Lawrence J. Epstein

Lawrence Jeffrey Epstein (born 1946), is an American author who writes and lectures about American culture and society and Jewish life. He is best known for his book The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America. His latest book is Americans and the Birth of Israel. He writes periodically for The Best American Poetry blog.

Epstein was born in New York City and raised there and in Sag Harbor, New York. His father was a merchant and Veterans’ Counselor. His mother was a photographer and housewife. He got a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University at Albany. From 1974 until 2008 he was a professor of English at Suffolk County Community College, where he also held jobs as Assistant Head of the Department of English and Chairperson of the Humanities Division.

In an interview, Epstein described his intentions for The Haunted Smile: “I wanted to tell the story of Jewish comedians in America starting at the turn of the 20th century…Then I traced the history of the comedians through vaudeville, radio, movies, and tv…I was interested, for example, in how one generation of comedians influenced another. I got to go to a Friars Roast and go backstage at a comedy club. I also interviewed more than 70 people…I wanted to include the struggles Jewish comedians had, and the weight of their past.”

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