Biographical Chronology

1909 born to Kalman and Yetta Klein, orthodox Jews, in Ratno, a small town in the Ukraine, and brought to with his family probably the following year (officially claimed to have been born in Montreal, 14 February 1909). 1915-22 attended Mt Royal School. Received Jewish education from private tutors and at Talmud Torah. 1922-6 attended Baron Byng High School. 1926-30 attended McGill University, majoring in classics and political science and eco- nomics. Active in Debating Society with close friend David Lewis. Founded literary magazine, The McGilliad, with Lewis in 1930. Associated with 'Mon- treal Group' of poets and writers, including A.J.M. Smith, F.R. Scott, Leo Kennedy, and Leon Edel. Began publishing poems in The Menorah Journal, The Canadian Forum, Poetry (Chicago), and elsewhere. 1928—32 served as educational director of Canadian Young Judaea, a Zionist youth organization, and edited its monthly magazine, The judaean, in which many of his early poems and stories appeared. 1930-3 studied law at the Université de Montréal. !934 established law firm in partnership with Max Garmaise, and struggled to earn a living during the Depression. Served as national president of Canadian Young Judaea. !935 married Bessie Kozlov, his high school sweetheart. 1936 active in publicity and educational work, and on speaking tours, for the Zionist Organization of Canada, and editor of its monthly, The Canadian Zionist. xxviii Biographical Chronology

1937 moved to Rouyn, a small mining town in northern , to join Garmaise in law practice there. 1938 returned to Montreal, and re-established law practice in association with Sam- uel Chait. Assumed editorship of The Canadian Jewish Chronicle, to which he contributed numerous editorials, essays, book reviews, poems, and stories. 1939 began his long association with Samuel Bronfman, noted distiller and philan- thropist and president of the , working as a speech- writer and public relations consultant. 1940 first volume of poems, Hath Not a Jew ... , published by Behrman's in New York. 1942-7 associated with the Preview group of poets - F.R. Scott, Patrick Anderson, P.K. Page, and others - and with the first Statement group, in particular Irving Lay ton. 1944 The Hitleriad published by New Directions in New York. Poems published by the Jewish Publication Society in Philadelphia. Nominated as CCF candidate in federal riding of Montréal-Cartier, but withdrew before the election of Ï945- 1945-8 visiting lecturer in poetry at McGill University. 1946-7 wrote his first novel, an unpublished spy thriller, 'Comes the Revolution' (later retitled That Walks Like a Man'), based on the Igor Gouzenko affair. 1948 The Rocking Chair and Other Poems published by Ryerson in Toronto. 1949 published the first of several articles on James Joyce's Ulysses. Ran unsuc- cessfully as CCF candidate in the federal election of June 1949. Awarded the Governor-General's Medal for The Rocking Chair. Journeyed to Israel, Europe, and North Africa in July and August, sponsored by the Canadian Jewish Congress, and published his 'Notebook of a Journey' in The Canadian ]ewish Chronicle. 1949-52 travelled widely in Canada and the United States, addressing Jewish audiences, principally concerning the State of Israel. 1951 The Second Scroll published by Knopf in New York. xxix Biographical Chronology

1952-4 increasing signs of mental illness. Hospitalized for several weeks in the sum- mer of 1954 after a thwarted suicide attempt. !955 resigned from editorship of The Canadian Jewish Chronicle. Ceased writing and began to withdraw from public life. 1956 resigned from law practice and became increasingly reclusive. Awarded the Lome Pierce Medal by the Royal Society of Canada. 1971 death of Bessie Klein, 26 February. 1972 died in his sleep, 20 August. This page intentionally left blank