Leventhal, A. J. (Abraham Jacob), 1896-1979

Editor.

From the description of Abraham Jacob Leventhal Collection, 1918-1982. (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin). WorldCat record id: 122481618

Abraham Jacob Leventhal (1896-1979), often called Con by his friends, grew up in Dublin and attended a protestant school, despite his Jewish heritage. Just after the first World War he took a break from his university studies to work for the first Zionist Commission in Palestine and to help found the Palestine Weekly. When, upon returning to Dublin, the Dublin Magazine turned down his review of James Joyce's Ulysses he founded his own literary journal, the Klaxon, in order to publish it. When his friend Samuel Beckett left a post at Trinity College, Leventhal assumed the position.

Leventhal's friendship with Beckett continued on and off through out Leventhal's life. It cooled off considerably when Leventhal, a married man, began an affair with Ethna McCarthy, a women for whom Beckett harbored strong feelings. After years of openly living together, Leventhal married Ethna, and Beckett reconciled himself to the couple. Later on Leventhal acted as a secretary for Beckett, intercepting and answering correspondence and generally helping to shield Beckett from his admiring public.

From the guide to the A. J. Leventhal Collection TXRC00-A3., 1918-1982, (Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin)