Edward Azlant

Edward Roy Azlant 1943-2011 Edward Azlant passed away on Friday, April 8th, 2011 at the age of 67. A long-time resident of California, he was a photographer, record producer, screenwriter (WGA), professor, writer, and the beloved father of Aaron and Jennifer Azlant, ages 30 and 27. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943 to John Azlant and Marion Cohen [Azlant], Edward remembered fondly his early years of living above his family's delicatessen in Williamsburg and, like a real New Yorker, forever treasured walks across the Brooklyn Bridge. Azlant's family relocated to Fresno, California, where he cultivated lifelong passions for music and automobiles. Edward credited his upbringing in Fresno, especially the cooking of his grandmother Rebecca and his friends' diverse culinary backgrounds, for a lifelong interest in food and food politics. He began his academic career as well as his work in the media at UC-Berkeley in the 1960s. He was not only a passionate student, but also an active participant in the Free Speech Movement, often photographing its principal actors, reflecting his developing talent in the filmic arts. Azlant took work at Fantasy Records, and eventually edited and produced seminal Lenny Bruce albums such as "Thank You Masked Man" and the "Curran Theater Concert." During this time, he also worked as a music photographer, attended many notable concerts including the Monterey Pop Festival, and took the photo that would eventually become the album cover for The Immortal Otis Redding. Edward subsequently earned a Masters in Rhetoric at UC-Berkeley, spent a year traveling through France, and returned to work in film in the San Francisco Bay Area. He went on to earn a PhD in Film at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on the history of screenwriting, early cinema, and the French and American New Wave Movements. In 1976, he married Joan Heller Azlant, and together they moved to Nebraska, where he accepted a professorship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and they began to raise a family. Azlant returned to California in the early eighties, living in Los Gatos and instructing both film history and screenwriting at Santa Clara University and then at De Anza College. In retirement, Edward spent time visiting his children and writing on film and politics, contributing to Big Hollywood, Big Journalism, Commentary, Powerline, Frontpage Magazine, and The Weekly Standard. Azlant will be remembered for his hard work, independent thought, and keen wit. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Edward's life at 2pm this coming Sunday, April 17 in the Circle area of Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos, California. If you would like to make a donation in Edward's name, the family suggests Hillel of Silicon Valley (408-286-6669), the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties (408-266-8866), the Stanford Cancer Center (650-234-0651), and Stanford Thoracic Surgery (866-543-0243).