Ethel Portnoy
Encyclopedia
Ethel Portnoy was a Dutch Jewish
writer. She wrote mainly essay
s, column
s, short stories
, travel stories and several novel
s.
as the daughter
of Russian-Jewish immigrants. She took classes in English literature in New York
and learned French in the United States
, then departed to Europe
in 1950 with a Fulbright for the Universitsy of Lyon. She also studied cultural anthropology
and archeology in Paris
, with Claude Lévi-Strauss
amongst others. She married Dutch author Rudy Kousbroek
(1929–2010) in 1951. She raised two children and until 1962 she worked at the UNESCO
. She worked for Dutch papers and was published in Randstad, in the weeklies Haagse Post and Vrij Nederland and also in the NRC/Handelsblad. The family moved to The Hague in 1970. In the late 1970s Portnoy was one of the editors of the feminist literary journal Chrysallis. Since 1979, she worked at the journal Maatstaf.
Portnoy debuted as a novelist in 1971 at the age of 44 with the book Steen en Been. She wrote in English, but considered herself a Dutch writer. Her books were translated by her (ex-)husband (they were divorded in the 1980s), their daughter Hepzibah Kousbroek (1954–2009) and by Tinke Davids.
History of the Jews in the Netherlands
Most history of the Jews in the Netherlands was generated between the end of the 16th century and World War II.The area now known as the Netherlands was once part of the Spanish Empire but in 1581, the northern Dutch provinces declared independence...
writer. She wrote mainly essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s, column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, travel stories and several novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s.
Biography
Ethel Portnoy was born in Philadelphia but grew up in the Bronx in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as the daughter
Daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
of Russian-Jewish immigrants. She took classes in English literature in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and learned French in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, then departed to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1950 with a Fulbright for the Universitsy of Lyon. She also studied cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans, collecting data about the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities. Anthropologists use a variety of methods, including participant observation,...
and archeology in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, with Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
amongst others. She married Dutch author Rudy Kousbroek
Rudy Kousbroek
Herman Rudolf Kousbroek was a Dutch poet, translator, writer and first of all essayist. He was a prominent figure in Dutch cultural life between 1950 and 2010 and one of the most outspoken atheists in the Netherlands. In 1975 he was awarded the P.C...
(1929–2010) in 1951. She raised two children and until 1962 she worked at the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. She worked for Dutch papers and was published in Randstad, in the weeklies Haagse Post and Vrij Nederland and also in the NRC/Handelsblad. The family moved to The Hague in 1970. In the late 1970s Portnoy was one of the editors of the feminist literary journal Chrysallis. Since 1979, she worked at the journal Maatstaf.
Portnoy debuted as a novelist in 1971 at the age of 44 with the book Steen en Been. She wrote in English, but considered herself a Dutch writer. Her books were translated by her (ex-)husband (they were divorded in the 1980s), their daughter Hepzibah Kousbroek (1954–2009) and by Tinke Davids.
Works
Most of her books were published by Amsterdam publisher Meulenhoff.- 1971 - Steen en been en andere verhalen. Meulenhoff.
- 1974 - De brandende bruid. Meulenhoff
- 1978 - Broodje Aap. De folklore van de post-industriële samenleving. De Harmonie, Amsterdam (urban legendUrban legendAn urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s) - 1978 - Belle van Zuylen ontmoet Cagliostro: Een toneelstuk in twee bedrijven. Meulenhoff
- 1981 - Het ontwaken van de zee. Meulenhoff
- 1983 - Vliegende vellen: Schetsen en verhalen. Meulenhoff
- 1984 - Amourettes en andere verhalen. Knippenberg
- 1984 - Vluchten: Reisverhalen. Meulenhoff
- 1985 - Een hondeleven. Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam
- 1986 - De geklede mens. Cantecleer
- 1986 - De lifter en andere verhalen. Anthos
- 1987 - Dromomania. Stiefkinderen van de cultuur: EssaysDromomaniaDromomania, also travelling fugue, is an uncontrollable psychological urge to wander. People with this condition spontaneously depart from their routine, travel long distances and take up different identities and occupations. Months may pass before they return to their former identities...
. Meulenhoff - 1989 - Opstandige vrouwen. Meulenhoff
- 1990 - Rook over Rusland: Reisverhaal. Meulenhoff
- 1991 - De eerste zoen. Meulenhoff.
- 1992 - Europese kusten: Fotografische impressies. Martin Kers, photography. Inmerc
- 1992 - Gemengde gevoelens. Meulenhoff
- 1992 - Madonna's appel: Over vrouwen en de media. Meulenhoff
- 1992 - Broodje aap met: Een verdere bijdrage tot de folklore van de post-industriele samanleving. Harmonie.
- 1993 - Altijd zomer. Meulenhoff
- 1994 - Overal thuis: Reisverhalen. Meulenhoff
- 1996 - Bange mensen: Een Haagse vertelling. Meulenhoff
- 1998 - Genietingen: Essays.Meulenhoff
- 2000 - Zielespijs en wat verder ter tafel komt: Essays. Meulenhoff
- 2003 - Portret. Meulenhoff (memoirs)
- 2004 - Parijse feesten. Meulenhoff
- 2004 - Vijf onbekende zaken van Sherlock Holmes. De Harmonie
Literature
- Doeschka Meijsing: Ethel Potnoy: Informatie. Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 1984
- Lydia Lippens: Ethel Portnoy: Een bibliografie. Lippens, 1986