The Rather Difficult Case of Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N Leo Rosten

Leo Rosten 1908 – 1997 Rosten was born in Lodz, Poland His family moved to the United States when he was 3 He earned a PhD from the University of Chicago His first books were written under a pseudonym

During the Depression he taught evening classes in English to pay for college Rosten married twice; he had 2 daughters and a son with his first wife He loved books and reading; he was known for his library He died in 1997

His Work Rosten was from a family that spoke both English and Yiddish (a language spoken by many Jewish families) He wrote a book about being Jewish, which added Yiddish words to the English vernacular In fact, his understanding of words, dialect, and presenting accents sets him apart He wrote fiction, nonfiction, and mysteries He also wrote screenplays for several popular movies in the ‘40s and ‘50s

The Rather Difficult Case of Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N, page 520 This story is from his first and most popular book It is based in part on his own experiences as a teacher The various characters are from different countries, and Rosten uses spelling and other techniques to show the accents and dialects of these characters

Class Work Read the story in class Complete Literary Critique, page 524, #s 1-5 Notice the author’s use of diction and how he creates dialect, accents, and humor Prepare for a class discussion