Howard Schwartz (writer and editor)
Encyclopedia
Howard Schwartz is a widely regarded folklorist, author, poet, and editor of dozens of books. He has won the international Koret Jewish Book Award
, for the book Before You Were Born, and won the 2005 National Jewish Book Award for Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. He has been featured in the Jewish Children's Book Project, local media in his hometown of Saint Louis, The Jerusalem Post
, and The Canadian Jewish News, as well as in many other publications.
, fiction, poetry, and children's literature has been recognized by more than forty organizations and literary bodies. He won the Aesop Prize from the American Folklore Society
, the American Book Award
from the Before Columbus Foundation
, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award
, among others.
More recently, the author was awarded the 2005 National Jewish Book Award for his reference book Tree of Souls, an extremely comprehensive guide to Jewish midrash
, stories expanding upon or explaining Biblical texts. His children's story Before You Were Born was named one of the top ten children's books of 2005 and was given the Koret International Jewish Book Award from the Koret Foundation
in 2006. Before You Were Born describes the angel Lailah
, who shares all the secrets of life with children while they are still inside the womb.
Schwartz has been nominated for the National Jewish Book Award six times and has won the award three times.
Schwartz works with oral and written histories as a collector and re-teller of Jewish stories and midrash
. In this capacity, he has collected more than a thousand unique tales from around the world in several major print collections.
Koret Jewish Book Award
The Koret Jewish Book Award is an annual award that recognizes "recently published books on any aspect of Jewish life in the categories of biography/autobiography and literary studies, fiction, history and philosophy/thought published in, or translated into, English." The award was established in...
, for the book Before You Were Born, and won the 2005 National Jewish Book Award for Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. He has been featured in the Jewish Children's Book Project, local media in his hometown of Saint Louis, The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
, and The Canadian Jewish News, as well as in many other publications.
Publications and awards
Schwartz's later work in Jewish folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, fiction, poetry, and children's literature has been recognized by more than forty organizations and literary bodies. He won the Aesop Prize from the American Folklore Society
American Folklore Society
The American Folklore Society is the US-based professional association for folklorists, with members from the US, Canada, and around the world. It was founded in 1888 by William Wells Newell, who stood at the center of a diverse group of university-based scholars, museum anthropologists, and men...
, the American Book Award
American Book Award
The American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
from the Before Columbus Foundation
Before Columbus Foundation
The Before Columbus Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by Ishmael Reed, Victor Hernández Cruz, Shawn Wong and Rudolfo Anaya to be "a multi-ethnic organizing dedicated to promoting a pan-cultural view of America," especially through the promotion of multicultural writers.One of...
, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award
Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Jewish children's literature. Medals are awarded annually for outstanding books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award was established in 1968 by the Association of Jewish Libraries. It is named in memory of Sydney Taylor,...
, among others.
More recently, the author was awarded the 2005 National Jewish Book Award for his reference book Tree of Souls, an extremely comprehensive guide to Jewish midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, stories expanding upon or explaining Biblical texts. His children's story Before You Were Born was named one of the top ten children's books of 2005 and was given the Koret International Jewish Book Award from the Koret Foundation
Koret Foundation
The Koret Foundation, along with the Koret Fund, is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was organized in 1978 by Joseph and Stephanie Koret, along with Tad Taube, their family friend and Chief Executive Officer of their women's sportswear company, Korett of...
in 2006. Before You Were Born describes the angel Lailah
Malakh
In Judaism an angel is a messenger of God, an angelic envoy or an angel in general who appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic literature, and traditional Jewish liturgy.-Etymology:...
, who shares all the secrets of life with children while they are still inside the womb.
Schwartz has been nominated for the National Jewish Book Award six times and has won the award three times.
- Diamond Tree: Jewish Tales from Around the World Nominee in category Children's Literature. 1992.
- Next Year in Jerusalem: 3000 Years of Jewish Stories Winner in category Children's Literature. 1996.
- Reimagining the Bible: The Storytelling of the Rabbis Finalist in category Jewish Thought. 1999.
- The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic Winner in category Children's Literature. 2000.
- Invisible Kingdoms: Jewish Tales of Angels, Spirits and Demons Sole finalist in category Children's Literature. 2002-2003.
- Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism Winner in category Reference. 2005.
Schwartz works with oral and written histories as a collector and re-teller of Jewish stories and midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
. In this capacity, he has collected more than a thousand unique tales from around the world in several major print collections.
- Midrashim: Collected Jewish Parables (1976) ISBN 0-903400-18-9
- Elijah’s Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales (1983) ISBN 0-19-509200-7
- Miriam’s Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from around the World (1986) ISBN 0-19-282136-9
- Lilith’s Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural (1987) ISBN 0-19-506726-6
- Gabriel’s Palace: Jewish Mystical Tales (1993) ISBN 0-19-509388-7
- Leaves from the Garden of Eden (2008) ISBN 0-19-533565-1