Benjamin Ivry is an American writer, translator, and critic known for his diverse literary works, including biographies, poetry, essays, and translations. He has contributed extensively to various literary and cultural publications.

Career

Ivry has authored numerous books, essays, and articles. His works have appeared in publications such as ''

The New York Observer ''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1987. In 2016, it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainment ...

'', ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative Online newspaper, news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) onlin ...

'', '' New England Review'', ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

'', ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'', ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', ''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', '' Bloomberg.com'', and ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', where he has written on a wide range of topics, including art, music, and literature. Ivry is particularly well-known for his biographies of prominent cultural figures. His biographical works include: * Maurice Ravel: A Life (2000): This biography delves into the life and works of the French composer

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

, offering insights into his music and personal life. * Arthur Rimbaud (1998): Ivry's biography of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud explores the complex life of the poet, known for his contributions to modernist literature. * Francis Poulenc (1996): In this work, Ivry examines the life of composer

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

, highlighting his influence on 20th-century music. Ivry also authored a poetry collection, ''Paradise for the Portuguese Queen,'' containing poems that first appeared in, among other places, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', the ''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published bimonthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of Book ...

'', ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'', ''Ambit Magazine'', and ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

''. In addition to his original writings, Ivry is also an accomplished translator. He has translated works from French and other languages into English, bringing the works of

André Gide André Paul Guillaume Gide (; 22 November 1869 – 19 February 1951) was a French writer and author whose writings spanned a wide variety of styles and topics. He was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature. Gide's career ranged from his begi ...

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalism, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, ...

, and Balthus to a wider audience.

Selected bibliography

Biographies

*''

'', 1996
Phaidon
*'' Arthur Rimbaud'', 1998, Absolute Press, *''

: a Life'', 2000, Welcome Rain, , translated into Japanese by Shun Ishihara as *''Mōrisu raveru: aru shōgai'', 2002, Arufabēta,

Poetry

*''Paradise for the Portuguese Queen: Poems by Benjamin Ivry'', 1998, Orchises Press,

Nonfiction

*''Regatta: a Celebration of The Art of Oarsmanship'', 1988, Simon and Schuster, *''Sighing For The Silvery Moon: English Music Hall Songs Reexamined'', 2022, Wolke Verlag, *''Parlez-moi d’amour: Themes in French Popular Song from the Commune to World War II'', 2023, Wolke Verlag,

Translations

*''Without End: New and Selected Poems'' by Adam Zagajewski, translated by Benjamin Ivry with Renata Gorczynski and Clare Cavanagh, 2002, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, *''Magellania'' by

, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2002, Welcome Rain Publishers, *''Judge Not'' by

, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2003, University of Illinois Press, *''Vanished Splendors, a Memoir'' by Balthus, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2003, Ecco Press, *''Mon Docteur, Le Vin (My Doctor, Wine)'' by Gaston Derys with Watercolors by

Raoul Dufy Raoul Dufy (; 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French painter associated with the Fauvist movement. He gained recognition for his vibrant and decorative style, which became popular in various forms, such as textile designs, and public build ...

, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2003, Yale University Press, *''A Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes'', by

, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2007, Yale University Press, *''At Home with André and Simone Weil'', by Sylvie Weil, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2010, Northwestern University Press, *''Chinese Piano: or Dueling over a Recital'', by Étienne Barilier, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2015, Verlag Traugott Bautz GmbH, *''Clepsydra: Essay on the Plurality of Time in Judaism'', by Sylvie Anne Goldberg, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2016, Stanford University Press, *''Transmitting Jewish History: In Conversation with Sylvie Anne Goldberg'', by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2021, Brandeis University Press, *''An Imperial Sake Cup and I'', by Charnvit Kasetsiri, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2024, Textbook Foundation, *''My Turbulent Life and 21 Years of Exile in the People’s Republic of China'', by Pridi Banomyong, translated by Benjamin Ivry, 2025, ISEAS Publishing,

Book chapters, prefaces, editions

*''The Trouble with Being Born'', by E. M. Cioran, translated by Richard Howard, preface by Benjamin Ivry, 1993, Quartet Books, *''Entretiens'', by E. M. Cioran, chapter by Benjamin Ivry, 1995, Gallimard Publishers, *''Love & Folly: Selected Fables and Tales of La Fontaine'', by

Jean de La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, ; ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French Fable, fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''La Fontaine's Fables, Fables'', which provided a model for subs ...

, translated by Marie Ponsot, edited and prefaced by Benjamin Ivry, 2002, Welcome Rain Publishers, *''American Writers: a Collection of literary biographies. Supplement XIV, Cleanth Brooks to Logan Pearsall Smith'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on

Logan Pearsall Smith Logan Pearsall Smith (18 October 1865 – 2 March 1946) was an American-born British essayist and critic. Harvard and Oxford educated, he was known for his aphorisms and epigrams, and was an expert on 17th century divines. His ''Words and Idio ...

by Benjamin Ivry, 2004, Charles Scribner's Sons, *''British Writers Supplement X'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on Norman Douglas by Benjamin Ivry, 2004, Charles Scribner's Sons, *''The Oxford Encyclopaedia of American Literature'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

by Benjamin Ivry, 2004, Oxford University Press, *''The Oxford Encyclopaedia of American Literature'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on Richard Howard by Benjamin Ivry, 2004, Oxford University Press, *''King Solomon's Mines'', by H. Rider Haggard, preface by Benjamin Ivry, 2004, Barnes & Noble Classics, *''American Writers: a Collection of Literary Biographies. Supplement XVI, John James Audubon to Gustaf Sobin'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on Anita Loos by Benjamin Ivry, 2007, Charles Scribner's Sons, *''British Writers. Supplement XVI'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on

Thomas Campion Thomas Campion (sometimes spelled Campian; 12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was an English composer, poet, and physician. He was born in London, educated at Cambridge, and studied law in Gray's Inn. He wrote over a hundred lute songs, masque ...

by Benjamin Ivry, 2010, Charles Scribner's Sons, *''American Writers: Supplement XX, a Collection of Literary Biographies'', edited by Jay Parini, essay on Howard Overing Sturgis by Benjamin Ivry, 2010, Charles Scribner's Sons, *''Histoire juive de la France'', edited by Sylvie-Anne Goldberg, essay on Barbara by Benjamin Ivry, 2023, Albin Michel,

References

External links

poems and translations
published in ''The New Yorker''

in ''The Evergreen Review''
articles
in the ''New York Sun''
articles
in the ''New York Observer''
articles
in ''The Forward Newspaper''
contributions
to the Horizon section of ''Commentary Magazine'' *Alan Riding

''The New York Times'', December 3, 2000. *Jori Finkel

''Village Voice'', January 15–21, 2003. * Louis Begley
'The Late, Great Bard of Warsaw', Review of ''A Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes''
''The Washington Post'', December 19, 2004. *Peter Monaghan
'Mystic and Mysterious', Review of ''At Home With André and Simone Weil''
''The Chronicle of Higher Education'', October 20, 2010. * Piers Paul Read
'A bitter legacy', Review of ''At Home With André and Simone Weil''
''The Spectator'', January 8, 2011. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ivry, Benjamin English-language poets American male poets American translators American male journalists American biographers American male biographers Living people French–English translators 20th-century American poets 21st-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American male writers Ravel scholars