Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
70th out of 93 books
—
24 voters
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom
She trusted her immense intuition and generous heart--and published the most. Ursula Nordstrom, director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 to 1973, was arguably the single most creative force for innovation in children's book publishing in the United States during the twentieth century. Considered an editor of maverick temperament and taste, her...more
Paperback, 406 pages
Published
March 31st 2000
by HarperCollins
(first published April 1st 1998)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
632)
Jun 12, 2008
Shelley
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone who's ever read and enjoyed a children's book.
Shelves:
history,
literature
This is possibly the best book ever. Ursula Nordstrom was the head editor at Harpers for many decades, and this is a collection of her professional letters to the authors and illustrators we all love. Her letters themselves are fantastic, witty and intelligent and so very interesting. The topics managed to be even better - I loved seeing her editing in action, and seeing how she shaped all those books into their final versions. Not to mention getting to "know" all of the authors and illustrators...more
One of the more inspiring books I have ever read - I started out just wanting to see how this woman [the editor of most of my favorite children's books of 1950-1980:] talked to her authors and illustrators - I made mental notes - oh see she sounds cross, but she is just being supportive and constructive, etc.
But the more I read it, the more Ursula's own personality was fleshed out - these letters do really give a sense of what a force she must have been - she doesn't give too many personal detai...more
But the more I read it, the more Ursula's own personality was fleshed out - these letters do really give a sense of what a force she must have been - she doesn't give too many personal detai...more
If I were stranded on a desert island with only five books, this would be one of them for sure. Not only was Ursula a daring, ground-breaking editor who revolutionized children's books, but she was also a brilliant communicator. If she was writing about the color of orange juice, she'd still be a hoot.
But lucky for us she wasn't writing about citrus fruit—she was writing about kids books, and publishing and personalities. Sometimes we even see her frustrations with politics and culture (a great...more
But lucky for us she wasn't writing about citrus fruit—she was writing about kids books, and publishing and personalities. Sometimes we even see her frustrations with politics and culture (a great...more
I have a new heroine, and her name is Ursula Nordstrom.
I first became aware of Nordstrom a few weeks ago when Elizabeth Bird of the Fuse #8 blog on the School Library Journal website was counting down the Top 100 Picture Books Poll. Of the 100 books on the list, Nordstrom edited 12 of them, more than any other single person.
Nordstrom was an editor for Harpers from the 1930's-1970's. She is considered a pioneer in the area of children's books. She edited many of the children's books we have com...more
I first became aware of Nordstrom a few weeks ago when Elizabeth Bird of the Fuse #8 blog on the School Library Journal website was counting down the Top 100 Picture Books Poll. Of the 100 books on the list, Nordstrom edited 12 of them, more than any other single person.
Nordstrom was an editor for Harpers from the 1930's-1970's. She is considered a pioneer in the area of children's books. She edited many of the children's books we have com...more
For anyone who loves children's books, this collection of letters by a genius of an editor is absolutely indispensable for its insights into writing, illustrating, editing, and publishing. It also contains many fascinating tidbits about a host of famous authors and illustrators. Best of all, the voice in those letters is that of a funny, smart, irresistible human being whose amusing comments often made me smile. Of a sales manager who responded with intense emotion to a reading of Bedtime for Fr...more
If you're part of the world of children's literature in any capacity, you need to read this book. Not only is it filled with brilliant editorial insight (really, Mr. Sendak, are you sure you don't want to change the last word of Where the Wild Things Are to "warm"?), but it offers a unique glimpse into the birth of children's literature as a significant genre. Before Ursula, it was all saccharine sweet. She was a pioneer who suggested that instead, we write "good books for bad children"--books a...more
What I liked about this collection of letters is the way UN's wry wit was always in evidence. It was fun to read some of the letters to authors I know and love.
What I didn't like was the lack of context, the disconnected nature of only getting one side of the conversation.
What drove me crazy is maybe only something I don't understand, perhaps some scholarly convention- but I found it maddening that the editor assigned "short" names to some of the authors as if he would be referring to them by...more
What I didn't like was the lack of context, the disconnected nature of only getting one side of the conversation.
What drove me crazy is maybe only something I don't understand, perhaps some scholarly convention- but I found it maddening that the editor assigned "short" names to some of the authors as if he would be referring to them by...more
These collected letters of one of the most formative figures in children’s literature were interesting on many levels. The letters themselves were fun to read: Nordstrom certainly had a flair for the dramatic. They provided an insider’s glimpse of the making of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maurice Sendak, and E. B. White, to name just a few. The manner in which Nordstrom communicated was also educational: especially in delicate situations she displayed much of the graciousness and tact I aspir...more
How I enjoyed this book! All it is is letters written by one of the most notable children's book editors ever, Ursula Nordstrom, who worked for Harper. The letters go from 1937 until 1982. This really was a golden age for children's literature, and it was so fun to see letters and production details about some of my favorite books. Laura Ingalls Wilder, E B White, Maurice Sendak, Meindert DeJong, Margaret Wise Brown, Ruth Krauss, Garth Williams, and many others are all there.
I loved reading acc...more
I loved reading acc...more
Very interesting perspective from the letters of UN. It left me wanting more of the letters, the ones many would think boring perhaps but would be connections to the ones that were printed. I also would have loved more biography added as well as stories told by the authors themselves (or other friends) to lend another perspective of this highly interesting woman. Also, it's so easy to say that this woman was strong, a leader, ahead of her time, etc, but I love how the letters reflect more than j...more
For some reason, I didn't reign in my compulsive eating of enticing Christmas desserts this year. The cookie tray jump starts my pistons for shoveling sugar from hand-to-mouth in a blur. You'd think my pistons would have slowed down now that I'm old, but NOOOOOOOO. Now because of my lack of self-control, I'm an irritable, hamster-type pedal-pusher on an elliptical machine, who is horribly sick of salads and can't eat anything because she gained 10 freaking pounds in two weeks! I have since lost...more
To know of Ursula Nordstrom is to long for an editor worth writing. Nordstrom, the director of Harper’s Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940-1973, is responsible for the careers and celebrity of many writers and artists during her tenure. From Maurice Sendak, who she “discovered” in an FAO Schwartz window, to E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Shell Silverstein, and more, there are her collected letters in Dear Genius. Thanks to Leonard S. Marcus, the title is apt, as review of a few...more
This book was recommended to me by a friend whose mother did some freelance editing of it years ago. Ursula Nordstrom was the editor of the children's division of Harper Books when that publishing house was handling the development of classic books like Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, Harold & the Purple Crayon, A Birthday for Frances (and the other Frances books), Little House on the Prairie, and so many others.
This is a compilation of Ursula No...more
This is a compilation of Ursula No...more
I'm not usually a big fan of collections of letters, but living with Ursula Nordstrom and her many close, occasionally combative, frank and loving letters to the writers and illustrators she worked with for 30 odd years the past two weeks has been an utter delight.
Nordstrom's voice is quite unique: eloquent, warm, frisky. After a couple of hectic, focused months at work, having this voice inside my head - a voice that's miles away from workaday client correspondence - has broken open the linguis...more
Nordstrom's voice is quite unique: eloquent, warm, frisky. After a couple of hectic, focused months at work, having this voice inside my head - a voice that's miles away from workaday client correspondence - has broken open the linguis...more
Nov 02, 2010
Rachel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Rachel by:
Julia McGill, my YWW writing teacher
Shelves:
11th-grade
Stuart Little. Charlotte's Web. The Runaway Bunny. Little House in the Big Woods. Bedtime for Frances. Where the Wild Things Are. A Kiss for Little Bear. It's Like This, Cat. Freaky Friday. Harriet the Spy.
It's hard to imagine that a single individual was involved in the publication of so many beloved childhood classics, but Ursula Nordstrom was such a woman. As director of Harper Publishing's childrens department from 1940 to 1973, she was friend and mentor to some of the most creative writers...more
It's hard to imagine that a single individual was involved in the publication of so many beloved childhood classics, but Ursula Nordstrom was such a woman. As director of Harper Publishing's childrens department from 1940 to 1973, she was friend and mentor to some of the most creative writers...more
An interesting read to see, from the editor's point of view, how some of the most famous children's books came into being. Works by authors like Sendak and Shel Silverstein, and books like Harriet the Spy and Charlotte's Web abound here in the Nordstrom letters, with the authors' careers forming, and the books themselves being jiggled back and forth until both editor and author felt they were just right.
Nordstrom had a very cajoling style to her editing, but also quite a force coming through he...more
Nordstrom had a very cajoling style to her editing, but also quite a force coming through he...more
May 04, 2008
Susann
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Susann by:
Melissa and Laurie
Shelves:
all-time-favorites,
ursula-nordstrom
Laurie was so right; I loved this book. Ursula Nordstrom was the editor for Harper's children's books for decades, working with Margaret Wise Brown, EB White, Maurice Sendak, Louise Fitzhugh and a bazillion others. She shaped 20th century kidlit and happened to be an excellent letter writer to boot. It was fascinating to watch how she worked with all those writers and illustrators. I had never really thought about illustrator-editor conversations and I was especially interested in her Garth Will...more
It's crazy to peer into someone's direct words like this.. as most of the writing is uncensored business correspondence. It's straight up like reading a person's selected email archive (I hope the day never comes ^.^). But Ursula comes off as such a sweet and smart and empathetic woman.. strangely guarded but in such a subtle way. Shedding light for me on the weird mix of traits that make a good editor.. and just a great lesson on how to conduct oneself with a large scope of unique and terribly...more
This book should be on the "to read" list of anyone who loves children's books. Ursula Nordstrom edited Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder (nominally, apparently she never changed a word of her manuscripts), Margaret and H.A. Rey, Margaret Wise Brown, Ruth Krauss, Ezra Jack Keats...need I go on? Her correspondence is warm, witty, and passionate. She was a woman ascending the ladder of publishing in a time when that was uncommon rare.
As someone who works in children's publishing, I found this book inspiring and yet a little depressing. While UN certainly had to contend with bottom-line issues (and general lack of respect for "kiddie lit" in the early days) she also had the freedom to take chances with talent and concepts she believed in. The opportunities to follow your gut in publishing are few and far between these days. But again, mostly this book was inspiring.
It's very cool to read Ms. Nordstrom's editorial letters to icons like Sendak and E.B. White. I felt like I got a small glimpse into an era when writers worked with one editor for decades and wrote on typewriters and sent carbon copies. Yet, it's reassuring to know there are certain themes that never change. Pacing, character development, and telling a story that feels *true* are still just as important as they always were.
While I was waiting to hear back from editors, I treated myself to this book so that I could hear from THE legendary editor of HarperCollins, who single-handedly discovered and guided the likes of Maurice Sendak, Louise Fitzhugh, Elsie Minarik, the Hobans and countless other legends of children's literature. It was amazing to get a glimpse of her thought process, and her voice is priceless.
Wonderful, fascinating lady. Reading this, I loved the person who wrote these letters, then learned that Ursula Nordstrom had written one of my favorite books as a child -- The Secret Language. It was the only book that she wrote and published, I think, but it made a huge impact on my eight year-old self. Her letters reveal her to be completely wonderful in her professional life, too.
Mar 09, 2011
louisa
is currently reading it
In my hands now, and I'm so excited:
"December 9, 1949
Dear Nowell:
(1). Please don't address me as "Dear Baby." I was young and eager when you knew me but now I'm a large, middle-aged woman even though my last anguished letter to you didn't sound very mature. (2). It was wonderful to have your good crazy sensible letter."
Now that's a letter from your editor. Or:
"Dear Mick,
The copy-editor brought the revised ms. of Cat back this morning and I've been gulping it down with such excitement that I'm al...more
"December 9, 1949
Dear Nowell:
(1). Please don't address me as "Dear Baby." I was young and eager when you knew me but now I'm a large, middle-aged woman even though my last anguished letter to you didn't sound very mature. (2). It was wonderful to have your good crazy sensible letter."
Now that's a letter from your editor. Or:
"Dear Mick,
The copy-editor brought the revised ms. of Cat back this morning and I've been gulping it down with such excitement that I'm al...more
I cannot express how wonderful this book is. ESPECIALLY if you're into children's literature. My co-workers are going to go gaga over it; I can't wait to pass it on. Ursula Nordstrom (what a name!) was the head editor for children's books at Harper's for more than 30 years. She ushered so many classics into the world: Where the Wild Things Are, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Charlotte's Web, Harriet the Spy, Goodnight Moon, the Little House books, and so many more.
This book is a collection of he...more
This book is a collection of he...more
A tiny peak into how my favorite children's books became what they are. Every time she makes a suggestion to one of her authors, I think "Yes! This tiny change is the difference between a great book and something read and forgotten right after." Editors don't always get the credit they deserve, and she's one of the greats.
This was a fascinating collection of letters from the famous children's book editor Ursula Nordstrom to many of "her" authors, including Maurice Sendak, Louise Fitzhugh, Robert Rey, etc. Amazing to see her commitment to their talent and to read her encouraging words, as well as her more specific notes about specific manuscripts. I don't know if this was ever common or if it is simply unique to Nordstrom, herself -- an editor so involved and supportive of the nurturing of the talent of writers --...more
I read about this collection in the New York Times obituary for Maurice Sendak...who Ms. Nordstrom discovered, edited, and nurtured throughout her long career. Never mind her authors- SHE was a genius. Anyone who loves children's books needs to be friends with her.
GREAT BOOK! Ursula Nordstrom was the Harper & Brothers editor who corresponded with some of the most talented and loved children's book writers and illustrators, including Laura Ingalls Wilder, E. B. White, Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak, etc.
Every picture book author should read this. It's fascinating to read about Ursula Nordstrom's suggestions/comments to the authors and illustrators she worked with and to get an inside view to a great editor's thoughts.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Ursula Nordstrom is primarily known as one of the twentieth century's great editors --- as many have remarked, "The Maxwell Perkins of children's literature." Yet besides being an editor, she was also the author of two remarkable novels, one published, The Secret Language (1972), and the second --- now lost forever --- unpublished.
She was publisher and editor in chief of juvenile books at Harper...more
More about Ursula Nordstrom...
She was publisher and editor in chief of juvenile books at Harper...more
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“I am a former child, and I haven't forgotten a thing.”
—
5 people liked it
More quotes…
Jun 13, 2008 09:04am
Jun 13, 2008 12:15pm
Jun 13, 2008 04:08pm