ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER

Singer's despair over the dying Yiddish language resonates through this brief biography. Though occasional passages may be confusing, Perl more often brings Singer into sharp focus: at three, ``Isaac wears the round velvet cap and long satin coat considered proper for the son of a Hasid...Isaac's skin is milk- white, his eyes are a dreamy blue, while his hair is a fiery red, grown into curling, silken earlocks that dangle alongside his cheeks...'' Delicately, the author presents Singer's insecurities, his religious questioning, and his out-of-wedlock relationship with the young Communist Runya, which led to the birth of his only child; she traces his childhood in early 20th century Poland and passage to America just prior to WW II, his marriage, and his blossoming writing career, shedding insight on the enormous influence on the impressionable artist of not only family and environment but also Jewish custom, tradition, and history. Ruff's loosely sketched illustrations work with the text to convey a sense of time, place, and the unpretentious humanity of the award-winning subject. Chronology; bibliography; listing of Singer's works. Index not seen. (Biography. 10-14)