1927
Born to B. Frank and Esther A. Stoltzfus in Sofia, Bulgaria.
1949
Earns a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College in Massachusetts and a Master of Arts from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1954.
1955
Begins postgraduate studies at the University of Paris and completes coursework in 1956.
1955
Receives the Fulbright-Hays Research Grant to Paris through 1956, and again in 1963 through 1964.
1956
Becomes a teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, until 1958.
1958
Teaches as an instructor in French at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, until 1960.
1959
Earns a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin.
1960
Teaches as a professor of French, Comparative Literature and Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside.
1964
Writes “Alain Robbee-Grillet and the New French Novel,” the first book in English about the French nouveau roman.
1967
Writes “The Eye of the Needle”; receives Creative Arts Institute Awards from the University of California.
1969
Writes “Gide’s Eagles;” receives the MLA Scholar’s Library Award and the Humanities Institute Awards from the University of California.
1974
Earns an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Amherst College.
1983
Is a Camargo Foundation Grantee, and again in 1985.
1991
Is named a University California Fellow by the Center for Ideas and Society and maintains this status.
1993
Retires and earns the title of Professor Emeritus for his years of service to the University of California, Riverside.
1996
Writes “Lancan and Literature: Purloined Pretexts”; receives the Gradiva Award from the NAAP.
2013
Named the Edward. A. Dickson Distinguished Prof. Emeritus of Comparative Lit.; writes “Magritte and Literature: Elective Affinities.”
2013
Receives grant from the University of California and writes “Magritte and Literature: Elective Affinities.”
2016
Writes “Romoland: A Pictonovel,” illustrated by Judith Palmer, second edition, 2017.
2019
Writes “Dumpster, for God’s Sake” and “Alliecats: 53 Graphic Tales & Fun Puns About Cats,” illustrated by Allie Kirschner.