Maxwell Bodenheim (26 May, 1892 – 6 February, 1954) was a poet and novelist known as the King of Greenwich Village Bohemians.
Fun Facts about Maxwell Bodenheim:
- Maxwell Bodenheimer was born Hermanville, MI, a census designated, by unincorporated community in Claiborne County.
- His parents, Solomoan and Carrie were Jewish immigrants. His father was German, and his mother was from a German imperial territory called Alsace-Lorraine.
- When young Maxwell was eight-years old, the family moved from Mississippi to Chicago, IL.
- In Chicago, young Maxwell Bodenheim met Ben Hecht, soon to be a prolific writer, producer, director and journalist, and the two became friends as well as co-founded The Chicago Literary Times, a magazine published for a short time. Nevertheless, they’ve had quality contributions from the likes of Edgar Lee Masters, Theodore Dreiser, and Carl Sandburg.
- This is around the time when Maxwell Bodenheim was nicknamed “Bogey”.
- Mr. Bodenheim’s poems were published in Poetry magazine as early as 1914, and one of his poems was featured in Others: An Anthology of the New Verse (1917).
- For the next decade, Maxwell Bodenheim established himself as a prominent American writer, publishing ten books and 13 novel.
- Success wasn’t always the hand he was dealt. He was married to Minna Schein for 20 years (the couple had one son), and Grace Finan a year after his divorce (1939), in between he had become a panhandler.
- His third, and last wife, was Ruth Fagin, 28 years younger. They were a homeless couple sleeping on park benches. Sadly, both were murdered at a flophouse in Manhattan.
- Ben Hecht honored his friend by basing his play Winkelberg on his life.
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Sources:
Maxwell Bodenheim: American poet | Britannica
Village Rogue: The poetic life of Maxwell Bodenheim | Straus Media
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Fun Facts Friday: Maxwell Bodenheim
DescriptionMaxwell Bodenheim (26 May, 1892 – 6 February, 1954) was a poet and novelist known as the King of Greenwich Village Bohemians.
AuthorMan of la Book
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