Robert R. Kirsch
BornOctober 18, 1922 (1922-10-18)
Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 16, 1980(1980-08-16) (aged 57)
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Literary critic, author
EmployerThe Los Angeles Times

Robert R. Kirsch[1] (October 18, 1922 – August 16, 1980) was an American literary critic and author. He was the literary editor of The Los Angeles Times for more than two decades.

Early life

Robert R. Kirsch[1] was born on October 18, 1922, on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City.[2][3] He moved out of Coney Island at the age of 17.[2][3] He had two sons, Paul Kirsch, and Jonathan Kirsch, who is a renowned lawyer. He also later had a daughter named Maria Kirsch in his second marriage.

Career

Kirsch joined The Los Angeles Times, where he was the literary editor for 23 years.[2][3] Over the course of his career, he wrote "thousands of columns, book reviews, and essays."[1] He was one of the first critics to praise the works of Joseph Wambaugh and Tom Sanchez.[2][3]

Kirsch authored several books about California and Las Vegas.[1] He used the pennames of Robert Dundee and Robert Bancroft.[1]

Death and legacy

Robert Kirsch's memorial bench, Terrace Gardens, Richmond Hill, London

Kirsch died of cancer on August 16, 1980, in Santa Barbara, California.[2][3] A public funeral was held in the chapel of the American Jewish University in Bel Air.[2] He is the namesake of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize's Robert Kirsch Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Selected works

  • In the Wrong Rain (1959)
  • Madeleine Austrian (1960)
  • The Wars of Pardon (1965)
  • West of the West: Witnesses to the California Experience, 1542-1906; The Story of California from the Conquistadores to the Great Earthquake (1967)
  • Lives, Works, & Transformations: A Quarter Century of Book Reviews and Essays (1978)
  • Casino: A Novel of Las Vegas (1979)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Guide to the Robert R. Kirsch Collection". Online Archive of California. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thackrey, Ted Jr. (August 17, 1980). "Robert Kirsch, Times Literary Editor for 23 Years, Dies in Santa Barbara". The Los Angeles Times. p. 43. Retrieved June 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Robert Kirsch, 57; Literary Editor for L.A. Times". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. August 18, 1980. p. 7. Retrieved June 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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