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John Erskine

John Erskine

Writer

Born October 5, 1879 in New York City, New York, USA

Died June 2, 1951

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Biography

Musician and writer John Erskine was born in New York City on October 5, 1879. As a child he had a strong interest in music, taking piano lessons for many years; for a time he was being taught by noted composer Edward MacDowell.

Erskine graduated from Columbia University in 1900 and received his PhD in 1903. He was an English instructor at Amherst College and became an Associate Professor there. In 1909 he accepted a position on the faculty at his alma mater, Columbia, and became a full professor there in 1916. He was at Columbia for 28 years and gained a reputation as a highly respected and influential teacher; among his students were future authors Mark Van Doren, Clifton Fadiman, Rexford Tugwell and Mortimer J. Adler.

Erskine also kept up his interest in music, often performing at private functions and on occasion at public concerts. He was a trustee at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music from 1927 and was president of the institution from 1928 to 1937. He also published numerous books, mainly scholarly studies and poetry volumes. He surprised many with his 1928 novel "The Private Life of Helen of Troy", his humorous version of the classic legend set in the contemporary Jazz Age. It was hugely successful, being translated into 16 languages and even turned into a film (The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927)).

In 1937 he retired from academic life and took up writing full-time. He published a variety of non-fiction works, two biographies (of Walt Whitman and American revolutionary figure Patrick Henry) and three volumes of memoirs.

He died in New York City on June 2, 1951.

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Filmography

Writer

7

Type

Year

Hélène ou La joie de vivre TV Movie1968

Diane Feature Film1956

The President's Mystery Poster

The President's Mystery Feature Film1936

Bachelor of Arts Poster

Bachelor of Arts Feature Film1934

Famous Scenes from Pagliacci Poster

Famous Scenes from Pagliacci Short Film1934

A Lady Surrenders Poster

A Lady Surrenders Feature Film1930

The Private Life of Helen of Troy Poster

The Private Life of Helen of Troy Feature Film1927

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