Antanas Škėma
A Lithuanian modernist who channeled the trauma of war and exile into a seminal existential novel, 'The White Shroud.'
1910–1961 (age 51)·Lithuanian actor-writer·Birthday: November 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Antanas Škėma lived a life fractured by history. After World War II, he joined the wave of Lithuanian intellectuals displaced by Soviet occupation, rebuilding his career as an actor and director in the theaters of German refugee camps before emigrating to the United States. In Chicago, he worked manual jobs by day while writing by night, pouring the alienation of the exile experience into his work. His masterpiece, the novel 'The White Shroud,' is a stream-of-consciousness plunge into the psyche of a displaced person in New York, a raw and innovative text that became a cornerstone of modern Lithuanian literature. Škėma's voice—acerbic, philosophical, and deeply human—gave form to the twentieth-century condition of loss and rootlessness.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Antanas was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Antanas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Antanas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1961Died at 51
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'The White Shroud' (Balta drobulė), a landmark novel of Lithuanian modernist and existential literature.
- Had a successful parallel career as a stage actor and director in Lithuania and within the post-war émigré community.
- His collected works, published after his death, solidified his reputation as a major figure in Lithuanian culture.
- Co-founded and actively contributed to Lithuanian émigré cultural journals and publishing houses in the United States.
Did You Know?
He studied medicine before turning fully to theater and literature.
He died in a car accident in Pennsylvania while driving to a literary event.
For many years in the U.S., he worked as a factory worker and a hospital orderly to support himself.
“Exile is a wound that never heals; it only teaches you to walk with a limp.”
