Bernard Malamud
1914-1986
Birthplace: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Typewriter: Royal Quiet Deluxe* (1950's)

American novelist and short-story writer who made parables out of Jewish immigrant life. A son of Russian Jews, Malamud was educated at the City College of New York (B.A., 1936) and Columbia University (M.A., 1942). He taught at high schools in New York City (1940-49), at Oregon State University (1949-61), and at Bennington College, Vt. (1961-66, 1968-86).

Malamud's genius is most apparent in his short stories. Though told in a spare, compressed prose that reflects the terse speech of their immigrant characters, the stories often burst into emotional, metaphorical language. Grim city neighborhoods are visited by magical events, and their hardworking residents are given glimpses of love and self-sacrifice. His novel The Fixer (1966) won a Pulitzer Prize.