by Primo Levi

Primo Levi (1919-87), one of the foremost Holocaust writers of his time, was born, lived most his life, and died in Turin, Italy. Fascinated by chemistry at an early age, he worked as a chemist for much of his adult life. He meanwhile married, had two children, and began a writing career that led him to international prominence in later years. Even when he wrote about the Holocaust, three biographical factors intersected to influence Levi’s perspective as an author: his belonging to the small Italian- Jewish community, his training in science and lengthy career as an industrial chemist, and his upbringing in twentieth-century Italy with its underlying classical culture. Explorations of the intersection of science and literature appear in many of his works, including his Holocaust writing. Although he came to prominence with autobiographical works about the Holocaust, he also...