In Memoriam Alex Szogyi
(January 27, 1929-April 23, 2007)

Teacher, scholar, critic, translator, mentor, actor, pianist, graphologist, astrologer, chef, and bel esprit are only a few of the words that describe Alex Szogyi. And yet, no single term captures his essence or portrays his uniqueness. Alex defies classification; it is almost easier to list what he didn’t do than to enumerate his accomplishments. Alex Szogyi danced to no one’s piper. He was neither easy to know nor easy to love since he presented a challenge to anyone who would attempt either. For those who persisted, the rewards proved to be rich.

An aficionado of drama, music, dance, art, and film, Alex inspired his students and colleagues to delve into all that pertained to theater and the arts. We Sandistes owe him a special debt since he belonged to the visionary group that set the stage for The Friends of George Sand. Beginning in 1976 at Hofstra University, this society, now known as the George Sand Association, catapulted Sand studies into a meteoric flurry of critical activity that has now spread worldwide. Thanks to the efforts of Alex and the other founding members, George Sand and her work are no longer relegated to a literary footnote or reserved only for children’s perusal.

Some will be surprised to know that Alex Szogyi’s undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College was in mathematics; he then went on to receive his doctorate at Yale University in French, specializing in 17th century literature, after studies at the Sorbonne. Alex taught at Yale, Wesleyan College, CUNY Graduate School and University Center, and Hunter College, where he was Chairperson of the Romance Language Department for seven years. His teaching career spanned forty years.

Alex was an avid translator. Among Alex’s many English translations are several of Marivaux’s plays, all of Anton Chekhov’s plays, and Maxim Gorky’s The Lower Depths, which is still being produced throughout the country.  His adaptation of Molière’s George Dandin was produced by the Classic Stage Company; the Gramercy Arts Theater presented his version of Sade’s Philosophy in the Boudoir. A prolific writer, Alex’s books include, Molière Abstrait, Chocolate: Food of the Gods, and a novel, Carnaval.  Alex also wrote regularly, as a food and restaurant critic, for the Village Voice, Gourmet and Bon Appétit.  His close friend, Patricia Highsmith, dedicated The Snail Watcher and Other Stories to him.

Along with Ellis Rabb and Rosemary Harris, Alex was a co-founder of the APA Theater. Alex appeared in the Gérard Depardieu film Balzac playing the fortune teller of Mme Balzac (Jeanne Moreau). He counted both actors among his friends; in fact, Mme Moreau wrote the preface to a sumptuously illustrated and produced book, Les Fables de La Fontaine, Fables Choisies,  to which Alex had contributed notes and commentaries (Paris: Éditions Épigraf, 2005).

On October 23, 2007, a memorial and symposium in honor of Alex Szogyi’s life and work was held at the City University of New York Graduate Center. It was a day-long celebration and was attended by colleagues and students alike. Natalie Datlof, Jeanne Fuchs, and Philip Thompson, Alex’s partner of 46 years, all participated. Byron Janis, a close friend, played several Chopin pieces at the conclusion of the festivities. Alex would have relished it all. So to our dear friend and colleague we can only say, CHAPEAU!

Jeanne Fuchs and Natalie Datlof