Schechter, Ruth Lisa

Born 1917; died 1989. Ruth Lisa Schechter was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. She grew up in New York City. Throughout much of her life, Schechter worked in New York hospitals. She began writing seriously in the 1960s and worked as a poetry therapist at a rehabilitation center. She served as a mentor for young poets, lectured at colleges, and participated in many poetry readings. Schechter was a member of P.E.N. and of the Poetry Society of America. She also founded the Croton Council of the Arts and edited the Croton Review. Her poetry addresses many themes including the Vietnam War, womens roles, and civil rights. Schechter also served as poet-in-residence at Mundelein College beginning in 1969. Schechter continued writing poetry until her death in 1989.