author

Albert Mordell

1885–1965

A sharp, independent literary critic, essayist, and editor, this early 20th-century writer brought psychoanalytic ideas into literary discussion and was never afraid of a strong opinion. His work ranges from criticism and controversy to editorial projects that helped keep major literary voices in circulation.

2 Audiobooks

The Erotic Motive in Literature

The Erotic Motive in Literature

by Albert Mordell

The Literature of Ecstasy

The Literature of Ecstasy

by Albert Mordell

About the author

Born in Philadelphia in 1885, Albert Mordell became known as an author, editor, literary critic, and lawyer. Archival records at the University of Pennsylvania describe a long career documented through correspondence, drafts, articles, clippings, photographs, and other papers that trace both his life and his literary work.

Mordell is especially remembered for his criticism and for engaging seriously with psychoanalytic approaches to literature. One of his best-known books, The Erotic Motive in Literature (1919), was later described by Project Gutenberg as a work of psychoanalytic literary criticism, showing how early and energetically he explored the hidden motives behind literary art.

He also worked as an editor, including on collections of Henry James's literary reviews and essays, and published books and pamphlets on contentious literary subjects. Albert Mordell died in 1965, leaving behind a body of work that reflects a lively, argumentative, and curious reading life.