About the Author

Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland. Ruth Pusch, born Ruth Barnett, was raised in New Haven, Connecticut. After a period of time spent in Dornach, Switzerland, as a student of spiritual science, she married the actor Hans Pusch in 1932 while in the U.S. Together, they returned to Dornach, where Ruth studied eurythmy with some of the pioneers of that new art form. She later taught eurythmy in New York City and was an early teacher at the Waldorf School New York City. She and her husband were also active in bringing the anthroposophic impulse to the dramatic arts in North America. Along with Hans, Ruth Pusch also helped translate Rudolf Steiner's four mystery plays. Ruth Pusch, born Ruth Barnett, was raised in New Haven, Connecticut. After a period of time spent in Dornach, Switzerland, as a student of spiritual science, she married the actor Hans Pusch in 1932 while in the U.S. Together, they returned to Dornach, where Ruth studied eurythmy with some of the pioneers of that new art form. She later taught eurythmy in New York City and was an early teacher at the Waldorf School New York City. She and her husband were also active in bringing the anthroposophic impulse to the dramatic arts in North America. Along with Hans, Ruth Pusch also helped translate Rudolf Steiner's four mystery plays. �d�m Makkai (1935-2020) was born in Budapest and spoke Hungarian, German, and English by the age of eight. After the fall of the Revolution of 1956, he escaped to Austria. He arrived in the United States in 1957 to rejoin his father, J�nos, after ten years. Makkai became the first refugee to be admitted by Harvard with a full scholarship. He taught French, Latin, German and introduced Russian at Iolani Preparatory School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He won a Ford Foundation Grant in general linguistics at Yale University where he got his MA in 1962 and his PhD in 1965. After a year in California he became Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Illinois in Chicago where he remained until his retirement as full professor in 2004. In 2011 he was awarded Hungary's top artistic award for his original poetry and his anthologies, the Kossuth Prize. On January 18, 2020, �d�m Makkai passed away in Budapest. Gertrude Teutsch (1918-2009) was the author of The Dandelion's Cousin (2004) and On the Way to Christmas (2010). She also translated Rudolf Steiner's Genius of Language. Gertrude lived in San Diego, where she passed away at the age of 91.