TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010


KLMNO


EZ SU


C9 Editing days tell more of Jackie’s story book world from C1


rarely disagree about anything (ex- cept Lawrence). The Jackie who ap- pears in both books is (as she was) a well-liked, respected colleague, often slyly funny and not given to show- boating, unless just walking down the hall as the most famous woman on Earth can be called showboating. I worked in publishing during thesame time Jackie did, and given the musi- cal-chairs nature of jobs in that indus- try, I knew, or came to know, many of the people who worked with her and most of the people quoted here, so I can attest that both books have gone to the right sources for an inside look. Between them, the authors seem to have talked to everybody who’s still around, followed every one of her titles (nearly 100) to press,andcollect- ed the usual sprinkling of personal anecdotes (often the same ones). And the story they tell is essentially the same. Jackie went to work, they agree,


because after the death of her hus- band Aristotle Onassis in 1975, with her children no longer small, she found herself at loose ends. As Jimmy Breslin (a friend) said, “What do you think you’re going to do, attend open- ings for the rest of your life?” A lunch was arranged with another friend, Tom Guinzburg, publisher (and then owner)of VikingPress,andJackiewas hired as a consulting editor, four days a week at $200 per. Since she brought no experience to the job (besides an impressive Rolodex), a few eyebrows were raised, but not many—it was an easy landing. Jackie was not expected to do much heavy lifting, but she proved eager to learn the ropes, the staff was friendly and protective, and Viking was then still a classy indepen- dent publisher staffed with powerful (now legendary) editors, exactly the sort of bookish and collegial house that would suit her best. Two years later, she moved to Dou-


bleday after a public dust-up with Guinzburg over a Jeffrey Archer novel in which a Ted Kennedy-like politi- cian is an assassination target. She claimedGuinzburgnever told her that Vikingwasdoing the book,heclaimed he had, but in any case, after a scath- ing review attacked her for being associated with it and the Kennedy family applied pressure, she resigned. (Both books believe she probably was told but never anticipated the embar- rassing uproar.) Doubleday was an unlikely choice,


a blatantly commercial house with little interest in the highbrow illus- trated books she had begun to special- ize in, but it became a haven and she never left, rising finally to a senior editor position with a six-figure sala- ry. She attended editorial meetings, had projects turned down, com- plained about bureaucratic forms, learned to woo the sales staff, pub- lished books that sold and books that didn’t, took on commercial projects to justify the books she really loved, coped with temperamental authors— in short, a typical publishing career like anyone else’s. Except, of course, she wasn’t any-


one else, and the operating conceit here is that her books, as Lawrence says, “are perhaps the bestwindowwe will ever have into her heart and endlessly inquiring mind.” Well, per- haps. Kuhn takes the same dubious starting point — surely just a sales pitch (“Her books are the autobiogra- phy she never wrote.”) — and then keeps running with it: “her most revealing testimony,” “her self-por- trait,” etc.He believes her books “tend to cluster around the roles she herself had played,” so that, by analyzing her list, we can come to know her. And look where that leads. He


finds, for instance, that by encourag- ing Barbara Chase-Riboud to write her novel about SallyHemings,Thom- as Jefferson’s mistress, Jackie might have been revealing that “she was


INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY


FASHIONABLE PAIR: DianaVreeland and Jackie Onassis attend the International Center of Photography’s launch of Allure.


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WORDSAND PICTURES: Viking Press editors BryanHolme and Jackie Onassis look over their book, “In the Russian Style,” in 1977. The book, edited by Onassis and designed by Holme, focuses on the art, fashion and architecture ofRussia in the 18th and 19th centuries.


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ARTSANDLETTERS: Gloria Steinem, left, and Jackie Onassis appear at the Academy of Arts and Letters in 1984.


UPI ALFRED EISENSTAEDT/TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES


more sympathetic to the dependent position of the [Kennedy] mistresses than to the supposed injury done to her marriage.” Really? Or how about, “If her books of photography were about exploring beauty, her books on ballet were about exploring her body.” Come again? Lost in all this is the reality of the publishing acquisition process, which indeed reflects personal taste but is above all opportunistic, frequently random and usually compromised — you publish the best things you can get. Even Jackie, in her unique posi- tion, had to play publishing soldier from time to time. Not all of Jackie’s books were Jackie books. Lawrence, who has worked with


show business figures other than Kirkland (DonnaMcKechnie, Kander and Ebb), at least has a better grasp of what’s needed here — not overreach- ing theory, but the high gossip of the


celebrity profile.What did she wear to work?What did she eat?What did she really think ofMichael Jackson?He is particularly good on the early Viking years because he talked to the junior staff (as Kuhn did not), who always notice everything.Though both books draw on many of the same sources, Lawrence gives us a more detailed (and interesting) look at Jackie’s day- to-day office life.He takes us to lunch with her. But even he finds it neces- sary to slog through Jackie’s list book bybook.Doesanyonereallyneedto be reminded of “The New Tiffany Table Settings” (1981)? Why then were these books writ-


ten? The easy answer—to exploit her fame, like the paparazzi photographer Ron Galella — is unfair. Something else has superceded paparazzi-creat- ed fameanyway—it’swhatKuhncalls “America’s most powerful myth.” See- ing Jackie kneeling on her office floor


going through page layouts (as both books have her) gives us a new image to keep thatmyth alive. And why not? How many have we got left, still untarnished? It’s not such a bad thing to be reminded that this woman of national myth read, genuinely loved booksandspent nearly twodecades of her lifeworkingwith them.Boththese books want Jackie to be remembered for more than her clothes, her glam- our and the tragic charisma that held a nation enthralled. They want us to knowthat she was smart, that she had an intellectual life. Whatever their own faults, they take her seriously. Shouldn’t we all? If we’re going to have a myth, why not one with her nose in a book?


bookworld@washpost.com


Kanon spent 30 years working in book publishing before becoming a full-time writer. His most recent novel is “Stardust.”


Dear Amy: Iama happily married mother of two


children, ages 12 and 16. My parents are no longer living. My problem is thatwe spend every


summer and Christmas holiday withmy husband’s parents, sister, brother and their children. I love them, but Iwould like to spend some vacation time with justmy husband and kids. My son will be going to college soon,


and Iwould like to take a trip or two with my immediate family before he leaves the nest. My in-laws arewonderful and offer to


fly us out ifwe can’t manage to afford it, but Iwould still like to have a small family holiday sometime.AmI being selfish or unreasonable?


Troubled Mom Somehow along the way, your own


desires must have been put on a shelf (along with last year’s wrapping paper, perhaps?). You aren’t being selfish or


Mom needs to put her Christmas wishes higher on the list ASK AMY


momcould live on the street. My dad is too irresponsible to take care of us. The peoplewe live with constantly


unreasonable. The real question is why you think you might be. Someone other than you seems to be


in charge of your vacations. You should figure out why this is the case and come up with a strategy for what you should do to change the dynamic. The first step is to stop wondering if


you deserve to have the immediate- family holiday you want to have. Then you can state your case with conviction to your husband and children and make a plan.


Dear Amy: Iam21, andmy sister is 16. Our


parentswere alcohol and drug abusers andwere violent with each other. Imoved intomy grandmother’s house


at age 11 and have lived with her since. Whenmy sisterwas 9,mymomalso dumped her atmy grandma’s house somy


throwin our faces the fact that they have helped us. My sister rarely attends school and cares only about boys because she says it’s the only thing she’s good at. It breaksmy heart to hearmy sister say


she doesn’t care about anything because she doesn’t have anymomor dad to say, “I’mproud of you.” She doesn’t care about the consequences of her actions. She doesn’t care about her future. Shewent through a lot more than I did—my motherwatched and laughed asmy sisterwas being beaten by a man they lived with. I’mall she’s got, but I feel I’mnot


enough. I never finished high school and amin debt. I screwed up and regret it. She’smy life, and I’mscared she’ll end


up inmy shoes, if notworse. I read your column every day andwould like your advice.


Hurting Sister


life. I appreciate your compassion and concern for her. You both need and deserve to have


some professional mentoring, and the school your sister rarely attends could be a good place to look for it. The school counselor should have a


list of local resources. The localYWCA or Department of Family and Children’s Services may offer low- or no-cost family counseling.Urge your sister to go with you. You have both been served a rawdeal.


The better your choices and the more successful your life is, the stronger you will be—and then you will be able to help your sister. You have the makings of a hero.


Dear Amy: You have run a couple of letters in your


column aboutwhat to dowhen finding coins that might have value within the walls of an old house.


Your sister is lucky to have you in her


I agree with you that these are “finders


keepers.” We throwcoins behind thewall


wheneverwe do remodeling—and after we are long gone I hopewhoever finds themwonders a little about us and enjoys a bit of history (and if they can sell them for lots of money—then I just really made their day!).


Christine


I’ve heard from many people who say they bury “treasure” during renovations.


Write to Amy Dickinson at askamy@tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. © 2010 by the Chicago Tribune


Distributed by Tribune Media Services


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