N. Bryllion (Nathan Bryllion) Fagin

Born in Russia on June 15, 1892, Nathan Bryllion Fagin emigrated to the United States as a young man and built his academic career around literature and drama. He earned his B.A. from George Washington University in 1923, followed by an M.A. there in 1924, and later completed a Ph.D. in English at Johns Hopkins University in 1932.

Fagin spent much of his professional life at Johns Hopkins, where he taught English and drama and directed the Hopkins Playshop. His papers at Johns Hopkins show a career that joined teaching, theater, and literary culture, with materials ranging from course work and correspondence to documents connected with the Moscow Theatre Festival of 1932.

As an author, he is remembered for books such as Short Story-Writing: An Art or a Trade?, Interpreter of the American Landscape, O'Neill and His Plays, and The Histrionic Mr. Poe. His writing reflects a lively interest in how literature works on the page and on the stage, making him a rewarding figure for readers who enjoy both criticism and the craft of writing.