Deceased March 16, 2023
View alumni profile (log in required)
Read obituary
IN MEMORY
Michael passed away in NYC on March 16, 2023.
He prepped at Barnard School for Boys. At the College, he was an English major and a member of Kappa Theta. Besides Amherst, he held degrees from Teachers College and NYU’s Graduate School of Arts & Science.
He was an English teacher at Tottenville High School for 44 years and later an associate professor of English at CUNY. He served on the boards of the Staten Island JCC and Mental Health Society.
He authored A Dictionary of Literary Works, an alphabetized reference guide to some of the greatest books and authors of the past millennia, representing a labor of love. This volume encapsulates Goldman’s 50 years of teaching. Over that time, Goldman seems to have held on to every piece of literary knowledge gained, including saving copies of each lesson plan he wrote, as well as notes from his own college and graduate courses.
One Amherst course in particular, English 1–2, served as a turning point of inspiration for his literary journey. The class focused on how to “see inside” a text and locate a relevant perspective, through which one might identify a meaningful trope or the like. This concept got Goldman’s analytical juices flowing for the next half century. And so, armed with decades of experience in reading and discourse, textual references and an enduring passion for the art of storytelling, he set about composing this love letter to literature.
Michael is survived by Therese, his beloved wife of 61 years, and by their daughter, Amy Goldman Harter; son David Goldman ’89 (Abigail); and four grandchildren, Emily, Charlotte, Sam and Ben.
Peter Levison ’56