1996