Wallace Markfield
Wallace Markfield was a notable Jewish-American author born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. He emerged from a Jewish working-class background and pursued his passion for writing at Brooklyn College, where he later became a creative writing instructor at various institutions, including San Francisco State College and Queens College. Markfield's literary debut came in 1964 with his satirical novel "To an Early Grave," which explores the experiences of four Jewish mourners en route to a funeral and was later adapted into the film "Bye, Bye Braverman." His writing is characterized by a clever use of Jewish colloquialism and humor, reflecting the characters and cultural nuances he encountered in his youth. After publishing a few more novels throughout the 1970s, Markfield took a lengthy hiatus from writing, returning in 1991 with "Radical Surgery," which became his final published work. He passed away in 2002 at the age of seventy-five, leaving behind his wife, Anna, and two children. Markfield's contributions to literature provide insight into Jewish-American life and identity during the twentieth century.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Wallace Markfield
Writer
- Born: August 12, 1926
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: May 23, 2002
- Place of death: Roslyn, New York
Biography
Wallace Markfield, a twentieth century author of Jewish- American fiction, was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926. He grew up in a Jewish working-class family and attended Brooklyn College in New York, where he developed an interest in writing. In the years after college, Markfield worked as a creative writing teacher at several colleges, including San Francisco State College, Kirkland College in Washington, and Queens College in New York.
In 1964, Markfield published his first novel, To an Early Grave, a satirical novel depicting four Jewish mourners in a cab traveling to the funeral of an acquaintance. The novel was adapted into the film Bye, Bye Braverman (1968). In 1965, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. Markfield concentrated on writing mostly about the Jewish characters that he observed throughout his childhood. His works are known for their creative use of Jewish colloquialism and witty humor.
Following To An Early Grave, Markfield published three more novels in 1970, 1974, and 1977. He then took a prolonged break from publishing and did not release another novel until 1991. This work, Radical Surgery, would prove to be Markfield’s last published work.
In 2002, Wallace Markfield died of a heart attack at the age of seventy-five. He was survived by his wife, Anna, and their two children.