The support of the AJS Women’s Caucus is gratefully acknowledged.

This book was originally published in Yiddish as Tage-bukh fun a elende meydel oder der kampf gegen fraye liebe (New York: S. Kantrowitz, 1918).

Copyright © 2020 by Jessica Kirzane

Syracuse University Press

Syracuse, New York 13244-5290

All Rights Reserved

First Edition 2020

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∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.

For a listing of books published and distributed by Syracuse University Press, visit https://press.syr.edu.

ISBN: 978-0-8156-1116-5 (paperback)978-0-8156-5490-2 (e-book)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Karpilove, Miriam, 1888–1956, author. | Kirzane, Jessica, translator, writer of introduction.

Title: Diary of a lonely girl, or the battle against free love / Miriam Karpilove, translated from the Yiddish and with an introduction by Jessica Kirzane.

Other titles: Tagebukh fun a elende meydl, oder der kampf gegen fraye liebe. English

Description: First edition. | Syracuse, New York : Syracuse University Press, 2020. | Series: Judaic traditions in literature, music, and art | Harold Bloom and Ken Frieden, Series Editors | A Yiddish Book Center Translation. | Summary: “Karpilove’s Diary of a Lonely Girl was first published serially in the Yiddish daily “di Varhayt” in 1916–1918 and appeared in book form in 1918. The novel, told from the perspective of a diarist writing about her own love life, offers a raw personal criticism of radical leftist immigrant youth culture in early twentieth century New York. It boldly discusses issues of consent, body autonomy, women’s empowerment and disempowerment around sexuality, courtship and politics”— Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019042333 (print) | LCCN 2019042334 (ebook) | ISBN 9780815611165 (paperback) | ISBN 9780815654902 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Jewish women—New York (State)—New York—Fiction. | Immigrant youth—New York (State)—New York—Conduct of life—Fiction. | Free love—New York (State)—New York—Fiction.

Classification: LCC PJ5129.K3 T3413 2020 (print) | LCC PJ5129.K3 (ebook) | DDC 839/.133—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019042333

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019042334

Manufactured in the United States of America