Irwin Weil
Encyclopedia
Irwin Weil is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature at Northwestern University
.
He is noted for his work in promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between
the USA and the USSR/Russia,
and for attracting large numbers of students
to his courses.
He recorded a popular series of lectures Classics of Russian Literature
for The Teaching Company
in 2005.
of German Jewish and Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. His father Sidney was a former owner of the Cincinnati Reds
baseball team.
. Initially majoring in economics at the University of Chicago
, he was drawn to Slavic studies after discovering Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov
in a required literature course and being (in his words) "knocked for a loop". He reports that he ran to a bookstore, picked up a copy of Crime and Punishment
, read it in two days, and resolved to learn the language of such a great body of literature.
Weil received his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago
in 1948 and his master's degree in Slavic studies in 1951. After three years of working on a Soviet census for the U.S. Library of Congress
, Weil began his Ph.D. at Harvard University
, where he had received a Ford Foundation
fellowship to work toward his doctorate in Slavic studies. After receiving the degree in 1960, he taught at Brandeis University
.
While at Brandeis, Weil was a professor of Russian literature and linguistics. He was influential in the development and growth of the Slavic studies program at Brandeis. Weil's first major work—a dissertation on the development of the writing style of Maksim Gorky--was completed in 1958. His other works include Notes on the Contemporary Soviet Literary Scene and Soviet Literary Activities.
in 1966. He is published widely in the field of Russian literature and culture, with special attention to the classics of 19th-century Russian literature and the Soviet Period. His principal focus has been on the connections between Russian literature and music.
One of the most popular teachers at Northwestern, his classes in Russian literature attract hundreds of students each year.
His most popular course, Introduction to the Soviet Union and Successor States, draws as many as 800 students each Spring Quarter.
"(Weil) is legendary in our department for getting enrollment numbers that no one else can touch," says Clare Cavanagh, current chairwoman of the Slavic department. The large enrollment in Slavic Studies has been attributed to Weil, whose reputation for warmth and passion for his subject, for caring about his students, and for occasionally breaking into Russian song to illustrate a point. has attracted generations of students
and the USA. Recently, he has worked with Professor Marina Kaul to establish an American Studies Center at the Moscow University for the Humanities.
He is a founder of the American Council of Teachers of Russian
(ACTR)
and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture
.
He is a frequent commentator on US-Russian relations.
. He
was selected by the company after considering his teaching awards, published evaluations, newspaper articles and other sources to determine the best professors. The Teaching Company placed him in the top 1 percent of professors in the United States.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
He is noted for his work in promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between
the USA and the USSR/Russia,
and for attracting large numbers of students
to his courses.
He recorded a popular series of lectures Classics of Russian Literature
for The Teaching Company
The Teaching Company
The Teaching Company is a Chantilly, Virginia company that produces recordings of lectures by university professors and high-school teachers. It sells the courses in CD, DVD, MPEG-4, and MP3 formats.- Background :...
in 2005.
Biography
Irwin Weil was born in 1928 in Cincinnati, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
of German Jewish and Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. His father Sidney was a former owner of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
baseball team.
. Initially majoring in economics at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, he was drawn to Slavic studies after discovering Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which was published as a serial in The Russian Messenger and completed in November 1880...
in a required literature course and being (in his words) "knocked for a loop". He reports that he ran to a bookstore, picked up a copy of Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. This is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his...
, read it in two days, and resolved to learn the language of such a great body of literature.
Weil received his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1948 and his master's degree in Slavic studies in 1951. After three years of working on a Soviet census for the U.S. Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, Weil began his Ph.D. at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he had received a Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
fellowship to work toward his doctorate in Slavic studies. After receiving the degree in 1960, he taught at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
.
While at Brandeis, Weil was a professor of Russian literature and linguistics. He was influential in the development and growth of the Slavic studies program at Brandeis. Weil's first major work—a dissertation on the development of the writing style of Maksim Gorky--was completed in 1958. His other works include Notes on the Contemporary Soviet Literary Scene and Soviet Literary Activities.
At Northwestern University
Weil moved to Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1966. He is published widely in the field of Russian literature and culture, with special attention to the classics of 19th-century Russian literature and the Soviet Period. His principal focus has been on the connections between Russian literature and music.
One of the most popular teachers at Northwestern, his classes in Russian literature attract hundreds of students each year.
His most popular course, Introduction to the Soviet Union and Successor States, draws as many as 800 students each Spring Quarter.
"(Weil) is legendary in our department for getting enrollment numbers that no one else can touch," says Clare Cavanagh, current chairwoman of the Slavic department. The large enrollment in Slavic Studies has been attributed to Weil, whose reputation for warmth and passion for his subject, for caring about his students, and for occasionally breaking into Russian song to illustrate a point. has attracted generations of students
Work in promoting cultural exchange and understanding
Weil is noted for his efforts to promote cultural exchange and understanding between USSR/RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the USA. Recently, he has worked with Professor Marina Kaul to establish an American Studies Center at the Moscow University for the Humanities.
He is a founder of the American Council of Teachers of Russian
American Council of Teachers of Russian
American Council of Teachers of Russian is a professional organization that advances research, training, and materials development in the fields of Russian and English language; strengthens communication within and between communities of scholars and educators in language, literature, and area...
(ACTR)
and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture
Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture
The Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture is an educational institution in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is located in the Petrogradskaya District, within short walking distance from Krestovsky Island...
.
He is a frequent commentator on US-Russian relations.
Lecture videos
Weil recorded a set of 36 half-hour lectures entitled Classics of Russian Literature for The Teaching CompanyThe Teaching Company
The Teaching Company is a Chantilly, Virginia company that produces recordings of lectures by university professors and high-school teachers. It sells the courses in CD, DVD, MPEG-4, and MP3 formats.- Background :...
. He
was selected by the company after considering his teaching awards, published evaluations, newspaper articles and other sources to determine the best professors. The Teaching Company placed him in the top 1 percent of professors in the United States.
Research interests
According to his listing on the Northwestern University faculty web page, Weil's research interests include:- Russian literature and cultural history
- Jewish literature and cultural history
- Relations between poetry and music, literature and music
- USSR/Russia-USA cultural relations and exchange - extensive teaching, research, and work in the USSR and Russia - periodic lecturing and teaching in Russia, for forty years
Partial list of publications
- Weil, Irwin Asher. Four Novels by Maksim Gor'kij. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Harvard University, 1960.
- Weil, Irwin. Gorky: His Literary Development and Influence on Soviet Intellectual Life. New York: Random House, 1966.
- Pacific Northwest Conference on Foreign Languages, Irwin Weil, and Ralph Willis Baldner. Proceedings. [Victoria, B.C.]: University of Victoria, 1967.
- Weil, Irwin. Die Ostjuden in der Kulturgeschichte Europas ; ein Blick in die russische Literatur-und Kulturgeschichte. Ingolstädter Vorträge, 1982. Ingolstadt, [W. Germany]: Der Zeitgeschichtlichen Forschungsstelle Ingolstadt, 1982.