YOYSEF GRINSHPAN

YOYSEF GRINSHPAN (1902-June 26, 1934)

            He was born in Kletsk (Klieck), Byelorussia.  His father was a glazier.  In 1918 he emigrated to Canada, later settling in the United States.  He worked initially as a cobbler, later as a teacher in the schools of the International Workers Order.  He began writing poetry in 1927 in Hamer (Hammer) and in Frayhayt (Freedom).  His longer poems were considered among the very best in American “proletarian” literature.  Among his books: Erev-tsayt (The eve of time) (New York, 1931).  This book consisted of Grinshpan’s poetry collection: Tsvishn vent (Between walls), 75 pp., and Leyb Sobrin’s Tsvishn mentshn (Among men), 50 pp.  He was a member of the editorial collective of Signal (Signal), organ of Proletpen (Proletarian pen).  He composed the text of the oratorio Geviter (Tempest), with music by Yankev Sheyfer.  After his death, his book Lider un poemes (Songs and poems), edited by M. Blekhman (New York, 1937), 199 pp., appeared in print.

Sources: M. Olgin, in Der hamer (New York) (December 1930); Olgin, in Morgn-frayhayt (New York) (March 23, 1931); B. Ts. Goldberg, in Tog (New York) (September 11, 1931); L. Tolmi, in Der hamer (December 1931); Shmuel Niger, in Tog (October 28, 1934); A. Pomerants, in Proletpen (Kiev, 1935); M. Blekhman, in Signal (July 1936); Z. Vaynper, in Oyfkum (March-April 1937); Y. A. Rontsh, Amerike in der yidisher literatur (America in Yiddish literature) (New York, 1945); N. Mayzil, ed. and comp., Amerike in yidishn vort, antologye (America in the Yiddish word, an anthology) (New York, 1955), see index.