Romaine, Paul, 1906-1986.

Chicago bookseller and bon vivant.

Paul Romaine was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 12, 1906, as Clarence Burton Bleamer. At age 15 he entered the dramatic school of the Wisconsin Players where he gained a lasting interest in the theater and theater personalities and, also, performed in a number of plays. During this time Romaine read widely (an enduring habit), wrote poetry, and began to collect jazz music. Around 1925 Romaine moved to Chicago, then traveled to New York City and to Europe, where he mingled with American expatriates in Paris. He also briefly visited Spain and Cuba, where he was arrested and imprisoned for a short time. On his release, he lived in New York City's Greenwich Village for a time before returning to Milwaukee where he entered the book business and also acted in local dramatic productions. He was an active participant in Milwaukee's Little Bohemia society. The bookstore business prospered in the 1930s as Romaine became active in political groups such as the Friends of the Soviet Union, the John Reed Club, unemployment councils, Anti-Nazi demonstrations, and the League of American Writers. In 1937 Romaine left Milwaukee for Chicago, working in bookstores and following cafe society. From the 1940s through the 1970s, Romaine owned or worked in bookstores but managed to find time for tennis clubs in which he was an avid player and very social member. His bookstores were damaged by a bomb (in 1954, aimed at a neighboring business) and by fire (in 1975). Yet, he carried on, working in hotel concession shops and other bookstores to meet his financial needs. He continued throughout these years to write poetry and short stories, as well as articles and book reviews. In the 1980s, poor health curbed Romaine's very active social life. All his life he was an unabashed admirer and lover of women. In fact, his mother even wrote him to "stop wolfing around." To all of his woman friends, Romaine seems to have been a good listener and confidante. He had four wives and two sons, one of whom was given away for adoption at age four, and two daughters, including one who lived only two weeks after birth and a second who may or may not have been his own. He had many friends and correspondents who enjoyed his hospitality. He was an astute literary and dramatic critic, a keen observer of world events, and a dedicated admirer of music and dance, especially jazz, which he collected for many years.