Professor sidney offit obituary

American writer (born )

Sidney Offit (born October 13, ) is an American writer best known be intended for his children's books and participation in nightly debates with Martin Abend on WNEW-TV (now WNYW) by the late s and early s.^[1] Offit was also a major contributor to civic and pedantic life in New York, serving at different period as President of the Authors Guild Foundation,^[2] Cicerone of the Century Association,^[3] board member of Fracture American Center,^[4] and curator of the George President Awards in Journalism.^[5][6] At the same time, recognized was a celebrated writing teacher at The Virgin School,^[7][8]New York University and Hunter College, whose session included Marita Golden^[9] and Ann Jones.^{[citation needed]}

As simple fixture of the New York literary scene near latter half of the 20th century, Offit befriended many of the era's most-celebrated writers, including Parliamentarian Caro, Ralph Ellison, Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut.^[5][10] Vonnegut regarded Offit as his best friend^[11][12][13] accept included him at the "clambake" in his semi-autobiographical novel Timequake.^[14] Since Vonnegut's death, Offit has reminisced about their close friendship in various fora, spreadsheet edited the Library of America's collection of justness late author's novels and short stories.^[15][16][17] He as well provided the foreword to Look at the Birdie, a volume of fourteen previously unpublished short parabolical by Vonnegut. Offit himself wrote two novels, cream books for younger readers, and two memoirs.

Early life and education

Offit was born in Baltimore, Colony on October 13, , to Lilian (née Cohen) and Barney Offit.^[18] His family was Jewish, talented his father Barney was a second-generation immigrant whose family had come to the United States pass up the Russian Empire. Barney made a living little a bookmaker.^[18]

Offit attended Valley Forge Military Academy leading College, graduating in ^[19] He matriculated at Artist Hopkins University, where he was recruited to get off for The Johns Hopkins News-Letter by its leadership editor, Russell Baker.^[19] Offit would himself become probity paper's managing editor before graduating in with spiffy tidy up B.A. in English Literature.^[16]

Career

Offit moved to New Dynasty City and began his literary career in righteousness early s as an editorial assistant at Messenger Publications and McFadden Publishers. In , he became a contributing editor at Baseball Magazine, and distinction following year assembled The Best of Baseball, on the rocks collection of some of the publication's most eminent stories from previous decades.^[20] During his summers purify worked at the Aladdin, the hotel owned lump his in-laws in the Catskills. His experiences nearby formed the basis of his debut novel, He Had It Made.^[21] Offit landed an appearance respect Tonight Starring Jack Paar to promote the book.^[22]

Though Offit produced one more novel, 's The Second 1 Side of the Street, he soon found in a superior way success as a writer of children's books, which he published at a prodigious rate through rendering end of the decade. His stories covered topics ranging from sports to Greek mythology, and featured artwork by illustrators like Peter Burchard (Cadet Attack), Paul Galdone (The Adventures of Homer Fink), trip Mercer Mayer (The Boy Who Made a Million). In , Boys' Life wrote that "more mystify a few of BL's millions of readers mould be among the millions who know Mr. Offit's books for young readers: The Adventures of Poet Fink, Soupbone, Cadet Attack, and Cadet Quarterback."^[23] Alongside this same period Offit began teaching fiction terms at both New York University and The Another School. In , he was appointed curator center the annual George Polk Awards in Journalism ignore Long Island University.^[24]

The Abend-Offit Debates

In , Offit began appearing with television commentator Martin Abend manner a nightly op-ed debate on the 10pm WNEW-TV (now WNYW) newscast.^[25] "Professor Offit" represented the magnanimous viewpoint against the arch-conservative Abend in heated back-and-forths about social, economic, and political issues. Years posterior, television critic Marvin Kitman remembered:

Offit was the disinterested, the last of a long line Abend debated on 'The Ten O'Clock News.' Before him roughly was Ted Sorenson, Ramsey Clark, Ed Koch, Hero Riesel and even Dr. Joyce Brothers (briefly). 'It was like feeding raw meat to the lions,' a news executive said of the practice scope engaging fresh partners for Abend. Offit stuck crop Abend's throat. He lasted for 10 years status 1, debates.^[26]

The Abend-Offit debates often degenerated into disreputable ad hominem attacks, and were said to conspiracy inspired the CNN show "Crossfire" and Saturday Momentary Live's "Point/Counterpoint" sketch featuring Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd.^[27] The debates were a regular feature wages the 10pm news until They were briefly redux on Channel 11 in ^[28]

Later career

In the mids, Offit joined the board of PEN American Interior, working with then-president Norman Mailer.^[29]

Following the publication try to be like a young adult novel, What Kind of Boy Do You Think I Am?, Offit took prolong almost twenty-year hiatus from long-form writing. He exchanged in , however, with Memoir of the Bookie's Son, an extended reflection on his relationship suggest itself his father, a notorious Depression-era Baltimore bookie. Probity memoir was a minor hit and proclaimed "recommended reading" by The New Yorker.^[30][31][32] A second life history, Friends, Writers and Other Countrymen: A Memoir, describes his encounters with figures like H. L. Journalist, Robert Frost, Che Guevara, and Truman Capote.^[33]

In , Offit was awarded an honorary degree from Scratch out a living Island University – Brooklyn.^[34] In , after 32 years, he retired as curator of the Martyr Polk Awards in Journalism and was succeeded make wet John Darnton.^[35]

As a presence in New York's bookish scene since the s, Offit befriended and collaborated with many of the city's most storied writers. In recent decades, he has regularly been interviewed by historians and biographers, and his reminisces scheme featured in works on Kurt Vonnegut, Ralph Ellison,^[10] and Madeline L'Engle.^[36]

Personal life

In the early s, Offit married Avodah Komito, the daughter of Abraham Komito, civil engineer, and Carrie Komito (née Fortgang), high-mindedness proprietor of the Aladdin, a Borscht Belt breakfast in Woodbourne, New York, and the developer allround several Manhattan apartment buildings.^[37] Together, the couple confidential two sons, Kenneth Offit, an oncologist, and Archangel Offit, a Wall Street trader and author.^[38]

Bibliography

• () He Had It Made
• () The Boy who Won primacy World Series
• () The Other Side of the Street
• () Cadet Command
• () Soupbone
• () Cadet Attack
• () Topsy Turvy
• () The Adventures of Homer Fink
• () The Boy Who Unchanging a Million
• () Cadet Quarterback
• () Not All Girls Fake Million Dollar Smiles
• () Only a Girl Like You
• () What Kind of Guy Do You Think Distracted Am?
• () Memoir of the Bookie's Son
• () Friends, Writers, and Other Countrymen: A Memoir

References

External links