Delmore Schwartz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delmore Schwartz
Born	(1913-12-08)December 8, 1913 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 11, 1966(1966-07-11) (aged 52) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Poet
Alma mater	New York University
Genre	Poetry, fiction
Notable works	In Dreams Begin Responsibilities, Summer Knowledge: New and Selected Poems
Notable awards	Bollingen Prize

Delmore Schwartz (December 8, 1913 – July 11, 1966) was an American poet and short story writer. He was known for his thoughtful stories and poems. Many people saw him as a very promising young writer.

Early Life and Education

Delmore Schwartz was born in 1913 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up there with his parents, Harry and Rose, who were both Romanian Jews. When Delmore was nine, his parents separated. Their divorce had a big impact on him.

In 1930, Delmore's father passed away suddenly. His father had made a lot of money in real estate. However, Delmore only received a small part of it due to problems with the will. He hoped to get more of his inheritance for many years.

Delmore studied at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor's degree from New York University in 1935. He then did some advanced studies in philosophy at Harvard University. He later returned to New York without finishing his degree.

In 1937, he married Gertrude Buckman. She was a book reviewer. They divorced after six years.

A Bright Writing Career

Soon after his first marriage, Delmore wrote about his parents' difficult marriage. This became his most famous short story, "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities". It was published in 1937. This story, along with other short stories and poems, became his first book. It was also called In Dreams Begin Responsibilities. The book came out in 1938 when Delmore was only 25.

His book was very popular. It made him a well-known person among New York's smart thinkers. Famous writers like T. S. Eliot and William Carlos Williams praised his work. Many people thought Delmore was one of the most talented young writers of his time.

For the next 20 years, he kept publishing stories, poems, plays, and essays. He also worked as an editor for Partisan Review and The New Republic. In 1943, he published a long poem called Genesis. He hoped it would be a masterpiece, but it received negative reviews.

In 1948, he married novelist Elizabeth Pollet. This marriage also ended in divorce.

In 1959, Delmore received the Bollingen Prize. This was for his poetry collection, Summer Knowledge: New and Selected Poems. He was the youngest person ever to win this award. His poems were often about ideas and less about his own life. Later in his life, his poems became more abstract. He also taught creative writing at several universities. These included Syracuse University, Princeton University, and Kenyon College.

Delmore was known as a great writer and a wonderful conversationalist. He often spent time with friends at the White Horse Tavern in New York City.

Much of Delmore's writing was deep and philosophical. One critic said his stories showed a clear picture of Jewish middle-class life in New York during the Depression. Delmore often wrote about the differences between his generation and his parents' generation. His parents were often immigrants who had a very hopeful view of America. His generation, however, grew up during hard times.

After he passed away, more of his stories were published. In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories came out in 1978. Another collection, Screeno: Stories & Poems, was published in 2004.

Later Life and Passing

Delmore faced personal struggles later in his life. He found it hard to build on his early successes. His last years were spent quietly at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. He was very isolated. When he passed away from a heart attack on July 11, 1966, at age 52, it took two days for his body to be identified.

Delmore Schwartz was buried at Cedar Park Cemetery in Emerson, New Jersey.

Tributes to Delmore Schwartz

Many artists have honored Delmore Schwartz through their work.

Poetic Tributes

• His friend, poet Robert Lowell, wrote a poem called "To Delmore Schwartz" in 1959. It was published in his book Life Studies. The poem remembers their time living together in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• In 1968, poet John Berryman dedicated his book His Toy, His Dream, His Rest to Delmore. It included 12 poems about Delmore.
• John A. McDermott's poetry collection The Idea of God in Tennessee includes a poem about Delmore. It is called The Poet's Body, Unclaimed in the Manhattan Morgue.

Musical Tributes

• Lou Reed, who was Delmore's student at Syracuse University, was the singer for the band the Velvet Underground. He dedicated the song "European Son" to Delmore on their first album.
• Lou Reed's 1982 solo album The Blue Mask also includes a song about Delmore called "My House". In the song, Reed calls Delmore "the first great man that I ever met".
• In 2012, Lou Reed wrote a short piece for Poetry magazine called "O Delmore How I Miss You". It mentioned many of Delmore's stories and poems.
• Bono, the lead singer of U2, was inspired by Delmore's work. He used it when writing the lyrics for U2's song "Acrobat". The song is dedicated to Delmore. Its final verse quotes the title of his book In Dreams Begin Responsibilities.

Other Tributes

• In 1975, Saul Bellow wrote his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Humboldt's Gift. This book was based on his friendship with Delmore. The character of Von Humboldt Fleischer is inspired by Delmore. The book shows Delmore's lasting artistic influence on Bellow.
• In 1996, Donald Margulies wrote the play Collected Stories. In the play, a teacher shares a past relationship with Delmore. A student then uses this story for a successful novel.
• A play by Romulus Linney explored Delmore's friendship with writer Milton Klonsky. It was performed in New York City and Syracuse.
• In an episode of True Detective season 3, a character reads Delmore's poem "Calmly We Walk through This April's Day" to her students.

Published Works

• The Poets' Pack (Rudge, New York, 1932), a school collection with some of Schwartz's poems.
• In Dreams Begin Responsibilities (New Directions, 1938), ISBN: 978-0-8112-0680-8, a collection of short stories and poems.
• Shenandoah and Other Verse Plays (New Directions, 1941).
• Genesis: Book One (New Directions, 1943), a long poem about growing up.
• The World Is a Wedding (New Directions, 1948), a collection of short stories.
• Vaudeville for a Princess and Other Poems (New Directions, 1950).
• Summer Knowledge: New and Selected Poems (New Directions, 1959; reprinted 1967), ISBN: 978-0-8112-0191-9.
• Successful Love and Other Stories (Corinth Books, 1961; Persea Books, 1985), ISBN: 978-0-89255-094-4.

Published after his death

• Selected Essays (1970; University of Chicago Press, 1985), ISBN: 978-0-226-74214-4.
• In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories (New Directions, 1978), a short story collection.
• Letters of Delmore Schwartz, edited by Robert Phillips (1984) ISBN: 978-0-86538-048-6.
• The Ego Is Always at the Wheel: Bagatelles, edited by Robert Phillips (1986), funny short essays.
• Last and Lost Poems, edited by Robert Phillips (New Directions, 1989) ISBN: 978-0-8112-1096-6.
• The Uncollected Delmore Schwartz, Arrowsmith Press, 2019.

See also

• List of poets from the United States