Robert Nathan was born into a well-known New York family, with notable relatives including activist Maud Nathan, author Annie Nathan Meyer, poet Emma Lazarus, and Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo. His uncle was the founder of Barnard College. Nathan received his early education at private schools in the East and Switzerland, and in 1912, he entered Harvard University, where he was a classmate of E.E. Cummings.
At Harvard, Nathan developed a range of interests and talents, including cellism, boxing, and fencing, and he was also an editor of the Harvard Monthly. His early literary pursuits saw fruit with short stories and poems published in the magazine. In 1915, he married and later dropped out of school to support his new family through a job in advertising.
Nathan's first novel, "Peter Kindred," was published in 1919, but it failed to gain recognition as a serious work of literature. However, he continued to write, and by the 1920s, he had begun to receive recognition from both the public and the literary community. F. Scott Fitzgerald, in particular, praised Nathan's work, and he became one of the writer's favorite authors.
Throughout the 1930s, Nathan continued to produce novels, including "The Fiddler in Barley" and "The Bishop's Wife." He also began to receive attention from Hollywood, and in 1935, he signed a contract with MGM. Although he struggled to adapt to the fast-paced world of film, Nathan continued to write novels, and several of his works were adapted into movies.
Nathan's unique blend of romance, mystery, and the supernatural, set in a fantasy frame, became a hallmark of his writing style. He is perhaps best known for his novel "Portrait of Jennie," which was adapted into a film in 1948, starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. The film was produced by David O. Selznick, who spared no expense in bringing the story to life.
Nathan continued to write throughout his life, producing 39 novels, one work of non-fiction, four children's stories, and ten collections of poetry. He was known as the "Dean of Authors" and was a mentor to many prominent writers, including Irving Stone and Irving Wallace. He was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters for 50 years and was married to actress Anna Lee for 15 years until his death.
Nathan's legacy continues to be celebrated, with new adaptations of his works in development, including a musical version of "Portrait of Jennie" and a film version of his comedy play "Juliet in Mantua."
