Fiedler, Leslie A.

Leslie Aaron Fiedler was born on March 8, 1917 in Newark, N.J. He received his B.A. from New York University in 1938, and pursued graduate studies in English at the University of Wisconsin where he received both his M.A. and Ph.D. In 1941 he was hired as an assistant professor at Montana State University, Missoula. In 1963 he transferred to the State University of New York at Buffalo where he remained for the duration of his career. From 1974 to 1977, Fiedler served as chair of the University's English Dept. He was promoted to SUNY Distinguished Professor in 1987 and in 1989 he received the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, the highest award given by the University. Fiedler held the department's prestigious Samuel L. Clemens Chair for thirty years. After his death in 2003, the position was renamed the Leslie A. Fiedler Chair. As one of the giants of 20th century literary criticism, Fiedler was widely respected in his field. In 1988 he was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters as a member of the Department of Literature and in Dec. 1994 the Modern Language Association awarded Fiedler the Hubbell Medal for Lifetime Contribution to the Study of American Literature.

From the description of Leslie A. Fiedler papers, 1951-1969. (SUNY at Buffalo). WorldCat record id: 65177070

Leslie Aaron Fiedler was an American author and educator, best known for his works of criticism of American literature. Born to a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, he was educated at New York University and the University of Wisconsin. He served in World War II as a Japanese interrogator, and after the war taught at various universities. He became known for his controversial yet persuasive works on American literature, exemplified by the notorious essay, "Come back to the Raft Ag'in, Huck Honey," and "Love and Death in the American Novel." His career was disrupted by a drug arrest in 1967, and it took several years to overturn the conviction; he continued writing freshly observed, provocative criticism. Fiedler has also written three novels, and three collections of shorter fiction.

From the description of Leslie A. Fiedler letters and essay, 1971-1978. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 310122990