In Memoriam: Norman Friedman (1925-2014)

"life's not a paragraph"

On Thursday, November 6, 2014, we learned the sad news of the death of Norman Friedman, the first and finest Cummings scholar, and (with David V. Forrest and Richard S. Kennedy) the founder of Spring and The E. E. Cummings Society. Our condolences go out to his wife, Zelda, and to all of his family.

"In literature and life: a master of attention to the syntax of things,
nonetheless for whom feeling was forever first."

—from Bernard, with no parenthesis

[Bernard F. Stehle, on behalf of The E. E. Cummings Society]

A memorial service for Norman was held on Monday, Nov. 10, 2014 at Sinai Chapels in Forest Meadows, New York. Norman's son gave the eulogy for his father and his daughter Janet read a poem of Norman's, "Michael Ravi Raman, Born Easter Sunday, April 19, 1987." Janet's daughter Rachel read Norman's "Time, the  Heartless Runner," first published in 1959:


TIME, THE HEARTLESS RUNNER

Time, the heartless runner behind!
I heard his gaining cruel breath
approaching as a fatal wind.
And so he paced me down that path.

Too soon he was alive beside
me, the savage athlete coming fast!
I gasped for speed, and almost cried
to feel him racing narrowly past.

And then I saw his sweaty back,
his muscles tight around the bone,
the vicious champion of the track!

I would have run much worse alone.



Norman Friedman in 1960

Norman Friedman in 1960

At the end of the service, Zelda read Cummings' poem "since feeling is first," prefacing the reading by noting that it was "one of Norm's favorite Cummings poems. It is a courtship poem, a love poem, a life poem and a poem for all of us at this moment."

Norman lives on in so many ways, not the least in his published works and in the memories of his students and friends.

“beauty is more now than dying’s when”

Here are some tributes to Norman, in reverse order in which they were received (e-mail fashion):

Tributes to Norman Friedman

I never met Norman Friedman, but his books, his deep understanding of Cummings' spirit greatly helped me to translate the poems of "our nonhero".
My sympathy to his wife, family and friends.
--
jacques demarcq

I never had the chance to meet Norman, but in reading through your emails, I have been struck by how his spirit of generosity lives on in the Cummings Society. I gave my first conference presentation at a Cummings panel in 2008, and I felt very much welcomed and encouraged by Mike, Gillian, Etienne, and everyone in a way similar to how many of you shared how Norman welcomed you and your work. The Cummings Society has been a major influence in where I am today, and I now have a much clearer understanding as to why the Cummings Society is so unique: Norman was and is a nonhero, and like EEC, a nonhero's spirit contagiously affects the people around him.

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees,

Aaron Moe

I was shocked and dismayed to learn of Norman Friedman's death. He has been very important to me as I have in recent years continued my work on the writings of E. E. Cummings. I recently reviewed all my past correspondence with him and realized that I did not always respond to his suggestions - and even invitations! I plan to remedy that, partly as a thank you for his invaluable service to all of us for many years.

Bethany Dumas

Yes, I agree, we are all obviously uniting our voices here to remember Norman as a philanthropist and great lover of people and literature.
Personally, I'll always remember his enthusiasm and warmth when welcoming me in New York as a PHD student on EEC. That day gave a new and truer dimension to my work as Norman had known EEC and had been there till his last day. I hope that Zelda can be reassured as now it is EEC in turn who is welcoming him over there, their fingers not writing or painting but uniting and dancing,
 
"the impressed fingers of sublime
Memory,of that loveliness receiving
the image (all our) proud heart(s) (will forever) cherish as fair"
 
(Sonnets, Unrealities, II, 137).
 
Claudia Desblaches
France

Zelda and Norman have been in my thoughts all week.  It was a shock to be in the middle of a conference last week and hear about Norman’s passing.  It took me back to my first ALA conference in the late ‘80s and all the ALA Cummings sessions after that.  I felt welcomed by them both—even when I was a very young, awkward scholar of perhaps 23 years.  Norman was always helpful and encouraging.  I am so proud to tell everyone that I meet that I am part of this wonderful group of EEC scholars. Even if I have been absent in recent years, Norman, Zelda and all of you are part of who I am.
I too look forward to many reflective pieces in Spring. He cared deeply about this work, so it is time for me to return to EEC in his honor.  I will think of him as I write!
Sincerely,
Taimi Olsen

Norman was the Chair of the Cummings Society when I started attending ALA as a graduate student in the 1980s.  He and Zelda took me under their wings immediately and made me feel like my fledgling work was valued.  They set the welcoming tone that characterizes this group to this day.  What fine founders all of those early Cummings scholars were.

Best,
Rai Peterson

From Madrid in Euroland,

I think that we all should write something about our relationship with Norman and Zelda for the next issue of Spring. That's the best tribute for a generous person who, in my case, helped so much with my PhD and later publications and, considering the time difference, patiently woke up in the middle of the night when in the 1990s I sent him faxes asking questions about Mr. Cummings.

Thanks a lot, Norman.

Teresa González Mínguez

Norman was a fine scholar and a gentle, kind man.  It says something about your scholarship when you write not only the first critical monograph on a major poet, but one that remains, after many decades, the best single study of Cummings's poetry.  I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Norman and Zelda several times at Cummings sessions of conferences and when we each lectured at the other's university during the Cummings centennial.  Each meeting, professional or social, reinforced my feeling that they were a gracious, charming couple.  Many of you know that Norman (and Zelda too, I believe) was a practicing psychologist.  I had a chance to see and benefit from this side of his wisdom when he kindly advised me on some problems I was having with my adolescent daughter.  The advice, like all of Norman's insights, was offered gently--and gratefully received.  That was Norman.  We'll miss him.

Milt Cohen

I have never been more grateful for a friendship or more honored by one than that with Norman and Zelda. I'm happy to have expressed that to them while Norman was still with us, and it was always with the greatest sincerity. I know that Zelda will be sustained now by the bonds shared in those final years, even as I offer my sympathy for the inevitability of her loss. I hope she finds comfort in the outpouring of shared memories and tributes that I read online this evening, as I add my voice to that chorus.

Gerry Locklin
Gerald.Locklin@csulb.edu

Thanks for letting me know, Mike.  Very sorry to hear.

After finding out about Norman, I had a yen to read up on him at Wikipedia and was shocked to be unable to find an entry on him.  Is there one?  I'm not a big admirer of Wikipedia but it can be handy for surface views of various subjects, so I'd like it to have entries on all the writers I admire--including, for certain, Norman.     Would any of our society's younger admirers of Cummings be interested in making an entry on him?  I wish I had time to myself, but . . .

all best, Bob Grumman

Like Todd, Norman was my first connection to the Cummings Society, and he became a sort of mentor to me, as I'm sure he was to many. I always felt honored to be part of the society and to have the great Norman Friedman comment on my work. Through his encouragement I was able to accomplish and achieve more than I ever thought I could.  He was not only a brilliant scholar but an inspiring teacher, a generous colleague, and an unforgettable person.

Millie Kidd

Norman was the editor of Spring when I submitted my first work on E. E. Cummings.  He was very encouraging and supportive.   I only met him once during a conference panel that I participated in, but as so many others have noted, his work and its influence is indisputable.

Todd  Martin

In Memoriam Norman Friedman

a great
 
man
is
gone.                                                                                       (#14 73 Poems, CP 786)
 
how generous is that himself the sun
 
(never a moment ceasing to begin
the mystery of day for someone’s eyes)                                  
 
with goldenly his fathering
nearness awakened
and our night’s thousand million miracles                                   (#84 95 Poems, CP 756)
 
over us if(as what was dusk becomes
darkness)innumerably singular
strictly immeasurable nowhere flames
 
to call the stars, Norman and Cummings,                                   (#69 95 Poems, CP 741)
 
whose absence would have made your whole life and my
(and infinite our)merely to undie                                                 (#45 73 Poems, CP 817)

Norman,
"i carry your books with me(i carry them in my heart"; you're with stars now and we remember.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Zelda and family,

Gillian Huang-Tiller and Ken Tiller
University of Virginia-Wise

Norman's influence extends across boundaries here into South Africa, where I've been carrying him, carrying him in my heart. To read his work has been one of those turning-point experiences. To have met him in Boston was the most gentle mind-blow. He and Zelda like that, beautifully smallish within a very tangible aura of living well, in touch with each other and life. You could feel his big, gentle, clear heart from a distance. I will never forget him, and it actually hurts, stings, to think that he won't be lightly treading this Earth with us any further. Not to mention missing his further writing on our non-hero.

Words fail, and so they should.

Etienne Terblanche

Dick Bailey, who hired me at the University of Michigan in 1985 and also died just recently, was Norman's student.
Over my 27 years here of teaching at Michigan, before I retired last year, this lead to many spirited conversations between us about Norman, E.E, etc.
So sorry to hear of Norman's passing.

I admire everything Norman wrote about E.E.

Everything.

The body of work is beautiful.

On this point, what more can you say?

Beautiful.

--Rich Cureton

Norman once told me he wanted "forgetting me, remember me" to be thought of at his passing. So, I imagine, would most of us.

David V. Forrest

Thanks for your input on Norman. We were colleagues for years. As you say
He lives on.
George Held

Thanks, Michael.  N. lived the EEC spirit.
Bill Harmon

Links:

A Norman Friedman Bibliography

From Spring 14 & 15 (2005 / 2006) [Special Norman Friedman Double Issue]:

"Tributes to Norman Friedman." Spring: The Journal of the E. E. Cummings Society 14-15 (October 2006): 9-30.
Friedman, Norman. "The Other Cummings: The Private Side." Spring: The Journal of the E. E. Cummings Society 14-15 (October 2006): 31-45.
---. "Cummings, Oedipus, and Childhood: Problems of Anxiety and Intimacy." Spring: The Journal of the E. E. Cummings Society 14-15 (2006): 46-68.

Lewis Turco, "The Passing of Norman Friedman"

Michael Dylan Welch, "Tribute to Norman Friedman"