Books in brief
Philip Roth: Stung by Life
Author: Steven J. Zipperstein
“In this groundbreaking literary biography, Steven J. Zipperstein captures the complex life and astonishing work of Philip Roth (1933–2018), one of America’s most celebrated writers. Born in Newark, New Jersey—where his short stories and books were often set—Roth wrote with ambition and awareness of what was required to produce great literature. No writer was more dedicated to his craft, even as he was rubbing shoulders with the Kennedys and engaging in a spate of famous and infamous romances. And yet, as much as Roth wrote about sex and self, he viewed himself as socially withdrawn, living much like an 'unchaste monk' (his words)."
Zipperstein is the Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History, a professor in the Department of History, and a faculty affiliate of the Jewish Studies Program in H&S.
