Biography

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"Norman Rosten, poet, playwright, novelist, was named the first Poet Laureate of Brooklyn, New York. He published seven volumes of poetry, four novels and authored several plays produced on the stage as well as on radio and television. Rosten was a longtime resident of Brooklyn and his writing often reflected his experience of growing up in Coney Island and living in Brooklyn Heights. His poems appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic and many other magazines. His play, Mister Johnson, opened on Broadway and in London starring Earl Hyman and later James Earl Jones; Kim Hunter played Emily Dickenson in Rosten's Come Slowly, Eden. The music for his play Mardi Gras was composed by Duke Ellington. Rosten wrote the best-selling non-fiction work, Marilyn: An Untold Story and the libretto for Ezra Lauderman's opera, Marilyn, presented by the NYC Opera. Sidney Lumet directed the screenplay Rosten wrote based on his friend Arthur Miller's play, A View From The Bridge. Rosten received many literary awards, including Yale Series Of Younger Poets, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Poetry Society Of America, Guggenheim Fellowship and Ford Foundation grant. Rosten's wife, Hedda, authored several televised plays, and his daughter, Patricia, edited the children's book, A City Is..., based on his poetry."