Morton Dauwen Zabel (1901 – April 29, 1964) was an American academic and literary critic. He was the editor-in-chief of '' Poetry: A Magazine of Verse'' from 1936 to 1937, taught at the

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (, UFRJ) is a public university, public research university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and r ...

from 1944 to 1946 and then the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

from 1947 to 1964. According to the

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is a United States literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthrop ...

, he was "an important force in mid-20th century American letters."

Early life

Zabel was born in 1901 in Minnesota Lake, Minnesota. He graduated from St. Thomas Military College, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He earned a master's degree from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

and a Ph.D. from the

in 1933.

Career

Zabel was an associate editor of '' Poetry: A Magazine of Verse'' from 1928 to 1936, and its editor-in-chief from 1936 to 1937. He was the first professor of North American Literature at the

from 1944 to 1946. He was a professor of English at the University of Chicago from 1947 to 1964. Zabel authored or edited books about

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

and

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

. He wrote introductions in books by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

, and he reviewed books and wrote essays for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

'', ''

Partisan Review ''Partisan Review'' (''PR'') was a left-wing small-circulation quarterly "little magazine" dealing with literature, politics, and cultural commentary published in New York City. The magazine was launched in 1934 by the Communist Party USA–affi ...

'', ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'', and ''

The Southern Review ''The Southern Review'' is a quarterly literary magazine that was established by Robert Penn Warren in 1935 at the behest of Charles W. Pipkin and funded by Huey Long as a part of his investment in Louisiana State University. It publishes ficti ...

''. According to the

, he was "an important force in mid-20th century American letters."

Personal life, death and legacy

Zabel never married. He died on April 29, 1964, in Chicago. His funeral was held at the St John's Catholic Church in Minnesota Lake, where he was buried. Zabel is the namesake of the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

' Morton Dauwen Zabel Award.

Selected works

* * * *

References

External links

Morton Dauwen Zabel Papers
a
the NewberryGuide to the Morton Dauwen Zabel Papers 1901-1964
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabel, Morton D. 1901 births 1964 deaths University of Minnesota alumni University of Chicago alumni American magazine editors Academic staff of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro University of Chicago faculty American literary critics