Born in Chicago in 1918, the prodigiously gifted and erudite Isaac Rosenfeld was anointed a 'genius' upon the publication of his novel, "Passage from Home"; someone expected to surpass even his closest friend and rival, Saul Bellow. Yet when felled by a heart attack at the age of thirty-eight, Rosenfeld had published relatively little, his life reduced to a metaphor for literary failure.In this deeply contemplative book, Steven Zipperstein seeks to reclaim Rosenfeld's legacy by opening up his work. Zipperstein examines for the first time the small mountain of unfinished manuscripts the writer left behind, as well as his fiercely candid journals and letters. In the process, Zipperstein unearths a turbulent life that was obsessively grounded in a profound commitment to the ideals of the writing life. "Rosenfeld's Lives" is a fascinating exploration of literary genius and aspiration, and the paradoxical power of literature to elevate and to enslave. It illuminates the cultural and political tensions of post-war America, Jewish intellectual life of the era, and - most poignantly - the struggle at the heart of any writer's life.

Steven J. Zipperstein is Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History, Stanford University. His previous books include The Jews of Odessa, which received the Smilen Award, and Elusive Prophet, which received the National Jewish Book Award.

"More than an examination of the life and work of its subject and certainly more than an attempt to make more of the man than his legacy warrants, "Rosenfeld's Lives "illuminates what it must have been like to be a young Jewish intellectual of that time and place and to live a life fervently devoted to books and ideas. . . . [Zipperstein] writes with passion for his subject, and with enormous sympathy. . . . "Rosenfeld's Lives "offer an analysis of the man his work that is intimate and scholarly, full of private musings, and fascinated by and insightful about some of the most famous people and texts of the twentieth century."--Anita Norich, "Association of Jewish Studies Review"--Anita Norich "Association of Jewish Studies "