Old Truths and New Clichés - by Isaac Bashevis Singer

About the Book

"This volume collects [nineteen] essays by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902-1991), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978. A prolific author of fiction, memoir, and criticism, Singer wrote primarily in Yiddish, but he translated several dozen of his essays into English to present as lectures at colleges and synagogues throughout his life, especially during the 1960s. Despite his plans to collect and publish these essays before his death, they remained scattered among his other papers when they were donated to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas. David Stromberg, the editor for the Singer estate, has selected essays that represent Singer's fullest treatment of topics he engaged with throughout his life"--

Book Synopsis

From the Nobel Prize-winning writer, a new collection of literary and personal essays

Old Truths and New Clichés collects nineteen essays--most of them previously unpublished in English--by Isaac Bashevis Singer on topics that were central to his artistic vision throughout an astonishing and prolific literary career spanning more than six decades. Expanding on themes reflected in his best-known work--including the literary arts, Yiddish and Jewish life, and mysticism and philosophy--the book illuminates in new ways the rich intellectual, aesthetic, religious, and biographical background of Singer's singular achievement as the first Yiddish-language author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Like a modern Montaigne, Singer studied human nature and created a body of work that contributed to a deeper understanding of the human spirit. Much of his philosophical thought was funneled into his stories. Yet these essays, which Singer himself translated into English or oversaw the translation of, present his ideas in a new way, as universal reflections on the role of the artist in modern society. The unpublished essays featured here include "Old Truths and New Clichés," "The Kabbalah and Modern Times," and "A Trip to the Circus."

Old Truths and New Clichés brims with stunning archival finds that will make a significant impact on how readers understand Singer and his work. Singer's critical essays have long been overlooked because he has been thought of almost exclusively as a storyteller. This book offers an important correction to the record by further establishing Singer as a formidable intellectual.

Review Quotes

"The eighteen essays in this collection are very much within [Singer's] established realm of expertise -- but how fortunate we are that this realm is so rich and almost infinitely rewarding."---Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler, Jewish Book Council

"[Singer] is revealed in these writings . . . as an author of consummate curiosity, humanity and erudition."---Matt d'Ancona, Tortoise

"By affording us a glimpse of Singer's worldview in all its beguiling ambiguities, Old Truths and New Clichés helps us see his noble achievement more clearly: to combine what he called a 'spiritual stenography' of higher powers with a record of our wrestling with lower passions."---Benjamin Balint, Wall Street Journal

"Old Truths and New Clichés, a new collection of Singer's essays compiled by the writer, scholar, and translator David Stromberg . . . lays bare Singer's motivating ideas for all to see. Stromberg's work here really is heroic. . . . The great accomplishment of this collection is to . . . reveal [Singer] as a true intellectual with a coherent artistic vision."---Dara Horn, Jewish Review of Books

"[A] touching collection. . . . The author's fans will be delighted by this intimate anthology."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"[Singer's] unique perspective spans an impressive range of issues. . . . Singer's writing is enjoyable."---Terry Freedman, TeachWire

About the Author

Isaac Bashevis Singer (1903-1991) was the Nobel Prize-winning author of many novels, short story collections, memoirs, and children's books, including Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories, The Magician of Lublin, and Enemies, A Love Story. David Stromberg, a writer, translator, and literary scholar, is editor for the Isaac Bashevis Singer Literary Trust. His books include Baddies, Idiot Love and the Elements of Intimacy, and A Short Inquiry into the End of the World.