Francis George Steiner, a highly acclaimed and esteemed Franco-American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist, and educator, came into this world on April 23, 1929, and unfortunately, his life was brought to a close on February 3, 2020.
A renowned individual, distinguished by his remarkable proficiency in multiple languages, as well as his extraordinary breadth of knowledge across various disciplines, with his reputation among his peers and admirers placing him alongside the most illustrious minds in contemporary literature.
Notable English author A. S. Byatt has gone on to describe him as a quintessential embodiment of the Renaissance ideal, albeit in a rather belated and unexpected manner, with his erudite and introspective nature aligning him with the esteemed tradition of European metaphysics, and his innate ability to intuitively grasp the fundamental concepts and ideas that are shaping our era.
A renowned academic, Steiner held esteemed professorial positions at a multitude of distinguished institutions, namely the University of Geneva, where he was esteemed for his erudite scholarship, the University of Oxford, renowned for its academic excellence, Harvard University, a bastion of intellectual rigor, and Churchill College, Cambridge, a hub of academic distinction.
Born in the City of Light, Paris, was a pivotal event in the life of a distinguished individual, whose parents, Else and Frederick Georg Steiner, had made the courageous decision to relocate from Vienna to France a full five years prior to his birth, in an effort to evade the ominous threat of anti-Semitic sentiments that were increasingly prevalent at the time.
As a young child, Steiner was fortunate to have been exposed to a rich linguistic environment, with three mother tongues - German, English, and French - being woven into the fabric of his early years. Furthermore, his father, a man of great intellectual curiosity, took it upon himself to instruct his young son in the ancient Greek language, specifically guiding him through the reading of Homer's epic masterpiece, the Iliad, when Steiner was a mere six years of age.
Born with a unique physical characteristic, a withered right arm, the individual was faced with a significant challenge that threatened to define their life trajectory. However, their mother, a remarkable woman blessed with the gift of multilingualism, played a pivotal role in helping her child overcome this handicap. Recognizing the importance of adapting to their circumstances, she took a proactive approach to ensure that her child would not be limited by their physical difference. With unwavering dedication and a deep understanding of the importance of perseverance, she insisted that her child use their right arm as an able-bodied person would, thereby fostering a sense of normalcy and self-acceptance.
