Author and memoirist Gregor von Rezzori, whose work deals with the loss of identity experienced by many Europeans from the 1920s through the present, is currently in residence at MIT with the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies.
The 82-year old author of more than 20 books, who first came to the attention of American readers with the 1969 English publication of "Memoirs of an Anti-Semite" in The New Yorker, will speak on "The Vice of Writing" on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8pm in Rm 6-120. As part of his residency, which extends through December 1, Mr. Rezzori conducted a master class for Professor Anita Desai's advanced fiction workshop, and will be available for office visits at the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies.
Born in the Bujkovina (now part of Romania), Mr. Rezzori studied at the University of Vienna as well as in Berlin and lived for a time in Bucharest, where he made a living as an artist. In West Germany after World War II, he became active as a writer in radio broadcasting and filmmaking.
Professor Alan Lightman, head of the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, noted that Mr. Rezzori's unique experiences make him a "walking piece of history" whose memory and articulation are undiminished. "He writes with wit, insight and elegance about the lost world of Eastern Europe of 50 years ago," Professor Lightman said. Wrote Elie Wiesel, "Rezzori addresses the major problems of our time, and his voice echoes with the disturbing and wonderful magic of a true storyteller."
Call x3-7894 for further information or to request an appointment with Mr. Rezzori.
A version of this article appeared in the November 20, 1996 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 41, Number 12).
