Anatole Broyard

Date of Birth: July 16, 1920

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: October 11, 1990

Biography

Anatole Broyard was an influential American literary critic for The New York Times, essayist, and editor. Born to Creole parents in New Orleans, Broyard moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. He served in the Army during World War II and later attended the New School for Social Research. Broyard was known for his incisive reviews and essays, which were praised for their wit, intellectual rigor, and elegant prose. His work often explored themes of identity, culture, and the human condition. Broyard’s decision to present himself as white while having African-American ancestry became a significant part of his story, revealed posthumously in his daughter’s memoir.

5 Interesting Facts about Anatole Broyard

1. Broyard served in the military during World War II and was stationed in Europe.

2. He attended the New School for Social Research on the G.I. Bill.

3. Broyard’s racial identity and decision to pass as white became widely discussed after his death.

4. He authored the memoir “Kafka Was the Rage: A Greenwich Village Memoir,” published posthumously.

5. His daughter, Bliss Broyard, wrote a memoir titled “One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life – A Story of Race and Family Secrets” that explores his complex racial identity.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Anatole Broyard

1. “To be misunderstood can be the writer’s punishment for having disturbed the reader’s peace.”

2. “The more you approach infinity, the deeper you penetrate terror.”

3. “My father was a black man, but he had the soul of a white man.”

4. “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.”

5. “Aphorisms are literature’s hand luggage. Light and compact, they fit easily into the overhead compartment of your brain.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Anatole Broyard’s highest net worth is not publicly documented but as a prominent literary critic for The New York Times, his influence extended well beyond financial measures.

Children

Anatole Broyard had two children, Todd Broyard and Bliss Broyard. Bliss Broyard is an author and has written extensively about her father’s life and racial identity.