Isaac Bashevis Singer’s literary footprint expands with the release of Old Truths and New Clichés, a collection of 19 prose articles edited by David Stromberg. Primarily sourced from the author’s archives at the University of Texas in Austin, the volume brings the majority of these essays into English for the first time, offering readers a comprehensive look at the convictions that drove the novelist and short-story writer’s celebrated fiction.
Unearthing the Hidden Prose
Rescuing Archives From Austin to Build a Self-Portrait
David Stromberg, serving as editor to the Isaac Bashevis Singer Literary Trust, rescued the prose pieces from archival collections in Austin to construct what functions as a literary self-portrait. According to an introduction written by Stromberg, critics have historically overlooked Singer’s essayistic output in favor of his novels and short stories.
The newly available collection moves across a wide spectrum of registers, shifting effortlessly between casual observation and heavy philosophical inquiry. In one piece included in the volume, Singer examines the nature of seeking a deity he describes as "eternally in love . . . with his creations." In another essay, he adopts a satirical tone to imagine how modern society would receive and misinterpret the Ten Commandments if they were issued today.
Roots in a Polish Shtetl and Warsaw
Several essays in the collection revisit Singer’s upbringing in a Polish shtetl and his formative years in Warsaw. In a piece titled "Why I Write as I Do," Singer recounts the deeply religious atmosphere of his childhood home, where he was the son and grandson of rabbis.
He frequently noted that when he was born, a midwife answered his mother’s inquiry about the baby’s sex by declaring him "a writer"—a quip that did not amuse his pious parents, who viewed secular writing as a temptation.
A Private War Against the Almighty
Singer’s departure from orthodox tradition did not erase his preoccupation with the spiritual. He frequently described waging a "private war against the Almighty," eventually replacing orthodox faith with a personal blend of mysticism, deism, and skepticism.
Even after abandoning his traditional black gabardine and yarmulka, Singer maintained a foundational belief regarding his craft.
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