Avid Reader: A Life

by Robert Gottlieb

Overview

Winner of the Anne M. Sperber Prize

A spirited and revealing memoir by the most celebrated editor of his time.

After editing The Columbia Review, staging plays at Cambridge, and a stint in the greeting-card department of Macy's, Robert Gottlieb stumbled into a job at Simon and Schuster. By the time he left to run Alfred A. Knopf a dozen years later, he was the editor in chief, having discovered and edited Catch-22 and The American Way of Death, among other bestsellers. At Knopf, Gottlieb edited an astonishing list of authors, including Toni Morrison, John Cheever, Doris Lessing, John le Carré, Michael Crichton, Lauren Bacall, Katharine Graham, Robert Caro, Nora Ephron, and Bill Clinton—not to mention Bruno Bettelheim and Miss Piggy. In Avid Reader, Gottlieb writes with wit and candor about succeeding William Shawn as the editor of The New Yorker, and the challenges and satisfactions of running America's preeminent magazine. Sixty years after joining Simon and Schuster, Gottlieb is still at it—editing, anthologizing, and, to his surprise, writing.

But this account of a life founded upon reading is about more than the arc of a singular career—one that also includes a lifelong involvement with the world of dance. It's about transcendent friendships and collaborations, "elective affinities" and family, psychoanalysis and Bakelite purses, the alchemical relationship between writer and editor, the glory days of publishing, and—always—the sheer exhilaration of work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250141057
Publisher:	Picador
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Robert Gottlieb (1931 - 2023) was a legendary book editor and writer who shaped the modern literary canon. He was editor-in-chief of Simon and Schuster, the head of Alfred A. Knopf, and editor of The New Yorker. He contributed frequently to The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, and The New York Review of Books, and the New York Observer as dance critic. His books include Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens, George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker, Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt, Avid Reader: A Life, and a collection of essays Near-Death Experiences . . . and Others. In 2015, he was presented with the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. A documentary film exploring his fifty-year relationship with the writer Robert Caro, Turn Every Page, was released in 2022.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Note

1. Reading

2. Learning

3. Working: Simon and Schuster

4. Working: Alfred A. Knopf

5. Working: The New Yorker

6. Working: Knopf Redux

7. Dancing

8. Writing

9. Living

Acknowledgments

Index

Editorial Reviews

Robert Gottlieb's buoyant memoir of his indefatigable editorial career proves Noël Coward's observation that work is more fun than fun…His life has been a busman's holiday without any brakes…and his gift as an editor was to grasp that every book is both ineffable…and improvable…Some of this memoir's keenest pleasures come from a series of portraits that demonstrate how the author's most profound associations and friendships have been with women, whether Nina Bourne or Nora Ephron or the British literary agent Deborah Rogers. [Gottlieb] makes clear that they offered him, like fiction, a compass by which to move in the world.

The New York Times Book Review - Thomas Mallon

One of the pleasures of Avid Reader is watching this apparent wallflower…begin to sprout wild hairs…Mr. Gottlieb emerges as a kind of Zelig of American publishing. The most acclaimed editor of the second half of the 20th century, he seemed to have a hand in everything that mattered…Avid Reader manages to cover all this territory…with grace and guile and a sometimes-barbed wit…this is an indispensable work of American publishing history, thick with instruction and soul and gossip of the higher sort.

The New York Times - Dwight Garner

08/01/2016
Gottlieb (Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens), the former head of the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house and ex-editor of the New Yorker, looks back on his exploits taming America’s literary lions in this canny, exuberant memoir. He frames his breezy, loose-limbed narrative around vignettes of his dealings with people in the publishing world and, especially, with the authors he edited, including Lauren Bacall, Robert Caro, John Cheever, Bill Clinton, Joseph Heller, and Toni Morrison. His lengthy account of his controversial 1987 takeover of the New Yorker editorship from the legendary William Shawn—outraged staffers asked him to turn it down—unfolds into a good-humored but probing inquest into the magazine’s cloistered culture. Another section follows his adventures on the board of the New York City Ballet, with brilliant choreographer George Balanchine and brilliant impresario Lincoln Kirstein. Gottlieb’s portraits of the literati are vivid, usually generous, and always clear-eyed (thriller writer Michael Crichton, he allows, has a knack for catchy conceits, although “what wasn’t was a very good writer”). Gottlieb’s depictions of editing sessions really shine as he describes helping each author sculpt a book into its ideal form, and he conveys the enormous energy and creativity of American publishing. Photos. (Sept. 13)

Publishers Weekly

The Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Books of 2016

Bloomberg Favorite Reads of 2016

The National Post Best 99 Books of 2016

“Mr. Gottlieb emerges as a kind of Zelig of American publishing. The most acclaimed editor of the second half of the 20th century, he seemed to have a hand in everything that mattered . . . An indispensable work of American publishing history, thick with instruction and soul and gossip of the higher sort.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times

“Robert Gottlieb’s buoyant memoir of his indefatigable editorial career proves Noel Coward’s observation that work is more fun than fun . . . He does a fine, fast job of evoking his 1930s and ’40s New York boyhood . . . Avid Reader gallops through the glamour of Lauren Bacall, who wrote her memoirs on the company premises; the popular histories of Barbara Tuchman . . . and the evolution of Salman Rushdie . . . Some of this memoir’s keenest pleasures come from a series of portraits that demonstrate how the author’s most profound associations and friendships have been with women, whether Nina Bourne or Nora Ephron or the British literary agent Deborah Rogers.” —Thomas Mallon, The New York Times Book Review

"Gottlieb’s brilliance as an editor comes across in his seemingly unerring sense of what can and cannot be done." —Christopher Benfey, New York Review of Books

“Delightful . . . The best editors’ memoirs revive the magic without devolving into nostalgia . . . Avid Reader succeeds on both counts.” —Sarah Weinman, The New Republic

“[A] splendid memoir . . . Avid Reader will be avidly read by anyone interested in the publishing world of the past 60 years. After all, not since Max Perkins worked with Hemingway and Fitzgerald has there been a more admired editor than Robert Gottlieb. His has been, he would admit, a privileged and enviable life, which is really just another way of saying that it has been a life filled with books.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“[Gottlieb’s] much-anticipated memoir . . . is remarkable for its intimate and revealing portraits of the most important writers of our time.” —Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair

[A] publishing world classic . . . [Gottlieb’s] book world anecdotes are uniformly riveting.” —Steve Donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor

“An exceptionally accomplished and influential editor and the author of numerous profiles and biographies, Gottlieb now tells his many-faceted life story with zest and precision, candor and humor, tracing his path to Simon & Schuster in 1955, and chronicling choice editorial adventures there and during his time at the helm of Knopf and The New Yorker. Gottlieb shares his heady experiences working with such literary standouts as Joseph Heller, Robert Caro, Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and John le Carré, and tells incisive tales of helping the famous craft their memoirs, including Bill Clinton and National Book Award-winner Lauren Bacall . . . While book lovers will revel in Gottlieb’s intimate publishing revelations, his memoir is also a vital, generous, and captivating story of a life lived to the fullest.” —Donna Seaman, Booklist [starred review]

"The feast of names whose literature and/or personalities become skillfully illuminated by Gottlieb is vast and endlessly impressive . . . In addition, the author discusses his relationships with his co-workers (Michael Korda figures prominently, and almost all co-workers receive positive portrayals), parents, two wives, children, and friends. Almost incidentally, Gottlieb scatters suggestions about successful writing and editing techniques and, above all, how to maintain a productive author-editor collaboration. For lovers of literature and devotees of the New Yorker, this memoir is likely to prove endlessly captivating." —Kirkus Reviews

"[A] canny, exuberant memoir . . . Gottlieb's portraits of the literati are vivid, usually generous, and always clear-eyed . . . [His] depictions of editing sessions really shine as he describes helping each author sculpt a book into its ideal form, and he conveys the enormous energy and creativity of American publishing." —Publishers Weekly

“Gottlieb has had a career that could fill several memoirs.” —The Millions – Most Anticipated preview, Fall 2016

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
Turning his passion for reading and books into a distinguished career as an editor and writer, Gottlieb (Great Expectations) helped shape the American literary landscape for 60 years. In this memoir, he mixes details about his childhood and family life with colorful anecdotes of his professional achievements. Starting out and building his reputation as a hardworking editor at Simon & Schuster and then at Knopf, he was instrumental in publishing some of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century, including Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, and John Cheever. He also spent time as editor of The New Yorker and worked with the city ballet companies of New York and Miami. Gottlieb relished the long hours of editing a manuscript and carefully fostered nurturing relationships with his authors. Yet, at the heart of his story are his relationships with loved ones and how they contributed to his life's path. VERDICT Journalism students, those interested in a publishing career, and bibliophiles alike will appreciate the warmth and humor that punctuate this fascinating story of an "avid reader" who finds joy in work and life. [See Prepub Alert, 3/14/16.]—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Library Journal

Robert Gottlieb, legendary editor, graceful writer, and world-class balletomane, can add “wonderful narrator” to his resumé. His warm, slightly sanded voice and cheerful delivery make him an absolutely charming audio companion and the best possible performer of his own memoir, since he knows how all the characters speak, plus exactly what the author meant by each sentence. Gottlieb has edited Joseph Heller, Robert Caro, John Cheever, Katharine Hepburn, Nora Ephron, Toni Morrison, Bill Clinton, and scores more, and formed lifelong friendships with most, it seems. His stint as the editor of THE NEW YORKER is a fascinating chapter, and his life in the world of ballet is another. This is a treasure trove for lovers of literary and performing arts in the American Century. B.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile

Robert Gottlieb, legendary editor, graceful writer, and world-class balletomane, can add “wonderful narrator” to his resumé. His warm, slightly sanded voice and cheerful delivery make him an absolutely charming audio companion and the best possible performer of his own memoir, since he knows how all the characters speak, plus exactly what the author meant by each sentence. Gottlieb has edited Joseph Heller, Robert Caro, John Cheever, Katharine Hepburn, Nora Ephron, Toni Morrison, Bill Clinton, and scores more, and formed lifelong friendships with most, it seems. His stint as the editor of THE NEW YORKER is a fascinating chapter, and his life in the world of ballet is another. This is a treasure trove for lovers of literary and performing arts in the American Century. B.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile

2016-06-30
The longtime editor at Simon & Schuster, Knopf, and the New Yorker thankfully breaks his vow to never write a memoir.Born in 1931, Gottlieb (Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt, 2010, etc.) grew up as an only child in Manhattan. Brainy, glib, and something of a know-it-all, he did not plan for a publishing career, but he happened into it during his 20s and quickly rocketed to the top. A perceptive reader of both fiction and nonfiction, Gottlieb understood his control-freak tendencies—partially recognized and worked through during rigorous psychoanalysis—but managed to collaborate smoothly with most of his authors and their literary agents, not to mention his bosses at all three employers. Throughout the book, the author offers countless vignettes, anecdotes, and bits of gossip, and most are positive in nature. At times, however, Gottlieb includes passages that savage authors, agents, publishers, and editors, including himself. The feast of names whose literature and/or personalities become skillfully illuminated by Gottlieb is vast and endlessly impressive: Joseph Heller, Jessica Mitford, Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing, Julia Child, John Updike, Barbara Tuchman, Edna O'Brien, John le Carré, Ray Bradbury, Robert Caro, Nora Ephron, Mordecai Richler, Chaim Potok, William Shirer, Michael Crichton, Kay Graham, Bill Clinton, Renata Adler, Gloria Vanderbilt, Lauren Bacall, Lillian Ross, William Shawn, Sonny Mehta, Lynn Nesbit, Swifty Lazar, Alfred A. Knopf, Blanche Knopf, and Si Newhouse. In addition, the author discusses his relationships with his co-workers (Michael Korda figures prominently, and almost all co-workers receive positive portrayals), parents, two wives, children, and friends. Almost incidentally, Gottlieb scatters suggestions about successful writing and editing techniques and, above all, how to maintain a productive author-editor collaboration. For lovers of literature and devotees of the New Yorker, this memoir is likely to prove endlessly captivating.

Kirkus Reviews