Irving Howe

Date of Birth: June 11, 1920

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: May 5, 1993

Biography

Irving Howe was an influential American literary and social critic, historian, and editor. Born into a Jewish immigrant family from Eastern Europe, Howe grew up in the Bronx, New York. His intellectual journey began early, and he attended City College of New York, where he became involved in left-wing politics and the burgeoning American socialist movement. Howe was a prolific writer and thinker, contributing to and editing several significant publications, including “Dissent” magazine, which he co-founded in 1954. Howe’s work spanned various subjects, including literature, politics, and Jewish culture. He was particularly noted for his analysis of modernism and his critical studies of American and European literature. His book, “World of Our Fathers” (1976), is a landmark study of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in America, blending historical narrative with cultural analysis. Howe was also a respected professor, teaching at Brandeis University and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

5 Interesting Facts about Irving Howe

1. Irving Howe co-founded “Dissent” magazine, a quarterly publication focusing on politics and culture from a leftist perspective.

2. His book “World of Our Fathers” won the National Book Award in History in 1977.

3. Howe was a vocal critic of both Soviet communism and McCarthyism, advocating for democratic socialism.

4. He was a major influence on the New York Intellectuals, a group of American writers and critics who were active in the mid-20th century.

5. Howe translated and edited several works of Yiddish literature, helping to preserve and promote Jewish cultural heritage.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Irving Howe

1. “The knowledge that makes us cherish innocence makes innocence unattainable.”

2. “The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.”

3. “History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”

4. “Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity.”

5. “We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

There are no publicly available records indicating Irving Howe’s highest net worth. As a scholar and intellectual, his contributions were primarily academic and cultural rather than financial.