A.M. Klein
| A. M. Klein | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abraham Moses Klein 14 February 1909 Ratno, Russian Empire |
| Died | 20 February 1972 (aged 63) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | McGill U, U de Montréal |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Literary movement | Montreal Group |
| Notable works | The Rocking Chair and other poems, The Second Scroll |
| Notable awards |
Governor General's Award Lorne Pierce Medal |
| Spouse | Bessie Kozlov |
| Children | Sandor, Colman and Sharon |
Abraham Moses "A. M." Klein (14 February 1909 – 20 February 1972) was a Canadian poet, journalist, novelist, short story writer and lawyer. He has been called "one of Canada's greatest poets and a leading figure in Jewish-Canadian culture."
Best known for his poetry, Klein also published one novella entitled The Second Scroll in 1951, along with numerous essays, reviews, and short stories. Many of his lesser-known works, including several unfinished novels, were published posthumously in a series of collections from the University of Toronto Press.
Klein was born in Ratno, Ukraine, but in 1910 (at age one) he immigrated with his family to Montreal, Quebec, the city in which he would live most of his life. Ratno had seen a series of pogroms and, like many Ukrainian Jews, Klein's parents sought a safer life elsewhere. As a result of the influx of Jewish immigrants to Montreal, its Jewish community flourished, even though many families lived close to the poverty line. The family of Irving Layton was another notable addition to this community. Klein's father, an Orthodox follower of the Jewish faith, influenced Klein's early development. The son's early education and literary interests owed much to his plan to become a rabbi when he grew up, a plan that he never fulfilled.
Klein attended Baron Byng High School, an institution that would later be immortalized in Mordecai Richler's novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. There he became a friend of David Lewis, future leader of the socialist New Democratic Party. Klein introduced Lewis to his wife, Sophie Carson, when they were all students at Baron Byng. (Lewis later introduced Irving Layton to Klein. Klein became Layton's Latin tutor so he could pass his matriculation exams.)
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