Julian Henry Löwenfeld is the great-grandson of Raphael Löwenfeld, the first translator of Leo Tolstoy’s works into German. (Vladimir Nabokov first began writing poems and short stories under the pseudonym V. Sirin during the year he lived in Löwenfeld’s home in Berlin). Julian majored in Russian literature at Harvard University and continued his studies first as an exchange student in Leningrad State University, and later independently with the renowned Pushkin scholar Nadyezhda Braginskaya. He has lectured to popular acclaim at the famous Pushkinsky Dom (Institute of Russian Literature),and the Museum of Pushkin’s Last Residence on Moika 12, in St. Petersburg, at Pushkin State Museum in Moscow, at the United Nations, The Folger Shakespeare Library, Pushkin House in London, England, Columbia University, Lehigh University, various branches of the New York Public Library and Boston Public Library, Radio Rossiya, Radio Pozitiv, the Voice of America, BBC Russian World Service, Kanal Kultura, NTV, Channel One and other major Russian television channels, and numerous other venues.

His book My Talisman, The Poetry and Life of Alexander Pushkin
is the only bilingual edition of Pushkin’s poetry extant. In 2010, it was awarded Russia’s Petropol Prize for literary excellence – the first time the award had ever been bestowed on a foreigner.
Other recent works of Lowenfeld include a verse translation of Pushkin’s Little Tragedies, which was showcased in November 2009 at the Baryshnikov Arts Theatre, and both the script and score of a full-length musical play entitled Thanksgiving, a lyrical-dramatic exploration of first love, conflicted family relationships, and coming of age. He has also composed about fifty songs. Löwenfeld ‘s translations from the Spanish of two plays by the brilliant Argentine philosopher and novelist Julio Cortázar, Farewell, Robinson, and Nothing to Pehuajó were first produced off-Broadway in 2002 by New York’s Steps Theatre Company. He is currently working on a dark comedy entitled Kafka for Beginners, a farce called The Milk of Birds, a collection of short stories, and a book of love poetry. Persons interested in obtaining Löwenfeld’s works or hearing more about his ongoing projects and readings can reach him at jlowenfeld@gmail.com or (917) 375-9996.

These lectures were made possible in part by the grant from Russkiy Mir foundation and support by Russian Center NY.