Norman Rosten
- March 7, 1995
- 82 years
About Norman Rosten
Norman Rosten, 82, American poet, playwright, and novelist.
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Full Biography
|Norman Rosten (January 1, 1913 – March 7, 1995) was an American poet, playwright, and novelist.
Early life
Rosten was born to a Polish Jewish family in New York City and grew up in Hurleyville, New York. He graduated from Brooklyn College and New York University, and the University of Michigan, where he met Arthur Miller. Each won the Avery Hopwood Award.
Career
In 1979, Brooklyn's borough president Howard Golden named Rosten as the poet laureate of Brooklyn.
Among Rosten's work outside the field of poetry, he wrote the libretto for Ezra Laderman's opera Marilyn. He also wrote the screenplay for Sidney Lumet's film Vu du Pont, adapting Miller's A View from the Bridge. He visited Mickey Knox in Rome.
Rosten was a poetry consultant for Simon and Schuster Publishers. It was through that role that he came to know fellow poet Andrew Glaze. The two became friends and Glaze later dedicated his book I am the Jefferson County Courthouse to Rosten.
His work appeared in The New Yorker.
Death
Rosten married his wife, Hedda Rowinski, in 1938. Together they had one child, daughter Patricia, in 1946. He resided in Brooklyn after college. The Rostens knew Marilyn Monroe for the last seven years of her life.
Rosten died in New York City from congestive heart failure on March 7, 1995, at the age of 81.
Awards
Works
Poetry
- Return Again, Traveler, Yale University Press, 1940
- The big road: a narrative poem, Rinehart & Company, Inc., 1946
- Imagine Seeing You Here: a world of poetry, lively and lyrical
- Thrive Upon the Rock, Trident Press, 1965
- Selected Poems. G. Braziller. 1979. ISBN 978-0-8076-0938-5.
- Patricia Rosten Filan, ed. (2004). A City Is. Illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-6793-4.
- In Guernica
Plays
- First Stop to Heaven, 1941
- Mister Johnson, an adaptation of Joyce Cary's novel of the same name (premiere 1956)
- Mardi Gras
- The Golden Door
- Come Slowly, Eden. Dramatists Play Service, Inc. 1967. ISBN 978-0-8222-0228-8.
Novels
- Under the Boardwalk, Prentice-Hall, 1968
- Over and Out, G. Braziller, 1972
- Love in All Its Disguises. Arbor House. 1981. ISBN 978-0-87795-324-1.
- Neighborhood Tales. G. Braziller. 1986. ISBN 978-0-8076-1152-4.
Non-fiction
- Marilyn: An Untold Story, New American Library, 1973
- Marilyn among Friends, with photographer Sam Shaw. UK: Bloomsbury (1987)
Anthologies
- Cary Nelson, ed. (2002). "The March". The wound and the dream: sixty years of American poems about the Spanish Civil War. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07070-9.
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Articles & News
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rosten
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Norman Rosten's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Norman Rosten born?
- A.Brooklyn
- B.Rome
- C.New York Citycorrect
- D.Hurleyville
Norman Rosten was born to a Polish Jewish family in New York City.
Source: Early life
2.Which university did Norman Rosten attend where he met Arthur Miller?
- A.New York University
- B.Yale University
- C.Brooklyn College
- D.University of Michigancorrect
Norman Rosten met Arthur Miller while attending the University of Michigan.
Source: Early life
3.Who named Norman Rosten as the poet laureate of Brooklyn in 1979?
- A.Howard Goldencorrect
- B.Arthur Miller
- C.Mickey Knox
- D.Sidney Lumet
In 1979, Brooklyn's borough president Howard Golden named Norman Rosten as the poet laureate of Brooklyn.
Source: Career
4.What was the name of Norman Rosten's wife whom he married in 1938?
- A.Marilyn Monroe
- B.Melanie Hope Greenberg
- C.Hedda Rowinskicorrect
- D.Patricia Rosten
Norman Rosten married his wife, Hedda Rowinski, in 1938.
Source: Death
5.For which publication did Norman Rosten write as a poetry consultant?
- A.Rinehart & Company
- B.The New Yorker
- C.Simon and Schuster Publisherscorrect
- D.Macmillan
Norman Rosten served as a poetry consultant for Simon and Schuster Publishers.
Source: Career
6.What was the specific cause of Norman Rosten's death in 1995?
- A.Congestive heart failurecorrect
- B.Pneumonia
- C.A heart attack
- D.Cancer
Norman Rosten died in New York City from congestive heart failure on March 7, 1995.
Source: Death
7.Which award did Norman Rosten win in 1941?
- A.Avery Hopwood Award
- B.Pulitzer Prize
- C.Yale Series of Younger Poets
- D.Guggenheim Fellowshipcorrect
Norman Rosten received the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1941.
Source: Awards
8.Who dedicated the book 'I am the Jefferson County Courthouse' to Norman Rosten?
- A.Sam Shaw
- B.Ezra Laderman
- C.Andrew Glazecorrect
- D.Sidney Lumet
Poet Andrew Glaze became friends with Norman Rosten and later dedicated his book to him.
Source: Career
9.Which film screenplay did Norman Rosten adapt from an Arthur Miller play?
- A.Marilyn
- B.The Big Road
- C.A View from the Bridgecorrect
- D.Mister Johnson
Norman Rosten wrote the screenplay for Sidney Lumet's film Vu du Pont, adapting Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.
Source: Career
10.In what year was Norman Rosten's daughter, Patricia, born?
- A.1946correct
- B.1938
- C.1956
- D.1941
Norman Rosten and his wife had one child, daughter Patricia, in 1946.
Source: Death
11.Which work is categorized as a novel written by Norman Rosten?
- A.Thrive Upon the Rock
- B.Return Again, Traveler
- C.Under the Boardwalkcorrect
- D.The Golden Door
Under the Boardwalk, published in 1968, is listed as one of Norman Rosten's novels.
Source: Novels
12.Who illustrated the 2004 book 'A City Is' by Norman Rosten?
- A.Joyce Cary
- B.Melanie Hope Greenbergcorrect
- C.Patricia Rosten Filan
- D.Sam Shaw
Melanie Hope Greenberg was the illustrator for the book A City Is by Norman Rosten.
Source: Poetry
13.Which of these is a play authored by Norman Rosten?
- A.The Big Road
- B.Neighborhood Tales
- C.Mardi Grascorrect
- D.Over and Out
Mardi Gras is listed as a play written by Norman Rosten.
Source: Plays
14.What is the title of the non-fiction work Norman Rosten co-wrote with Sam Shaw?
- A.Imagine Seeing You Here
- B.Love in All Its Disguises
- C.Marilyn: An Untold Story
- D.Marilyn among Friendscorrect
Norman Rosten co-wrote Marilyn among Friends with photographer Sam Shaw.
Source: Non-fiction
15.How long did Norman Rosten and his wife know Marilyn Monroe?
- A.Seven yearscorrect
- B.Ten years
- C.Three years
- D.Five years
The Rostens knew Marilyn Monroe for the last seven years of her life.
Source: Death
16.What was Norman Rosten's age when he died?
- A.81correct
- B.84
- C.82
- D.83
Norman Rosten died on March 7, 1995, at the age of 81.
Source: Death
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