Isadora Newman (April 23, 1878 – 1955) was an American artist, poet, writer, playwright and storyteller. She was born and raised in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and her work reflected the influences of her youth, particularly the African American and Creole culture of New Orleans.

Early history

Born Miriam Dorothy Newman, Newman was the daughter of Rebecca (Kiefer) and Isidore Newman, a New Orleans banker and businessman who later became known for his philanthropy. The

Isidore Newman School Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana. Jeré Longman of ''The New York Times'' described Isidore Newman as "one of ...

in New Orleans was named for him in 1913. He was active in the New Orleans Jewish community, where he was also a founding member of

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peopl ...

. Miriam Newman was educated largely by governesses. She married Edwin A. Neugass at age 23. They moved to New York, where Neugass had a seat in the Stock Exchange. The couple had three children: Bessie, James, and Edwin. She was primarily a homemaker during this time. With the children grown, Newman enrolled in classes at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. After Neugass died in October 1921, she began her career as an artist.

Career

Newman began telling stories and folk tales at the

University Settlement The settlement movement was a reformist social movement that began in the 1880s and peaked around the 1920s in United Kingdom and the United States. Its goal was to bring the rich and the poor of society together in both physical proximity and s ...

in New York City and local schools. She published her first collection, ''Fairy Flowers'', in 1926, under the name Isadora Newman, which became her

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

. The book was praised both in the U.S. and in translation abroad, and was followed by a poetry collection, ''Shades of Blue'', in 1927, two books of folk tales in German in 1930, and a play, ''Granny’s Garden'', first produced in 1931. She painted, primarily watercolors, and studied sculpture in France. She received a degree from La Horde Society. Her work was regularly exhibited at galleries in New York, Louisiana, as well as in European galleries. Apart from her artistic endeavors, Newman was recognized for her philanthropy. In 1926, the Serbian government recognized her efforts on behalf of war orphans.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Isadora 1878 births 1955 deaths American women poets American poets Jewish American writers People from New Orleans Poets from Louisiana 19th-century poets