November 16, 2012
Fred Stern is a poet, art reviewer and former ad agency executive. He has served on the boards of the Leonia Library and the Friends of the Library, and for many years helped run the semi-annual Friends of the Library book sale. He has lectured on literature at RSVP for seniors and currently arranges poetry readings at local libraries. He and his wife Rachel have lived on Paulin Boulevard since 1974. They have two children, Sydney and Justin, both graduates of Leonia High School, and two granddaughters, who attend Anna C. Scott School. Since 2005, he has published two books of poems.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Augsburg, Germany, a town of 200,000 people, near Munich. In late 1939 my family fled Germany and settled on the outskirts of London. I was 14. While there, I apprenticed to make purses and later gas mask carriers. A year later we moved to New York City and lived with two uncles, who were also recent refugees.
Q: What did you do in New York City?
A: Initially I got a job on Franklin Street carrying huge bolts of textiles. I delivered fabric to the watchmakers to line their jewelry boxes. I also delivered curtain fabric to theaters. In 1941, at the beginning of WWII, I trained as a machinist, and learned how to use lathes, grinders and shapers. At night I went to high school and then City College, getting a degree in English. I later got my master’s degree at NYU.
Q: Did you make your living as a writer?
A: I’ve had many careers, some of which included writing. One of my first paid writing jobs was as a copywriter for an ad agency in Manhattan, writing copy for Steiff Toys. Years later, in 1970, I opened my own ad agency and led campaigns for Porsche, Renault, Bonniers and numerous other Swedish companies. I sold the agency in 1983.
Q: What other careers have you had?
A: I’ve always had an appreciation for fine arts, particularly the impressionists. I networked with European and Asian art magazines, including Du and Mizue, and became their ad representative. That led to a career helping American artists sell their paintings to Japanese collectors. Some of these buyers were also interested in purchasing legal reproductions of masterpieces. I was able to facilitate some sales of reproductions done by gifted art students at the Pushkin Museum.
Q: What type of poems do you write?
A: Mostly free verse. My poems are about writers and artists; impressions from travel in France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Sweden; nature themes; and wartime Europe. They’re about who I am and my belief that the past begs to be remembered (the title of one of my poems, incidentally).
Q: When did you develop an interest in writing?
A: I’ve been writing poems since I was a child, first in German, later in English.
Q: Who are your favorite poets?
A: Wallace Stevens, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and W. S. Merwin, are among them.
Q: What inspired you to publish your first book Corridors of Light?
A: I’d had a heart attack in 2003 and felt a sense of urgency to compile my poems, which were scattered all over the house on yellowed pieces of paper, backs of envelopes, etc. “Corridors of Light,” with 89 poems, was published in 2007, when I was 82. I dedicated it to my wife and family. My second book, “Touchstones,” has 107; it’s dedicated to my granddaughters Hannah and Lily. I’m now 88 and working on my third book.
Q: How did you get your books published?
A: I didn’t seek out a mainstream publisher because I wanted total control of the book. My wife was my editor, and my cousin, artist Herb Stern, did the layout and cover design. All was transmitted electronically to a printing company in Hackensack, Tech Repro, that specializes in paperback books. Their publishing specialist, Bob Gerber, guided me in every step of the process, which was both painless and affordable. My first book is in its second printing.
Q: Besides the Friends Book Sale, are there other Leonia events you participate in?
A: I’ve read my poems at the annual “Leonia Reads” since its inception many years ago. It’s a great place for Leonia’s writers to gather and read from their writings.
Q: What do you do when you’re not writing poetry?
A: I write about art and artists for online magazines. I host a monthly poetry group where local poetry fans gather at my house for discussions and readings. I also give history talks. Last month I spoke at BookLink, the Bogota bookstore of fellow Leonian Monica Weiss. My book can be purchased there as well as on Amazon.com. If you tell Monica you’re a Leonian, you’ll get a discount.
Q: How do you celebrate after you’ve published a book?
A: A gourmet meal at one of our two favorite restaurants in Leonia: Dante’s and Fontana di Trevi.
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