''A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories'' is a 1973 book of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
written by
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in Yiddish and later translated himself into English with the help ...
. It shared the 1974
National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987 the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, but ...
with
Gravity's Rainbow
''Gravity's Rainbow'' is a 1973 novel by American writer Thomas Pynchon. The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military. In particular, ...
by
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, genres and themes, including history, music, scie ...
.
["National Book Awards – 1974"]
National Book Foundation
The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
.
With essay by Harold Augenbraum from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog. The twenty-four (24) stories in this collection were translated from
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
(Singer's language of choice for writing) by Singer,
Laurie Colwin
Laurie Colwin (June 14, 1944 – October 24, 1992) was an American writer who wrote five novels, three collections of short stories and two volumes of essays and recipes. She was known for her portrayals of New York society and her food columns in ...
, and others.
Contents
''The stories appear in the following sequence'':
*"A Crown of Feathers"
*"A Day in Coney Island"
*"The Captive"
*"The Blizzard"
*"Property"
*"The Lantuch"
*"The Son from America"
*"The Briefcase"
*"The Cabalist of East Broadway"
*"The Bishop's Robe"
*"A Quotation from Klopstock"
*"The Magazine"
*"Lost"
*"The Prodigy"
*"The Third One"
*"The Recluse"
*"A Dance and a Hop"
*"Her Son"
*"The Egotist"
*"The Beard"
*"The Dance"
*"On a Wagon"
*"Neighbors"
*"Grandfather and Grandson"
Reception
Alfred Kazin
Alfred Kazin (June 5, 1915 – June 5, 1998) was an American writer and literary critic. He wrote often about the immigrant experience in early twentieth century America.
Early life
Like many other New York Intellectuals, Alfred Kazin was ...
noted in his 1974 review of the book in ''The New York Times'' that: "Isaac Bashevis Singer is an extraordinary writer. And this new collection of stories, like so much that he writes, represents the most delicate imaginative splendor, wit, mischief and, not least, the now unbelievable life that Jews once lived in Poland."
See also
References
External links
A Crown of Feathers, by Isaac Bashevis Singer; A Shtetl and Other Yiddish Novellas, edited by Ruth R. Wissea review by Johanna Kaplan, published on February 2, 1974, in ''Commentary Magazine''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crown of Feathers and Other Stories, A
National Book Award for Fiction winning works
1973 short story collections
Works by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Books by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Farrar, Straus and Giroux books
Jewish American short story collections