Eva Salzman’s background is deeply rooted in a rich tapestry of dual nationality and diverse family influences that have significantly shaped her artistic and personal identity. Born in New York, she identifies strongly as a New Yorker, a identity she feels is distinct from simply being “American”. She notes that the New Yorker identity is greatly influenced by immigrant populations, particularly the Irish and Jews from Eastern Europe.

Paternal Side (Salzman):

• Grandfather, Samuel Salzman: Born in Poland, he immigrated to the USA around 1907, coming through Ellis Island. An “extraordinary man,” he was one Bar Exam short of being a lawyer, taught for many years, held an engineering degree, and eventually became a psychologist. He was a secular humanist and polymath par excellence. He tutored Eva through Stuyvesant High School.
• Great-Grandparents: Her great-grandmother arrived in the USA with Eva’s grandfather and his brother while pregnant, with the great-grandfather joining later, possibly due to issues related to army drafting or Cossacks in Poland/Russia.
• Great-Uncle Leon Salzman: A well-known psychiatrist.
• Ancestry: The family was secular for generations, but reportedly included Rabbis before that, either Levis or Cohens.
• Family Home: Her paternal grandparents lived just around the corner from her childhood home in Brooklyn Heights, on Cranberry Street, where Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was first published. Eva was very close to them, considering them “second parents”.

Maternal Side:

• Grandmother, Frances (née Klenett/Klenetsky): Born in the US, raised in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. She was a teacher, ran a children’s theatre, and wrote music-theatre (both music and libretti). She had been a child vaudeville actress, whose parents toured US music halls. Eva shares her middle name, Frances. She also ran a book business from her home, accumulating around 20,000 books.
• Grandmother, Beatrice: Born in Hungary, she likely passed through Ellis Island but never spoke of it. She was raised in the mid-west.
• Extended Maternal Family: Included the actor Edward G. Robinson and the Martinson family (who started a famous coffee company). There were also Pasternaks, possibly related to the film producer. Some relatives from this side were caught in concentration camps during the war, with a few managing to escape.
• Grandfather, Sydney Jackson (formerly Kaufmann): Beatrice’s husband, born in the US, raised in Boston, with a Latvian background.

Parents and Their Influence:

• Father, Eric Salzman: A composer and naturalist. He wrote for The Times. Eva has collaborated with him on operatic works like Cassandra. He instilled a love for music and arts.
• Mother, Lorna Salzman: An environmental activist. She campaigned against nuclear power before it was a fashionable cause.

Eva Salzman’s upbringing in Brooklyn Heights at 29 Middagh Street, a four-story clapboard house, with frequent visits to her grandparents nearby, instilled a deep connection to the rich history and multicultural nature of New York City. Her family’s history, spanning immigration, intellectual pursuits, and artistic endeavors, profoundly influences her work and her fascination with “exiles and outsiders”.

Eva Salzman’s educational background encompasses formal academic achievements, extensive training in the arts, and significant informal learning experiences, shaped by her family and life.

Here is a breakdown of her education, training, career influences and experiences:

High School

• Salzman attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, which is described as a science and math high school.
• There, she studied science, math, and literature.
• A notable influence was her English teacher, the Irish writer Frank McCourt. McCourt would tell stories about the Irish, effectively “rehearsing” his later bestseller, Angela’s Ashes, on his class. (Eva notes this may be partly responsible for her Irish honorable status.)
• She was also tutored through Stuyvesant High School by her grandfather.
  

College/Undergraduate

• She completed her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at Bennington College.
• Her teachers at Bennington included Stephen Sand and Ben Belitt.
• She spent one year at Sarah Lawrence College.
• At Sarah Lawrence, her teachers were Patricia Goedicke and Thomas Lux.
  

Post-graduate

• Salzman earned her Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) from Columbia University.
• Her distinguished teachers at Columbia included Joseph Brodsky, Derek Walcott, C.K. Williams, Edmund White, Jorie Graham, Elizabeth Hardwick, Josef Skvorecky, Carolyn Kizer, Stephen Dunn, and Stanley Kunitz. Her poetic style is noted to have the “conversational ease” of her early masters, Brodsky and Walcott.
  

Family Influences

• Her grandfather, Samuel Salzman, a secular humanist and polymath, was a psychologist and teacher who tutored her through high school.
• She had access to her grandmother’s “astounding library” of approximately 20,000 books, which she viewed as her escape and passion. This grandmother also was a writer and performer of children’s theatre and a former child vaudeville actress.
• Her composer father, Eric Salzman, exposed her to cutting-edge, avant-garde, and experimental music theatre.
• Her environmental activist mother and naturalist parents also influenced her work and background.

Performance Arts Training

• Salzman trained extensively in dance and choreography from the age of ten to twenty-two. She particularly enjoyed studying formal technique, especially Martha Graham’s.
• She also received training in music and theatre. Her exposure to dance included attending performances by major ballet companies (New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey Company) and contemporary troupes (Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham).

Professional and Fellowship Experiences

• Her residency as a Writer-in-Residence at Springhill Prison (1992-1994) and her Royal Literary Fund fellowships at Warwick University (2003-2005) and Ruskin College, Oxford (1999-2004) were significant in shaping her work, particularly inspiring her anthology True to Life: Memoirs from the Working Class College.
• Various “odd jobs” she held, such as Exercise Director at an Orthodox Jewish Diet Centre, out-of-print book searcher, antique dealer, waitress, and stage manager, also provided material for her writing.

Curriculum Development

• She co-authored the Open University’s “Start Writing Poetry Course”.
• Specialized Interests: Her research interests and specialties include cross-arts and multidisciplinary projects, as well as cultural journalism, which encompasses memoir, essays, features, travel, reviews, and belles-lettres.
• Continuous Engagement: She continues to enrich her diverse teaching work, including roles as an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths College (University of London), and teaching at various institutions and community projects globally, covering all ages and levels. She also engages in public readings and talks internationally

Curriculum Vitae

EVA SALZMAN

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT

• Goldsmiths College (University of London): Associate Lecturer (Since 2008).

    ◦ Areas of Supervision: MA Poetry Specialist Workshop; BA Poetry Module; Tutorials; final & midterm grading/reports; syllabus development & research.

PUBLICATIONS

Books (All UK PBS Recommendations/Special Commendations)

• Double Crossing: New & Selected Poems (Bloodaxe, 2004)
• Bargain with the Watchman (Oxford University Press, 1999)
• One Two II (Heaventree Press, 2002), Illustrated by Van Howell
• The English Earthquake (Bloodaxe, 1992)

Anthologies (Edited)

• Women’s Work: Modern Women Poets Writing in English (Seren, 2008) – with Amy Wack
• True to Life: Memoirs from Ruskin College, Oxford (Heaventree, 2007) – with Nick Kneale

Other Editorial

• The Printer’s Devil magazine – Co-editor
• Encarta Book of Quotations (Bloomsbury) – Contributing Editor
• Lorca (Bloomsbury) – Copy Editor

Selected Anthologies, Journals & Newspapers (fiction, essays, reviews, features & poetry)

• USA: New Yorker, Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, Fulcrum, Between Fury & Peace: Many Arts of Derek Walcott, From There to Here: Progress & Evolution (ed. David Rothenberg)
• UK: Granta, Dark Horse, Poetry Birmingham, TLS, Independent, Times, Guardian, Poetry Review, Poetry London, Agenda, Mslexia, Spectator, Opera Now
• Anthologies: Poetry of Sex (ed. Sophie Hannah); Dance the Guns to Silence (ed. Nii Ayikwei Parkes & Kadija Sesay); New Writing 9 (eds. John Fowles & A.L. Kennedy); New Writing 10 (eds. Penelope Lively & George Szirtes)
• Translations: Spanish, French, Romanian

SELECTED AWARDS & GRANTS

• Arts Council of Great Britain Writers’ Awards – 2009 & 2003
• Villa Mont Noir Laureate (France) – 2006
• Society of Authors Cholmondeley Award – 2004
• Second prize in the National Poetry Competition
• Royal Literary Fund grants
• London Arts Board grants

EDUCATION

• M.F.A., Columbia University: Teachers: Joseph Brodsky, Derek Walcott, C.K. Williams, Edmund White, Jorie Graham, Elizabeth Hardwick, Josef Skvorecky, Carolyn Kizer, Stephen Dunn, Stanley Kunitz
• B.A., Bennington College: Teachers: Stephen Sand, Ben Belitt
• One year at Sarah Lawrence College: Teachers: Patricia Goedicke & Thomas Lux
• Stuyvesant High School: Teacher: Frank McCourt

PAST EMPLOYMENT

• 2021: Emerson College (USA) – Affiliate Faculty
• 2019: New Jersey City University (USA) – Adjunct
• 2007-2011: Bishopsgate Institute – Tutor
• 2005-2007: Imperial College – Associate Lecturer
• 2003-2005: Warwick University – Royal Literary Fund/E. Midlands Fellowships
• 1999-2004: Ruskin College, Oxford – Royal Literary Fund Fellow
• 2002-2003: Friends World Programme/LIU – Associate Professor
• 1992-1994: Springhill Prison/Arts Council, England – Writer-in-Residence

SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, TEACHING, READINGS & TALKS

• Academia (USA): Sylvia Plath Symposium – Hunter College; La Guagua Festival; Athenaeum; Wesleyan; Columbia; Barnard; Connecticut College; Brandeis; Vanderbilt University; Lake Forest Academy
• Academia (UK): Kellogg & St. Anne’s (Oxford); Trinity & All Saints; Benenden; Varndean & Farnham Colleges; Lady Eleanor Holles; Conferences – NATE; E. Sussex Heads of English; & Literature Life Teachers
• Festivals, Arts Centers, & Galleries (UK): Queen’s Gallery; Tate; Royal Festival Hall; Arvon; Barbican; Poetry Society; Troubadour; Wordsworth Trust; Ledbury; Hay-on-Wye, Ilkley; Brighton; Charleston; Stanza; BBC 3, 4 & World service (including commissions/broadcasts Get Writing – Canterbury Tales, Poetry Proms)
• Festivals, Arts Centers, & Galleries (USA): Poets House; KGB; Bowery Poetry; Nuyorican Café; Stella Adler Studio; Galapagos; Governor’s Island; 92nd Y Makor/Steinhardt Project; Southampton Writers’ Conference; Santa Cruz Poets; Walt Whitman Association; Canio’s; Grolier; Pierre Menard Gallery
• Europe: Mont Noir Laureate (France); British Council Tour w/Simon Armitage & Glyn Maxwell (Spain)

SELECTED SPECIALTIES & COURSES

• Divided by a Common Language: comparative poetic voices from the USA, UK & Ireland
• Writers and Exile (prose and poetry)
• Imagining Reality (poetry and/or prose)
• Cultural Journalism (prose)
• Poetic Forms Transformed & Transfigured
• Two Ages of Fiction: comparative studies 19th c. and modern novel
• Rite of Passage: Women in Literature – the 19th c. onwards (fiction and/or poetry)
• Writing for Music: lyrics, libretti and collage texts

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• 18th c. to modern Fiction; Poetic Craft; UK/USA/Ireland Comparative Literature – all genres; Cultural Journalism – memoir, essays, features, travel, reviews, belles-lettres; women’s writing; Survey of Genres; Love Poetry; Cross-Arts/Multi-Disciplinary Projects
• Dance, music, performing & visual arts, movies, current affairs, politics; prison reform; environmentalism/natural world; social justice; human rights, gender & women’s issues

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE

• Poetry By Heart Bucks County Finals – Judge
• Poetry Book Society – Co-selector (2008-2010, with Alan Jenkins & Paul Farley)
• New Writing Ventures/Booktrust Competition – Co-Judge (with Andrew Motion)
• Pen International Writers-in-Prison Barcelona – Delegate (2004)
• Open University’s Start Writing Poetry Course – Deviser & Author & Researcher
• Poetry Society Council – Board Member (1996)
• Warwick University & Imperial College – External Marker
• Founded Prison Works

SELECTED PERFORMANCES & RECORDINGS – LIBRETTI, SONG CYCLES & LYRICS

• Collaborations: Composers – Eric Salzman, Christine Tobin, Gary Carpenter, Philip Cashian, A.L. Nicholson, Rachel Leach & Ian McQueen; Directors: Rufus Norris and Kenneth Tharp
• Performances (UK): BBC; English National Opera Studio; Buxton Festival (Hollow Hill); Huddersfield; Greenwich Theatre; Liverpool Cathedral; Ronnie Scott’s, Vortex, Jazz Café
• Performances (USA): Joe’s Pub, Monticello, Rochester, Monterey Jazz Festival
• Recordings: NMC Songbook – 92 British Composers (Composer: Gary Carpenter); Romance & Revolution & Secret Life of a Girl (Singer/Composer: Christine Tobin); Life Lines 2 – Poets for Oxfam

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Miscellaneous

Eva Salzman’s diverse life experiences and wide-ranging interests outside of formal literature deeply enrich her creative output and teaching.

Personal Interests & Influences:

• Dance & Performance: Eva was a dancer from the age of ten to twenty-two, studying formal techniques like Martha Graham’s. While now mostly dancing at parties, she misses formal classes and feels a strong connection between her past in dance and her poetry. Her training in dance, choreography, music, and theatre informs her cross-arts projects.
• Cross-Arts & Multidisciplinary Projects: This is a key specialty and research interest for her, reflecting her belief in unifying disparate elements of her life and art.
• Current Affairs & Politics: She maintains a keen interest in current affairs and politics, both local and global, including social justice, human rights, and gender issues. She expresses strong support for the creation of a Palestinian state and deplores Israeli treatment of Palestinians, while also questioning what “Free Palestine” implies for the existence of Israel.
• Environmentalism: Influenced by her environmental activist mother and naturalist father, environmentalism and the natural world are research interests.
• Film: A self-described “movie fanatic,” she educated herself in Hollywood cinema history by watching late-night shows.
• Prison Reform: Her work includes a residency at Springhill Prison and a delegate role for Pen International Writers-in-Prison Barcelona, indicating her commitment to prison reform.
• Recreational Activities: She enjoys shooting pool and tries to dance salsa or swing at least once-weekly.

“Odd Jobs” & Life Experiences:

To support her writing habit, Eva Salzman undertook a variety of unconventional jobs that often provide material for her work:

• Exercise Director of a Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish diet centre
• Out-of-print book searcher
• Antique wheeler-and-dealer
• Waitress
• Stage manager
• Backstage gofer
• Researcher for sensationalist glossy magazines
• Cleaner of rich ladies’ houses
• Ran a book business in England

These experiences, combined with her polymathic background and unique family influences (including a psychologist grandfather and vaudeville actress grandmother), contribute to her distinctive voice and broad thematic range.