Introduction


Cynthia Ozick
Cynthia Ozick is more than just a genre writer. Despite her expansive number of short-form and novel-length writing, Ozick’s Judaic interests have caused some critics to reductively pigeonhole her work. Certainly, her knowledge of the many different tenets and belief systems under the large umbrella of Judaism has had a tremendous impact on her career. But it is her rich depictions and unique point of view that have merged character and culture in her work. Of particular interest to her is the identity of Jewish women, which she writes about from personal experience. Faith may be an important part of her life and studies, but her learned perspective on education has been of equal significance to her writing.

Essential Facts

  1. Ozick’s writing process is incredibly detailed and research oriented. Some of her novels took nearly a decade to complete.
  2. During her early studies, Ozick became enthralled with the writing of Henry James, whose work was highly influential on her evolution as a writer.
  3. Part of Ozick’s immersion in the Jewish ideology that figures so prominently in her work comes from her father, who was a Talmudist scholar.
  4. As a writer, Ozick has been honored with O. Henry Awards and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
  5. Ozick made a brief foray into the theater in the early 1990s, adapting some of her work for the stage. After many false starts, one play was finally produced under the direction of the legendary Sidney Lumet.