Mazor, Julian 1929–

views updated

Mazor, Julian 1929–

PERSONAL: Born 1929, in Baltimore, MD.

ADDRESSES: Home—Washington, DC. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Paul Dry Books, 117 South 17th St., Ste. 1102, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

Washington and Baltimore: Stories, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 1968.

Friend of Mankind and Other Stories, Paul Dry Books (Philadelphia, PA), 2004.

Contributor of short stories to periodicals, including New Yorker, Shenandoah, and Leopard. Has also contributed to "O'Henry Prize Collection" series.

SIDELIGHTS: More than thirty years separate the publication of Julian Mazor's two short-story collections, but both works have drawn similar praise for their acute portrayal of male issues, from dealing with racial integration to handling the vicissitudes of marriage and divorce. Mazor was born in Baltimore and grew up in Washington, DC, where he has lived most of his life. His first collection, Washington and Baltimore, explores what Mark Gauvreau Judge called in the National Review "The Other Washington." By that, Judge meant the city of Washington itself, removed from the trappings of national government and subject to the forces that mold all large cities. Judge noted that Washington and Baltimore is "the best book ever written about the real Washington: the place where people live in rowhouses, go to diners and jazz clubs, and couldn't identify Kay Graham in a lineup." Judge added that although Washington and Baltimore was first published in 1968, "it firmly holds its relevance."

Friend of Mankind and Other Stories is less firmly located in the Washington metropolitan area. Its ten pieces range widely, including a tale about a Texas football player and two stories set in Ireland. In many of the works, male characters struggle with their own indecisiveness or their inner rebellion against conventions, whether they be marital commitment or good behavior in school. A Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that in the book Mazor "presents an entertaining take on the battle of the sexes." Donna Seaman, writing in Booklist, commended Mazor as "the sort of assured and lucid storyteller readers trust immediately," concluding that the author recommends that his readers "cherish life in all its perplexity."