Yuri Abramov

Yuri Abramov (February 21, 1895- December ?, 1927) was a Russian poet and novelist. Abramov grew up in wake of the Czarist pogroms against the Jews, a theme which influenced many of his works. He often used the pseudonym, Charlie Exum, a Jewish American immigrant in Chicago, Illinois.

Early life and career
Yuri Chaim Abramov was born on February 21, 1895, in Lyady, Pskov Oblast. His father, Yochanon, was a grocer. His mother, Rifke Rubinstein, was the daughter of a wealthy printer from Moscow. Abramov had an older brother named Vasili (who subsequently died of pneumonia), and a twin sister named Tzipora. During his childhood, he suffered from chronic asthma, and was bed-ridden for the majority of his upbringing. Although this undoubtedly fostered his literary talents, Abramov would always resent his illness. From 1903 until 1906, Russia's Jewish population was plagued by anti-semitic pogroms. These events are the key influence in the majority of his works. He published his first poem in 1912 entitled, "The Bird in the Bell Tower".

Charlie Exum and "A Box of Kittens"
Abramov published only one novel in 1920 entitled, "A Box of Kittens". He wrote under the pseudonym, "Charlie Exum". The novel was a pseudo-biographical story of an American Jewish boy named Charlie Exum living in Chicago, Il.

Death
Yuri Abramov committed suicide in mid-December 1927, in a Moscow hotel. He was discovered by a maid after disemboweling himself.