Isadora Newman (April 23, 1878 – 1955) was an American artist, poet, writer, playwright and storyteller. She was born and raised in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and her work reflected the influences of her youth, particularly the African American and Creole culture of New Orleans.

Early history

Born Miriam Dorothy Newman, Newman was the daughter of Rebecca (Kiefer) and Isidore Newman, a New Orleans banker and businessman who later became known for his philanthropy. The

Isidore Newman School Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, coeducational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana. History Isidore Newman School was founded in 1903 by Isidore Newman, a New ...

in New Orleans was named for him in 1913. He was active in the New Orleans Jewish community, where he was also a founding member of

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International ( ; from ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish service organization and was formerly a cultural association for German Jewish immigrants to the United States. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the se ...

. Miriam Newman was educated largely by governesses. She married Edwin A. Neugass at age 23. They moved to New York, where Neugass had a seat in the Stock Exchange. The couple had three children: Bessie, James, and Edwin. She was primarily a homemaker during this time. With the children grown, Newman enrolled in classes at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. After Neugass died in October 1921, she began her career as an artist.

Career

Newman began telling stories and folk tales at the University Settlement in New York City and local schools. She published her first collection, ''Fairy Flowers'', in 1926, under the name Isadora Newman, which became her

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

. The book was praised both in the U.S. and in translation abroad, and was followed by a poetry collection, ''Shades of Blue'', in 1927, two books of folk tales in German in 1930, and a play, ''Granny’s Garden'', first produced in 1931. She painted, primarily watercolors, and studied sculpture in France. She received a degree from La Horde Society. Her work was regularly exhibited at galleries in New York, Louisiana, as well as in European galleries. Apart from her artistic endeavors, Newman was recognized for her philanthropy. In 1926, the Serbian government recognized her efforts on behalf of war orphans.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Isadora 1878 births 1955 deaths 19th-century American Jews 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American poets 20th-century American women writers American women dramatists and playwrights American women poets Jewish American artists Jewish American dramatists and playwrights Jewish American poets Jewish women writers Poets from Louisiana Writers from New Orleans