Origins & Early Life

Philip Milton Roth (; March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short-story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophically and formally blurring the distinction between reality and fiction, for its "sensual, ingenious style" and for its provocative explorations of Jewish and American identity. He first gained attention with the 1959 short story collection Goodbye, Columbus, which won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Ten years later, he published the bestseller Portnoy's Complaint. Nathan Zuckerman, Roth's literary alter ego, narrates several of his books. A fictionalized Roth narrates some of his others, such as the alternate history The Plot Against America. Roth is one of the most honored American writers of his generation. He received the National Book Critics Circle award for The Counterlife, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Operation Shylock, The Human Stain, and Everyman, a second National Book Award for Sabbath's Theater, and the Pulitzer Prize for American Pastoral.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 2001, Roth received the inaugural Franz Kafka Prize in Prague. In 2005, the Library of...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Akihito — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Aretha Franklin — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin defined American music with unparalleled vocal power.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Indian statesman and poet, served as Prime Minister of India multiple times.
• Balabhaskar — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering Indian violinist and composer known for promoting fusion music.
• Adalbert Gyrowetz — Shared historical date (03-19 · Died) (1850): Czech-Austrian composer known for symphonies and string quartets.
• Alexis of Russia — Shared historical date (03-19 · Born) (1629): Tsar of All Russia, second Romanov to rule, known for legal reforms and wars.
• Alessandro Manzoni — Shared historical date (05-22 · Died) (1873): Master poet and novelist whose work fueled the Italian Risorgimento and language unity.
• Arthur Conan Doyle — Shared historical date (05-22 · Born) (1859): Pioneering author of Sherlock Holmes and speculative fiction master.
• 1933 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1933
• March 19 (03-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 19
• 2018 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2018
• May 22 (05-22) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 22