Oppenheim, James

Oppenheim, James

(1882–1932) poet, writer; born in St. Paul, Minn. His family moved to New York City when he was a child, and he was educated in the public schools. He took extension courses at Columbia University, then became a secretary and a teacher. He wrote sentimental stories and novels to support his family before becoming a poet, as seen in Songs for the New Age (1914). He was also the editor of a literary magazine, The Seven Arts (1916–17), and, after it failed, he became involved in the psychoanalytic theories of Carl Jung. He died of tuberculosis after many years of poverty and illness.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.