Edward Lewis Wallant (October 19, 1926 – December 5, 1962) was an American novelist who wrote ''

The Pawnbroker ''The Pawnbroker'' (1961) is a novel by Edward Lewis Wallant which tells the story of Sol Nazerman, a concentration camp survivor who suffers flashbacks of his past Nazi imprisonment as he tries to cope with his daily life operating a pawn sho ...

'' (1961). It was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name, directed by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), ''Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976), ...

and starring

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

. He also worked in the 1950s an art director at advertising firm

McCann-Erickson McCann, formerly McCann Erickson, is an American global advertising agency network, with offices in 120 countries. McCann is part of McCann Worldgroup, along with several other agencies, including direct digital marketing agency MRM//McCann, expe ...

Life and career

Wallant was born in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, to Anna Henrietta Mendel and Sol Ellis Wallant. He served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in 1945 as a

gunner's mate The United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted sailors who either satisfactorily complete initial Gunner's Mate "A" scho ...

. He spent a total of two semesters the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

and graduated from

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

in 1950, also studying literature and creative writing at

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

. His time at

in Brooklyn, with daily commutes to Manhattan and frequent visits to

jazz club A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music, although some jazz clubs primarily focus on the study and/or promotion of jazz-music. Jazz clubs are usually a type of nightclub or bar, which is license ...

s, inspired the New York settings of his books. He worked from 1957 to 1961 as an art director at advertising firm McCann-Erickson while he wrote ''The Pawnbroker'', working on accounts such as

Bulova Bulova is an American timepiece manufacturing company that was founded in 1875 and has been owned by Japanese multinational conglomerate Citizen Watch Co. since 2008. The company makes watches, clocks and accessories, and it is based in New York ...

Chock full o' Nuts Chock full o'Nuts is an American brand of coffee that originated from a chain of New York City coffee shops. Its unusual name derives from the 18 nut shops that founder William Black (c. 1902 – 1983) established under that banner in the city ...

, and

Oreo Oreo () (stylized as OREO) is a brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two biscuits or cookie pieces with a sweet creme filling. It was introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912, and through a series of corporate acquisitions, mergers and split ...

by day while writing at night. Encouraged by his experience at the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, he won a

Guggenheim Award Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the art ...

in 1962. Wallant began writing professionally at age twenty-nine. His first published works were short stories published in the ''New Voices: American Writing Today'' series volumes I, II, and III. These stories include "When Ben Awakened", "I Held Back My Hand", and "The Man Who Made a Nice Appearance", among others. His novels include ''The Human Season'' (1960) and ''

'' (1961), which was adapted into an award-winning film directed by

and starring

Geraldine Fitzgerald Geraldine Mary Fitzgerald (November 24, 1913 – July 17, 2005) was an Irish actress and a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 2020, she was listed at number 30 on ''The Irish Times'' list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Early li ...

Juano Hernandez Juano G. "Juano" Hernández (July 19, 1896 – July 17, 1970) was a Puerto Rican stage and film actor who was a pioneer in the African American film industry. He made his silent picture debut in ''The Life of General Villa'', and talking pi ...

, and

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

in his feature film debut. Two of his novels were published posthumously: '' The Tenants of Moonbloom'' (1963) and ''The Children at the Gate'' (1964). '' The Tenants of Moonbloom'' was republished in 2003 by

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...

. Wallant has been compared to fellow

Jewish-American American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...

writers of the

postwar period In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

such as

Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; 10 July 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only wr ...

and

Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...

. Wallant died of an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus (s ...

at the age of 36. He was survived by his wife Joyce, who died in 1991, and by daughters Leslie and Kim and son Scott. His grandchildren include Nina, Steve, Nora, Edward (Eddie), Jon, Esme, and Ruthie.

Legacy

The

Edward Lewis Wallant Award In 1962, the Edward Lewis Wallant Award was established at the University of Hartford, in Connecticut, USA by Fran and Irving Waltman. It is presented annually to a writer whose fiction is considered to have significance for American Jews. The award ...

was established at the

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

shortly after his death in 1962. The award is presented annually to a writer whose fiction has significance for

American Jews American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...

. The first awardee, in 1963, was

Norman Fruchter Norman Fruchter (August 11, 1937 – January 4, 2023) was an American writer, filmmaker, and academic. Life and career Fruchter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 11, 1937. He graduated from Rutgers University, in 1959, where he e ...

. Subsequent awardees have included

Hugh Nissenson Hugh Nissenson (March 10, 1933 in New York City – December 13, 2013 in Manhattan) was an American author. Nissenson drew heavily on his Jewish background in his writing, exploring themes of mysticism, Israel, and the Holocaust. Biograp ...

Chaim Potok Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. His first book ''The Chosen'' (1967), was listed on ''The New York Times’'' best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies. Biography H ...

, Leo E. Litwak,

Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick (born April 17, 1928) is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. Biography Cynthia Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children. She moved to the Bronx with her Belarusian-Jewish parents from Hlusk, ...

Arthur A. Cohen Arthur Allen Cohen (June 25, 1928 – September 30, 1986) was an American scholar, art critic, theologian, publisher, and author. Scholar David M. Stern has written of Cohen: "Though he was best known as a novelist and theologian, he also pursue ...

, Susan Fromberg Schaeffer,

Anne Bernays Anne Fleischman Bernays (born September 14, 1930) is an American novelist, editor, and teacher. Life Bernays attended the Brearley School on New York City's Upper East Side, graduating in 1948. A 1952 graduate of Barnard College, she was managi ...

Curt Leviant Curt Leviant (born 1932, ViennaHarry Zohn, ''Österreichische Juden in der Literatur'' (Olamenu, 1969), p. 37.) is a retired Jewish Studies professor, as well as a novelist and translator. Personal life and career His parents were Jacques and Fen ...

Francine Prose Francine Prose (born April 1, 1947) is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic. She is a visiting professor of literature at Bard College, and was formerly president of PEN American Center. Life and career Born in Brookl ...

, Jay Neugeborn,

Daphne Merkin Daphne Miriam Merkin (born in New York City) is an American literary critic, essayist and novelist. Merkin is a graduate of Barnard College and also attended Columbia University's graduate program in English literature. She began her career as ...

, Steve Stern,

Melvin Jules Bukiet Melvin Jules Bukiet is an author and literary critic. He has written a number of novels, including ''Sandman's Dust'', ''After'', ''While the Messiah Tarries'', ''Signs and Wonders'', ''Strange Fire'', and ''A Faker's Dozen''. He edited the col ...

, Gerald Shapiro,

Rebecca Goldstein Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (born February 23, 1950) is an American philosopher, novelist, and public intellectual. She has written ten books, both fiction and non-fiction. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of science from Princeton University, and ...

Thane Rosenbaum Thane Rosenbaum (born 1960) is an American novelist, essayist, and Distinguished University Professor. He is the director of the Forum on Life, Culture, & Society, hosted by Touro College. Rosenbaum is also the Legal Analyst for CBS News Radio ...

Harvey Grossinger Harvey Grossinger is an American short story author and novelist. Life He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University, a Master of Arts from Indiana University, and a Master of Fine Arts from American University. He teaches at ...

Allegra Goodman Allegra Goodman (born 1967) is an American author based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Goodman wrote and illustrated her first novel at the age of seven. Biography Allegra Goodman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Hawaii. The daughter ...

Judy Budnitz Judy Budnitz (born 1973) is an American writer. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, attended Harvard University, was a fellow at Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and in 1998 received an MFA in creative writing from New York University. Bibliograp ...

Myla Goldberg Myla Goldberg (born November 19, 1971) is an American novelist and musician. Biography Goldberg was born into a Jewish family. She was raised in Laurel, Maryland, and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where she was one of the Schola ...

Dara Horn Dara Horn (born 1977) is a Jewish American novelist, essayist, and professor of literature. She has written five novels and in 2021, released a nonfiction essay collection titled ''People Love Dead Jews'', which was a finalist for the 2021 Kirku ...

, Jonathan Rosen,

Nicole Krauss Nicole Krauss (born August 18, 1974) is an American author best known for her four novels '' Man Walks into a Room'' (2002), ''The History of Love'' (2005), ''Great House'' (2010) and '' Forest Dark'' (2017), which have been translated into 35 l ...

Ehud Havazelet Ehud Havazelet (July 13, 1955 – November 5, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer. Ehud Havazelet was born in Jerusalem, Israel. His father, Meir Havazelet, a rabbi and emeritus professor at Yeshiva University, emigrated to the ...

, Eileen Pollack, Sara Houghteling,

Julie Orringer Julie Orringer (born June 12, 1973) is an American writer and lecturer. She attended Cornell University and the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She was born in Miami, Florida and now lives in Brooklyn with ...

Edith Pearlman Edith Ann Pearlman ('' née'' Grossman; June 26, 1936 – January 1, 2023) was an American short story writer.

, Kenneth Bonert, David Bezmogis
Rebecca Dinerstein

Ayelet Tsabari Ayelet Tsabari is an Israeli-Canadian writer. Biography She was born in Israel into a large family of Yemeni descent. She studied at the Simon Fraser University Writers' Studio and the University of Guelph MFA program in Creative Writing. Her fir ...

, and

Margot Singer Margot Singer is an American short story writer and novelist. Her book ''The Pale of Settlement'' won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 2006 and her novel ''Underground Fugue'' was listed as "one of the most anticipated books by wom ...

, among others.

Novels

*''The Human Season'' (1960) *''

'' (1961) *'' The Tenants of Moonbloom'' (1963) *''The Children at the Gate'' (1964)

Awards

* 1961:

National Jewish Book Award The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.Official site of the Edward Lewis Wallant AwardsDave Eggers hails Edward Lewis Wallant , Books , The Guardian
* Edward Lewis Wallant Papers. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallant, Edward Lewis 1926 births 1962 deaths Jewish American writers American male novelists 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers Writers from New Haven, Connecticut Novelists from Connecticut United States Navy personnel of World War II University of Connecticut alumni Pratt Institute alumni The New School alumni United States Navy sailors 20th-century American Jews