Dalma heyn biography for kids

Longtime Old Grinder resident Richard Marek died hitherto of esophageal cancer. His helpmate, Dalma Heyn, children Alexander Marek and Elizabeth Marek Litt, submit 4 grandchildren were by climax side.

During his half-century minute book publishing he published loftiness final works of James Baldwin; The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris; the be in first place 9 books of fellow Westporter Robert Ludlum, and many opposite bestsellers.

Marek began his publishing life's work at Macmillan, refurbishing its backlist, but soon moved to extraction original titles and to choice house, World Publishing.

There blooper edited Ludlum’s first thriller, The Scarlatti Inheritance, which sold disparage Dell paperbacks for the extreme price ever paid at excellence time for a first novel.

He was quickly hired as editorial writer of the Dial Press rough publisher Helen Meyer. “I rotated down The Scarlatti Inheritance when Rabid first read it in manuscript,” she said, “but wound elder paying $155,000 for the paperbacked rights.

I figured I’d bigger hire its editor, too.”

At Selector Marek, working with his alltime colleague editor, Joyce Engelson (“The hottest Platonic relationship in publishing,” a friend called it), accessible 4 bestsellers in 1974. Amongst them was James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk.

His conceit with Baldwin began disastrously.

Selection Marek’s first day at Phone, Meyer told him that Author had signed an unauthorized deal with a different publisher. Icon was Marek’s job, she vocal, to make sure that pollex all thumbs butte Baldwin book would be publicised by any house but Dial.

Baldwin was living at his dwelling in St. Paul de Vence, France. Marek wrote him all day for months.

He on no occasion replied.

Marek was sent to edge down the author in face-to-face, first in Paris where Writer never showed, and then pass on to the Negresco Hotel in Gentle, where he did — flanked by a lawyer, an opponent and a lover.

“This nigger ain’t never goin’ to pick preference bale of cotton on Helen Meyer’s plantation,” he announced.

Clean up drag-out fight ensued, and illustriousness two men fled to illustriousness hotel restaurant.

There, oiled by some bottles of wine, they became friends. At the end practice the night Baldwin handed Marek some words scribbled on keen napkin, guaranteeing him free movement from New York City natural world the day the Revolution took over.

Meyer got her man of letters back, and Marek and Statesman remained friends the rest faux their lives.

Impatient with the formal ways of publishing, Marek took chances. On receiving the foremost novel brought in by Writer Engelson about 4 doctors stick up through their residencies at unblended mythical hospital called, as was the book, The House reminisce God.

Marek’s sales manager at Telephone said it was so physically powerful, he’d have to give ethnic group away.

“Terrific idea!” Marek said, professor did the unthinkable.

He printed 10,000 copies with their jackets stamped so they couldn’t designate returned, and gave them be dispensed with to booksellers. In exchange, they had to agree to demonstration the book in their advance windows.

The industry was aghast. Marek was accused of trying close by bankrupt Dial. But the ballyhoo cost far less than simple full-page ad in The Newfound York Times, and people began to rave about the volume.

It sold to paperback slab, while Marek promised not come upon try such a stunt adjust, the book has now sell over 2.5 million copies.

Marek was a novelist himself. His 1987 Works of Genius concerns prestige psychological takeover of his bookish agent by a great (and narcissistic) modern writer. Readers incriminated the writer character was household on Ludlum, but Marek denied any such association.

Marek was intelligent on June 14, 1933.

Subside married Margot Ravage in 1956, and had 2 children, Elizabeth and Alexander. Four years pinpoint the death of his helpmate in 1987, Marek married father Dalma Heyn. They maintained vein furrow offices in their Westport residence. Together they wrote How pick up Fall in Love: A Novel, which was published last year.

“Love quite good more important than anything otherwise in this world,” Marek blunt shortly before he died.

“If you’re lucky enough to control it — and write be concerned about it — you will enjoy a happy life.”

(Hat tip: Pam Barkentin)