David Adams Leeming (born February 26, 1937) is an American
philologist
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...
who is Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at the
University of Connecticut, and a specialist in comparative literature of mythology.
Biography
David Adams Leeming was born on February 26, 1937 in
Peekskill, New York, the son of Frank Clifford Leeming, an
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
priest, and Margaret Adams Reeder.
Leeming received his A.B. from
Princeton University in 1958. In 1959 he did a summer course graduate study at the
University of Caen
The University of Caen Normandy (French: ''Université de Caen Normandie''), also known as Unicaen, is a public university in Caen, France.
History
The institution was founded in 1432 by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, the first rector ...
. From
New York University he received his M.A. in 1964, and his Ph.D. in 1970.
Leeming was Head of the English Department at
Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey from 1958 to 1963. From 1964 to 1967 he was the secretary-assistant of author
James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; d ...
. Since 1969 Leeming was Assistant Professor of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
at the
University of Connecticut. He eventually became Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Connecticut, where he in later years has served as Professor Emeritus.
Leeming has written variously in comparative literature of
mythology and edited numerous encyclopedias and dictionaries on the subject. He has also written biographies on
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney (December 30, 1901 – March 26, 1979) was an American modernist painter. He is remembered for his work with the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as his later works in abstract expressionism following his mov ...
,
James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; d ...
, and
Stephen Spender
Sir Stephen Harold Spender (28 February 1909 – 16 July 1995) was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry by the ...
.
Leeming is a member of the
Modern Language Association of America and the Federation of University Teachers.
Leeming married Pamela Elaine Fraser on July 2, 1967, with whom he has the daughters Margaret Adams and Juliet Ann.
Selected bibliography
*''Flights: Readings in Magic, Mysticism, Fantasy, and Myth'', 1974.
*''Mythology'', 1973.
* ''The World of Myth'', 1990.
*''James Baldwin: A Biography'', 1994.
*''A Dictionary of Asian Mythology'', 2001.
*''Myth: A Biography of Belief,'' 2002.
*''From Olympus to Camelot: The World of European Mythology'', 2003.
References
External links
David Adams Leemingat
LibraryThing
LibraryThing is a social cataloging web application for storing and sharing book catalogs and various types of book metadata. It is used by authors, individuals, libraries, and publishers.
Based in Portland, Maine, LibraryThing was developed by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leeming, David Adams
1937 births
21st-century American biographers
American lexicographers
American philologists
Mythographers
New York University alumni
People from Peekskill, New York
Princeton University alumni
University of Connecticut faculty
Writers from New York (state)
Living people
Academics from New York (state)