MIRIAM KARPILOV(E)

MIRIAM KARPILOV(E) (Tamuz [ca. July] 1888-May 9, 1956)

            A novelist and storyteller, she was born in Minsk.  She received a traditional education.  She studied photography and in 1905 emigrated to the United States.  In her early years she was active in Labor Zionism.  For many years she lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  She began publishing in 1906.  She composed stories, dramas, feature pieces, poetry, parodies, and mostly novels in: Di idishe fon (The Jewish banner), Idisher kempfer (Jewish fighter), Der groyser kibitser (The great kibitzer), Dis idishe folk (The Jewish people), Kundes (Prankster), Varhayt (Truth), Tsukunft (Future), Fraye arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), Gerekhtikeyt (Justice), Yidishes tageblat (Jewish daily news), Tsayt (Times), Tog (Day), Forverts (Forward), Glaykhheyt (Equality), and Haynt (Today), among others.  Her works would include: In di shturem teg, drama (In the stormy days, a drama) (New York, 1909), 62 pp.; Yudes (Judith) (New York: Mayzel et Co., 1911), 96 pp.; Tage-bukh fun a elende meydel, oder der kampf gegen fraye liebe (Diary of a lonely girl, or the struggle against free love) (New York, 1918?), 335 pp., new edition (Riga, 1928); Brokhe, a kleyn-shtedteldige (Brokhe, a small-town [girl]) (New York, 1923), 67 pp.; A provints-tsaytung (A provincial newspaper) (New York, 1926), 92 pp.  Many of her novels appeared in the daily New York press: Di shtime (The voice), Di ayngeshparte (The headstrong), Ohn a farvos (Without a why), Struzhkes ([Wood] chips), Der roman fun a kretshmerke (The novel of a innkeeper), Reyzke (Reyzke), Zindige neshomes (Sinning souls) and Shtile layden (Silent suffering) in Tog (1925), and Ire mener (Her men) in Forverts (early 1936), among others.  Her translations include: S. S. Yushkevitsh, Di ferfihrte, oder ite heyne (The deluded, or Ita Gaine) (New York, 1917).  In manuscript: Fun zogen biz tun (From saying to doing), a tragi-comedy in three acts.  She died in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 3; Talush, Yidishe shrayber (Yiddish writers) (New York, 1953); Y. Margoshes, in Tog-morgn-zhurnal (New York) (November 14, 1954); Kalmen Marmor, Mayn lebns-geshikhte (My life history) (New York, 1959), p. 754; Yeshurin and Permuter archive, YIVO (New York).

Yekhezkl Lifshits