User:Library980/N. B. Minkoff

N. B. Minkoff is one of the three founders of Introspectivism, also known as Insichism. Along with Aaron Glanz-Leyeles (1990-1996) and Jacob Glatstein (1896-1971), and with the encouragment of established Yiddish poets, he founded the publication In Sich. From its founding in 1919 until it ceased publication in 1940, most of the major names in Yiddish poetry were published ijn its pages, including Celia Drapkin (1888-1956), A. Lutsky (1894-1957) and Abraham Sutzkever (1913-2010). As its name implies, Introspectivism introduced a poetry which looked for inspiration to inner self of the poet. Insichist poetry relied on free verse, using rhymes only for special effect.

Minkoff's formative years were in spent in a Russian and Polish speaking home in Warsaw. He was also a musician. Jacob Glatstein, his classmate at New York University's Law School, persuaded him to join with himself and Leyles in forming In Sich. His first volume was Songs (Lieder, 1924). He next published At the Edge (Beim Rand, 1945), reflecting the weight of his knowledge of the Holocaust.

His contributions to Yiddish literature were not confined to his own poetry. He was also an important scholar and critic. In 1956, he published three excellent volumes entitled Pioneers of Yiddish Poetry in America. Earlier scholarly works include Eliahu Bocher (1950)and Yiddish Classical Poets (1937).

== References ==