In the World of Chaos: Early Writings

by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jan Schwarz (Editor)

Overview

This volume includes a collection of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s early work, including 27 short stories, 7 sketches of early fiction, and a range of critical essays, childhood memoirs, and interviews.

Singer’s early literary career in Warsaw (1925-1935) was crucially important in laying the building blocks for his great achievements in Jewish and world literature as a storyteller of Polish Jewry. During this period, Singer worked as a journalist, writer and translator in the main Yiddish center in Eastern Europe. However, much of this work remains unavailable in English-language translation. This volume makes part of Singer’s early fiction and non-fiction available for scholarship, teaching, and a general readership for the first time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887192093
Publisher:	Academic Studies Press
Publication date:	02/10/2026
Pages:	460
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

A leading figure in the Yiddish literary movement, Isaac Bashevis Singer (1903-1991), was a Polish-born Jewish-American dramatist, novelist, playwright, satirist, and translator. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978. 

Jan Schwarz is Associate Professor and Senior lecturer of  Yiddish at Lund Universityin Sweden.

Date of Birth:

July 14, 1904

Date of Death:

July 24, 1991

Place of Birth:

Radzymin, Poland

Place of Death:

Surfside, Florida

Education:

Attended Tachkemoni Rabbinical Seminary in Warsaw, Poland, 1920-27

Table of Contents

Short fiction

1. ‘Oyf der elter’ (In His Old Age) Literarishe bleter (June 26, 1925)
2. ‘Vayber’ (Women) Literarishe bleter (Nov 13, 1925)
3. ‘A dorfs-kabren’ (A Village Gravedigger) Varshever shrift (1926-1927)
4. ‘Eyniklekh’ (Grandchildren) Varshever shriftn (1926-1927)
5. ‘Shvester’ (Sisters) Literarishe bleter (April 23, 1926)
6. ‘In keler’ (In the Cellar) Literarishe bleter (Dec 3, 1926)
7. ‘Oyfn oylem-hatoye’ (In the World of Chaos) Di yidishe velt (April 1928)
8. ‘Tsurikvegs’ (The Way Back) Literarishe bleter (Nov 23, 1928)
9. ‘Shamoy vayts’ (Shamay Vayts). A mol in a yoyvl. Zamlbukh far belestristik. (1929)
10. ‘Restlekh’ (Remnants). Literarishe bleter (Feb 15, 1929)
11. ‘In an alt hoyz’ (In an Old House) Literarishe bleter (July 5, 1929)
12. ‘Tsvey’ (Two) Literarishe bleter (July 4, 1930)
13.  ‘Tvishn vent’ (Between Walls) Literarishe bleter (Oct 19, 1930)
14. ‘In letste teg’ (His Final Days) A mol in a yoyvl: zamlbukh. (1931)
15. ‘Yordim’ (Impoverished) Literarishe bleter (Sept 4, 1931)
16. ‘Sale: A bild’ (Sale: A Portrait) Literarishe bleter (Jan 1, 1932)
17. ‘Reyzele: A kharakter-portret fun varshever lebn’ (Reyzele: A Character Portrait of Warsaw Life) Forverts (June 2, 1935)
18. “Oyf an alter shif.” Zamlbikher (May 1936)
19. “Dem tatns zun: dertseylung” (The Father’s Son: Story) Forverts (September 13, 1936)
20. “An alter student: skitse” (An Old Student: Sketch). Forverts (Nov.3, 1936)
21. “Di mame tsu gast: skitse” (A Mother’s Visit: A Sketch) Forverts (Nov.10, 1936)
22. “Der velt-derleyzer: dertseylung” (The Redeemer: A Story) Forverts (Nov.29, 1936)
23. ”Kegn der shayn fun der levone: dertseylung” (By the Light of the Moon: A Story). Forverts (Dec.3, 1936)
24. “A fremder: skitse” (A Stranger: A Sketch) Forverts (Jan.19, 1937)
25. “Der meshumed: dertseylung” (The Apostate: A Story) Forverts (Feb.14, 1937)
26. “In bibliotek: skitse” (In the Library: A Sketch) Forverts (Feb. 28, 1937)
27. “In a leydiker shtub: dertseylung” (In an Empty Home) Forverts (April 11, 1937)
    
    
28. Childhood Memoir
    “Varshe 1914-1918’ (Warsaw 1914-1918). Dos naye vort.
    
29. Sketches        
    ’Meirke fisher’ (Meirke the Fisherman) 4 April, Undzer expres 1930 ‘Berl Formalist. A shpas.’ (Berl the Formalist: A Satire) April 18, 1930.
    ’Pani flaysh’ (Madam Fleish) 2 May, 1930.
    ‘In a hek. Novele.’ (In the Sticks) May 23, 1930.
    ‘Mister Dzshim. Novele.’ (Mister Jim) June 20, 1930.
    Ali ibrahim dzhindzhi’, (Ali Ibrahim Djindji) 21 August, 1930.
    Teme-rokhl’, (Teme Rochel) 29 August, 1930.

Criticism

30. ’Verter oder bilder’. Literarishe bleter 4, (Aug 26, 1927) ‘Words or Pictures.’
31. ’Tsu der frage fun dikhtung un politik’. ’On the Question of Literature and Politics.’ Globus (Sept 1932)

32. Interviews” A Conversation with Hillel Zeitlin”. Literarishe bleter, May 7, 1926.
”A Conversation with Melekh Ravits”. Literarishe bleter, May 21, 1926.
”A Conversation with Zusmen Segalovitsh. Literarishe bleter, June 4, 1926.
”A Conversation with Perets Markish before his departure for the Soviet Union.” Literarishe bleter, July 30, 1926.
 ”What Israel Jehoshua Singer thinks of literature and literary life in the
 Soviet Union.” Literarishe bleter, January 7, 1927.
 “A Conversation with Hillel Rogoff During his Warsaw Visit.” Literarishe bleter, Dec.12, 1930
                 
Volume editor’s afterword
Annotation