Evening star., 1948-12-05

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cartoon benefactors of mankind.
We're happy here" caroled
Bennett Cert, president Of Random
House, who not only publishes best
sellers but writes them as well. His
house is in the fortunate position
Of a man who left the party early.
They saw the light when they under
took at cost Of just 5000 900. THE
American College Dictionary" That
huge item on their budget caused
them to lop of six other titles on
their list without further ado. This
retrenchment proved double bless
ing. Not only did it keep their list
at a nice working minimum but
the dictionary surprised them all by
selling over 100000 copies within q
year of publication.
Mr.. Cert is also elated about the
10000 sale of The Young Lions"
by Irwin Shaw, which is currently
see-sawing at the head Of the best
seller list with another fine war
novel, Norman Mailer's "The Naked
and the Dead" The only reason
that it hasn't been sold to the
movies Is because Mr.. Shaw's agent,
Leland Hayward, is holding out for
a cool million. Modern Library is
doing fine, he added, and with
Sinclair Lewis first historical novel,
and book by Pulitzer Prize Winner
James Michener slated, he has no
fears for 40.
Authors who were once auto
matically published now get thor
ough consideration and may even
be dropped, according to Ken Me-
Cormick. guiding genius Of Double
day 81 Co., which has a reprint
business and several book clubs
under its roof. That vast firm has
cut Is titles from a list of 200, he
said.
They're anticipating good things
Of Gen. Eisenhower's Crusade in
Europe" but Mr.. Mccormick is
keeping his head on predictions be-
cause he remembers the disappoint-
ing sale of Gen. Wainwright's
memoirs which his firm brought out
at wars end. They will publish
Christopher Morley's new novel
soon mad have a historical by
Thomas Costain lined up for the
new year.
The most European minded pub
Usher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, which
Is grateful to have the ever-selling
Kahln Gibran and Walter Benton
on their back list, is still in a happy
da2e to find that Elizabeth Bowen,
the Anglo Irish writer, widely
thought to be caviar to the general,
has hapnvNn a nj.
Her The Heat Of the Day" is .
spring choice of the Literary Guild.
How significant is this choice of
one OF the most subtle of living
writers? II public response to the
novel Is good, there'll be more like
1t, according to Jay Tower, publicity
director Of the guild. She added
rather plaintively that the guild is
sometimes misunderstood" and
that 1t has notably departed from
the historical novels commonly as
sociated with 1t. She cites Gladys
Schmit's David and the King by
way Of example.
The guild has been able to MAIN
tain its membership, despite heavy
turnover, through steady pounding
VA oSAo nii0 Nll CCt-Hldii duteTGlSl1lS.
Eugene Reynal of Harcourt, Brace
Is one publisher who would like to
- have a heart-to-heart talk with
manufacturers. He says meaning
fully that If they can trim prices
for publishers, publishers can do the
same for the public. They, Incl
dentally, have had one of their best
years-no runaways, but everything
moving nicely, including the gigantic
remembrance Rock" of Carl Sand
burg, which may do rs 900 by Christ
mas. They have r. S. Eliot's new
book, Notes Toward a Definition
OF Culture" on their 1949 list. An
other CHEEKY note is sounded by
Raymond Harwood of Harper's, who
reports that they have had an "aw-
1ully good year." thanks to items
like Betty Smiths Tomorrow VIII
Be Better and Roosevelt and
Hopkins" The autobiography of
Chain Weizman and a Book-of-the-
Month Club selection by Fred Gip-
son called "Hound-Dog Man" have
them hopeful for the new year.
Harold Latham of Macmillan, Amer
lca's largest publishing house, isn't
downhearted either, although he
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