Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom

by Ursula Nordstrom, Leonard S. Marcus (Editor), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

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 unorthodox vision helped create such classics as Goodnight Moon, Charlotte's Web, Where the Wild Things Are, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and The Giving Tree.

Leonard S. Marcus has culled an exceptional collection of letters from the HarperCollins archives. The letters included here are representative of the brilliant correspondence that was instrumental in the creation of some of the most beloved books in the world today. Full of wit and humor, they are immensely entertaining, thought-provoking, and moving in their revelation of the devotion and high-voltage intellect of an incomparably gifted editor, mentor, and publishing visionary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Books About Books, Writing, Adult, Biography Memoir

406 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

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the author of two remarkable novels, one published, The Secret Language (1972), and the second --- now lost forever --- unpublished.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 & Row from 1940 to 1973. A collection of her correspondence was published in 1998 as Dear Genius: the Letters of Ursula Nordstrom

Nordstrom is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literature in which morality tales written for adult approval gave way to works that instead appealed to children's imaginations and emotions.

She edited some of the milestones of children's literature, including E. B. White's Stuart Little (1945) and Charlotte's Web (1952), Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon (1947), Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955), Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur (1958), Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963), and Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974). Other authors she edited included Laura Ingalls Wilder, Margaret Wise Brown, Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson, Charlotte Zolotow, John Steptoe, M.E. Kerr, among others.

Nordstrom began at Harper & Row in 1936 and was promoted to editor in chief of the Department of Books for Boys and Girls in 1940. In 1960 she became Harper's first female vice president. She stepped down as publisher in 1973, but continued on as senior editor with her own imprint, Ursula Nordstrom Books, until 1979. She was succeeded by her protege, author Charlotte Zolotow, who began her career as Nordstrom's stenographer.

Ursula Nordstrom died in 1988, aged 78, from ovarian cancer. With her at the time of death was her longtime companion, Mary Griffith. (Wiki)

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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, most of whom I only knew their names and work. Simply wonderful.

My only complaints were skipping the years 1976-1980, and the fact that it ended. How are Rory, Jen and I the only ones at work who've read this? And only Susann on my GR list? If ever was a book that everyone on my list here would agree on, it's this.

It also made me miss all of my letter and e-mail correspondence that I used to have, especially with Krissy. Blogging has replaced that, but it's not the same. Anyone up for letter writing? *g*

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 reminder that some things never change).

These letters are fun to read, both because they provide a peak behind the curtain, into the making of some truly classic works (Where the Wild Things Are, Charlotte's Web, Danny and the Dinosaur, to name three), and because Ursula was such a master at dealing with confidant and headstrong "artists". She always knew how to direct without demanding. She showed her authors humor, respect, and humility but still managed to push (point) them when they needed it.

Anyone who has to communicate complex ideas (in emails or otherwise) could learn a thing or three from Ursula Nordstrom. This book is a must for anybody in publishing (authors and editors and aspirants alike).

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 the 5 pounds, but I am still hungry and cranky most of the time! So what better way to deal with it then finish Ursula Nordstrom's funny letters where, she too, pokes fun at her weight, "Well, I was all alone in the office eating my low-fat meatloaf sandwich..." or "I am dieting madly so details of food are always welcome..." or her explanation of her dog's congenital malfunction of the pyloric valve that made the pooch skinny "Maybe I'll have a nifty operation to make my pyloric valve malfunction. Then I'd get skinny." She also uses humor to cajole writers such as Edward Gorey (they were particularly funny because he always missed deadlines). "Thanks for your card telling me you are having a nervous breakdown. Welcome to the club. I think you know that I have His and Her Straitjackets hanging in my office. Come down and slip into one and we can have a good talk." After getting my shot in the arm of Ursula humor and insights into the world of publishing, maybe I won't need a straitjacket.

So who is this woman, you ask? Harper's children's editor, Ursula Nordstrom, published some of the biggest authors in children's publishing: Margaret Wise Brown, Ruth Krauss, Russell Hoban, Maurice Sendak, Laura Ingalls Wilder, E.B White, Shel Silverstein to name a few. She changed the face of children's literature or at least influenced it more than any other editor in the field. If you want a glimpse into the workings of the publishing system and rapport an editor has with an author then I highly recommend this book. The turn of phrase, self-deprecating humor, candor, and risk-taking that Ursula shows make reading her tale delicious (gawl dang it, even my adjectives make me wanna eat.) Plus, she can't spell very well. How can you not love a brilliant editor who can't spell?

What becomes apparent in the overall effect of the letters is Ursula's ability to nurture author's talents and make suggestions without presenting ultimatums. She respected her authors' innate ability to create a work of genius and she seemed to know when to back off and when to assert herself. "I think it can be even funnier in the beginning but that may be because I read it with 1000 interruptions the other morning." Not all correspondence is rosy and misunderstandings are revealed. Sometimes the lack of background knowledge made it confusing and I would go off researching an author to discover more about him or her. For instance, Ursula is very concerned about John Steptoe and I wanted more background because the information was incomplete. Some readers might find this annoying, but I didn't. Sometimes I just wanted the flavor of her correspondence. Other times, I didn't care. Take the tale of Meindert deJong. The background information is sketchy but from the footnotes I gather he left her as an agent for a rival publishing house after many years of working together (10 folders of correspondence according to Marcus). She doesn't dwell on it in her letters and I admired her ability to move on and not be bitter.

A joy I got from reading Ursula's epistles are the humor and perspective she gives toward work and living each day. Her character and wit emerge through her correspondence of letters from 1937-1982. I was having a rough week at work and read her book that night finding a quote that put the uncontrollable happenings in life in perspective for me: "But enough of this sorry theme, lest I lose my reason in attempting to reason about anything that is so thoroughly unreasonable." Humor of course is the best medicine to combat negativity and there is plenty in this novel. "Dreary note but it is a dreary day and I'm the only one in the city who doesn't simply adore Blessed Noel. I hate it. Tomi Ungerer gave me a present, of a huge gorilla dragging a nekkid Barbie doll along by the hair. She only has one red high-heeled shoe on. Real Christmassy. You can see it the next time you come to the Tot Dept. Love to you and George, Ursula Scrooge." At one point I had to stop rewriting all of her great quotes because it felt like I was recopying the entire book. My writer's journal has 29 pages of musings and Ursula sayings.

I found the controversy surrounding some of the groundbreaking children's books she published interesting and the anguish some felt over the materials. One was a psychologist who criticized Maurice Sendak's, Where the Wild Things Are, for withholding food from a child. Another had New York Public Library's Superintendent, Frances Sayers, criticizing John Donovan's children's book about a thirteen-year-old boy who has feelings for another boy that leave him confused. Of course, the letter to John from Ursula is pretty funny: "Right after I sent you my illiterate wail about Mrs. Sayer's idiotic letter about your book, I have received a copy of your reasoned, well-mannered, well-written reply to her. Well you are just too great for me. I wish I could be like you, but can't be. ...Wait until Mrs. Sayers sees Sendak's new book. His young hero appears STAKE NARKID from the front. Like, wow!" Ursula was commenting on the controversy she knew would come with the publication Maurice Sendak's newest book, In the Night Kitchen.

I did find that when I tried to plow through this book from cover-to-cover I got fatigued with the writing. Small digestible snippets of humor read here and there worked better for me.  Of course, I've been so dang hungry I can't really think strait so snippets were about all I could handle after the holidays.Okay. Maybe I do need a straitjacket.

Adult

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ursula Nordstrom (not of Nordstrom department store fame); held the position of children’s editor at Harper’s publishing house for over three decades. Her legacy includes having worked with some of the most beloved children’s authors and illustrators including Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maurice Sendak, E.B. White, and Shel Silverstein; among a plethora of others. Nordstrom kept on-going streams of communication with these authors/artists in the forms of typewritten letters which were archived and remain extant. Leonard S. Marcus compiles these letters and presented the collection in, “Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom”.

Marcus logically begins “Dear Genius” with an overview of Nordstrom’s professional/career role alongside some personal life tidbits. This allows readers to gain some background and insight into who Nordstrom was and her personality and therefore these pages serve as a valid introduction.

After this brief bio, “Dear Genius” presents verbatim letters from Nordstrom to Harper’s clients in chronological order spanning over three decades. These letters maintain both their original structure and preserved content into Nordstrom as a person, the editing world, and the careers of famous children’s authors and illustrators. These letters genuinely reveal Nordstrom’s spunk and creative process and have a strong voice which lifts off the page.

Marcus footnotes the letters clarifying the recipient, works mentioned within the letters, and other questionable material which is certainly an advantage to readers to “Dear Genius”. Even though these letters are displayed in a chronological manner; they also make sense as a narrative construct and form a subject base which allows for an arc versus “just reading letters”.

On the other hand, as “Dear Genius” progresses; the letters begin to feel tiresome and repetitive making for a tedious reading. The letters, over time, tend to basically be the same and not shed too much light on Nordstrom or her recipients.

The middle of “Dear Genius” features a section of black-and-white photo plates of some of the authors and illustrators featured in the book, plus one of Nordstrom, herself. This helps give a face to match the letters and “Dear Genius” is thus elevated a bit in depth.

The concluding letters Marcus chose to supplement the collection help shed a more expansive look at Nordstrom and her career as the content therein teeters on a personal echelon than the primarily professional one in previous letters. Whether Marcus chose these specifically to strengthen “Dear Genius” or Nordstrom herself ‘relaxed’ a bit toward the end of career is unknown but either way: it works and ends the collection on an upbeat note.

Marcus includes a bibliography /sources list for those readers seeking additional background and credibility checks.

“Dear Genius” is a lovely insight in the form of letters into the world of children’s publishing and the best-known children’s editor in height of the genre. Although the piece does get tiresome; it still offers a certain glow. “Dear Genius” is a selective read that isn’t for everyone but suggested for those interested in a peep into the world of famous children’s authors/illustrators in the 40s-70s and/or Ursula Nordstrom.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, although at times disjointed. My two favorite parts were where Ursula is describing how she had to explain to industry professionals that The First Four Years cannot be edited to be made more cheerful as that would not be faithful to what LIW wrote (although as I said to my mother the other night, that may well be what Rose did) and the letter Ursula wrote to Russell Hoban when he is working on Bedtime for Frances (then titled Who's Afraid?)

[Christy Whitsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Ursula’s writing voice is hilarious, and I loved having an inside look at how children’s publishing works. She worked with so many big names—Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maurice Sendak, EB White, Garth Williams, and Margaret Wise Brown.

I found it interesting to read her responses to critical reviews on books she promoted that pushed the envelope as to what was acceptable in children’s literature. Although I found myself more in line with the detractors of the books than with her, I am impressed by the amount of wonderful books she worked on.

A Book of Letters was on the Literary Life 19 in 2021 Challenge this year. I was NOT excited by this category, and actually slogged through a book of Agatha Christie’s letters earlier in the year. I interlibrary loaned this on a whim, and after reading several of the letters, decided I must read the whole 400 pages.

[Courtney Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 linguistic straitjacket I felt like I was falling into.

This collection does three things. Firstly, it provides insight into the life of a professional American woman in the mid 20th century, who worked in a female-dominated section of a male-dominated industry and refused to to be promoted away from it:

March 4, 1953
Did I ever tell .. I was taken out to luncheon and offered, with great ceremony, the opportunity to be an editor in the adult department? ... I almost pushed the luncheon table into the lap of the pompous gentleman opposite me and then explained kindly that publishing children's books was what I did, that I couldn't possibly be interested in books for dead dull finished adults, and thank you very much but I had to get back to my desk to publish some more good books for bad children.

Secondly, it tells the story of American children's publishing, which began to flourish as public libraries set up children's sections, and children's librarian went looking for books to fill their shelves. It's not just the inside details of marketing and print plates - it's the story of changing attitudes. Nordstrom - a dedicated liberal and a quietly gay woman - published black writers, and the first YA books to mention a girl having her first period and a teenage boy having a homosexual experience.

And finally, it tells the story of many long and short professional and emotional relationships, spiced with regret, hope, love, laughter, despair and frustration. Her correspondence with E. B. White was one of the more formal and carefully worded, but she obviously respected him and his writing deeply. Her letters to White about illustrations for 'Stuart Little' and 'Charlotte's Web' - are particularly entrancing for a big fan like me. She auditioned a number of artists, but settled on Garth Williams:

You will see that in the sample drawings for Stuart Little Mr. Williams did one picture in different techniques. We like the more detailed technique, don’t you? He was careful about lots of small but important details. For instance, in the picture of the doctor examining Stuart, Stuart is standing up. Mr. Williams had him lying down in the first sketch but changed it because he was afraid he might look like a little dead mouse if he were lying down. (That is probably a silly detail to pass on to you, but it was somehow encouraging to us.)

On #1 Garth has changed the position of the door. On #2 he re-did it so that Fern has hair more consistent with the other drawings. On #3 he re-drew it so Mrs. Arable looked less like a young girl, more like herself in other drawings. (On #3, if you agree, Mrs. Arable looks a bit whiskery-y and we can have a couple of the little lines taken out. I may be imagining it through.)

Some people tried her patience further: here she is to Hilary Knight, the illustrator of the 'Eloise' books:

Dear Hilary

I hesitate to worry you, but I thought I should tell you that some enemy of yours is writing me very angry letters, and signing your name to them.
Have a good week,

Love,

Ursula.

Watching her manage writers and illustrator who were blocked, recalcitrant, pissed off or down in the dump is an extraordinary lesson in communication. As the editor of the letters notes:

The marginal note that everyone who worked with her remembers - "N.G.E.F.Y", or Not Good Enough For You - implied, deftly enough, that if a word or passage or even an entire manuscript did not pass muster, it was not because the author was a failure but because the piece of work in question had, in that particular instance, somehow failed to rise to his or her own high and praiseworthy standard.

And when things turned out well, no one could do genuine effusion like Nordstrom. To Maurice Sendak, as 'Where the Wild Things Are' was just about to be released:

Maurice, before I sent the paste-up I went through it, rereading the words, and looking at the pictures again. It is MOST MAGNIFICENT, and we're so proud to have it on our list. When you were much younger, and had only done a couple of books, I remember I used to write you letters when the books were finished, and thank you for "another beautiful" job - or some such dopiness. Now you're rich and famous and need no words of wonder from me. But I must send them, anyhow, when I look through 'Where the Wild Things Are', I think it is utterly magnificent, and the words are beautiful and meaningful, and it does just what you wanted to do. And you did just what you wanted to do.

I've felt sort of down in the dumps about picture books lately (and those who write and illustrate and buy and review them too, to be frank!). But this bright, beautiful Monday your beautiful book is exhilarating, and it reminds me that I love creative people and love to publish books for creative children.

Highly recommended if you need to spend some time with a distinctive voice, or are interested in the history of children's book publishing.

[Dasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 details - but she does give some, and the book does cover a span of about 45 years while she was at Harper - her childhood and her history and her opinions and politics [a lot about her opinions and politics actually,:] and she seems like the kind of person I would have loved to have met. Somehow the letters become a narrative and not just a collection of correspondence - at the end, as she is winding down her work as an editor and is writing her authors to tell them that - it is profoundly sad and such a loss.

The most fantastic thing about her is what she seemed to think of children and their relationship with books and their authors - she felt that the authors/illustrators had a special kinship with the children and that the editor was the outsider, the adult, who did know always know best.

One of my favorite quotes from the introduction:
"Asked pointedly by Anne Carroll Moore, the New York Public Library's superintendent of work with children, what qualified her, a nonlibrarian, nonteacher, nonparent, and non college graduate [oh yeah! she hadn't graduated college!:] to publish children's books, Nordstrom just as pointedly replied, "Well, I am a former child, and I haven't forgotten a thing."

Amazing.

[Fishgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really finished but five stars it is and I'll pick away at this all summer. Library books are coming in fast and furious and I have to get started on them.

[Catherine Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took so long to finish this book, but I love every minute I spent with it. It was too heavy to lug around in my travels, so it was my "at home" book for months.

These letters written by the iconic children's book editor Ursula Nordstrom are so rich in every conceivable way. They are written to the many writers she worked with in a career with Harper & Row that spanned the 1930s to the end of the 1970s. The footnotes are in a class by themselves and they are on every page. I was never at a loss for context.

Ursula Nordstrom was an extraordinary person. You get that from the tone and content of her letters. She was smart, witty, encouraging and loving. Juvenile books were not even considered "literature" back in the day. Many writers wanted to have nothing to do with it. She nurtured and developed so many wonderful writers and illustrators in her career: Margaret Wise Brown, E.B. White, Maurice Sendack, Ruth Krauss, Russell & Lillian Hoban, Syd Hoff, Crockett Johnson, Louse Fitzhugh, Crosby Bonsall, Else Homelund Minarik, Arnold & Anita Lobel, Jesse Jackson, John Steptoe, Mary Stoltz, Hilary Knight, and Meindert DeJong. She launched the I CAN READ series of books. These book titles are the ones I grew up with and many are still classics of children's literature - Where the Wild Things Are, Runaway Bunny, Charlotte's Web, Little Bear, Harriet the Spy, Freaky Friday and Danny and the Dinosaur.

Nordstrom was not college educated. She took a job with Harper & Brothers College Textbook department in 1931. In 1936, she became assistant to Louise Raymond, editor of the small department of Books for Boys & Girls, and in 1940 took over the chief editor position of the growing Juvenile Literature Department, staying at the helm until her retirement from full time employment in 1973.

Through all those years she was supported by her longtime partner Mary Griffith. In her letters she refers to Mary, the homes and apartments they purchased and sold, and the parties they hosted at their home.

I have markers throughout this book. I learned so much about the authors and books I have loved so much in my life. And I learned so much about writers I am not familiar with but who deserve all the accolades that were heaped upon them by their loving editor.

The book is worth every minute spent in its 400 pages. Leonard S. Marcus does a masterful job in editing and compiling her letters and providing rich additional resources and context for their content. Ursula Nordstrom made a profound impact on the children's literature that continues to influence generations of children.

She was fond of this quote from Martha Graham which she shared with the writers with whom she worked:

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

This quote was purportedly found in the wallet of Louise Fitzhugh when she died suddenly of an aneurysm at the age of 46. The author, best known for Harriet the Spy made history with her book The Long Secret (published in 1965) by addressing menstruation for the first time ever in juvenile literature. From a Nordstrom letter in 1981:

I do remember when I read the ms. [manuscript] and came to the page where the onset of Beth Ellen's first menstrual period occurred, and it was written so beautifully, to such perfection, I scrawled in the margin, "THANK YOU, LOUISE FITZHUGH!" It is incredible that Louise's Long Secret contained the first mention in junior books of this tremendous event in a girl's life."

Nordstrom would have to defend that decision to include Beth Ellen's first period in children's literature for many years to come.

There are so many revealing moments in these letters for those who love books. The wit and wisdom of Ursula Nordstrom made an impact. Her story is one not to missed by the truly passionate bibliophile.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 and artists of the day. This compilation of her personal correspodence, published 10 years after her death, is a fascinating excursion into the world of children's publishing through the life of one of its most brilliant and influential editors.

The first thing I noticed while reading Nordstrom's letters: she's funny. Not 21st-century, passive-agressive sarcasm funny, but real old-fashioned wit. No smileys here, but plenty of sly allusions, affectionate banter and code words (MCP is male chauvinist pig). The amount of personality she puts in her letters makes one long for the snail mail days.

The second thing: sincerity. Though sometimes self-deprecating, Nordstrom was ever sincere in her praising her author "geniuses" (hence the title Dear Genius). In her very first letter to Laura Ingalls Wilder as an assistant editor, Nordstrom writes, "all of us were upset about [an editorial error in her book] because, very frankly, every single bit of copy written for your lovely book has been worked over with enthusiasm and affection". I especially enjoyed reading her letters to John Stepdoe, the teenage author of Stevie, which strike the perfect balance between respectful encouragement and motherly scolding. Nordstrom was somewhat subversive in her conviction that children's books should be written for children, not the adults who buy them -- if the word wasn't now associated with Sarah Palin, I'd call her a maverick. She was utterly devoted to her audience and her work. One can't help but conclude that the moral and artistic education of children was in the best of hands.

In Goodreads reviews, I'm usually stingy about handing out five stars, but I really can't give this volume anything else. It amazed me, and it spoke to a part of me I haven't been in touch with for a long time. There is something holy about the books you read as a little kid. For someone who cried over Charlotte's death, who tried to start a spy notebook like Harriet, whose aldolescence was defined by Freaky Friday, who still reads The Runaway Bunny when she can't sleep at night -- meeting Ursula Nordstrom is like coming home. And now I'm being overly sentimental, but as Ms. Nordstrom quoted on page 270:

"Every time a resolve or fine glow of feeling evaporates without bearing fruit, it is worse than a chance lost; it works to hinder future emotions from taking the normal path of discharge."

- William James

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 acceptance letters and production details for favorite books such as Harold and the Purple Crayon, Where the Wild Things Are, Charlotte's Web, and The First Four Years. It was also interesting to see letters surrounding books such as In the Night Kitchen that UN knew very well would be scandalous. She seemed to love breaking new ground.

Reading this book has caused me to add many children's books to my reading list (who could resist Little Fur Family that was originally bound in fur?). It has also made me more aware of different children's authors, how they worked, and why they wrote.

I will admit that I skipped and skimmed a bit, especially toward the end, but I still loved the book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in children's literature.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love children's books, this is the book for you. Ursula Nordstrom was the head of the Harper's "Boys and Girls' Department" from 1940 to 1973 and is credited with being one of the most creative forces in children's books. She had an uncanny ability to recognize talent and potential in writers and illustrators. She worked with people such as Maurice Sendak, E.B. White, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, Garth Williams, John Steptoe, Mary Stolz, and on and on. She was a magnificent mentor, providing support, encouragement and at times, the "push" that was needed, often through letters. This book assembles many of her letters and offers a glimpse into her thinking, her relationships with the creators of children's books and her wit.

The book is out of print - I bought a pristine copy secondhand for less than $15. It was worth every penny. I will be sharing this with other friends who love children's literature - it is too good a book to sit forgotten on my shelf. It begs to be read.

[Claire Grasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ursula Nordstrom is wonderful: witty, self-deprecating, kind (mostly). Think of a children's book author or illustrator that you've read, and this former children's editor with Harper & Row probably mentored them: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maurice Sendak, EB White, Garth Williams, H.A. and Margret Rey, Margaret Wise Brown... If you grew up on these peoples' books (and pity you if you didn't) you'll love this behind-the-scenes peek at how their books were created. Ursula Nordstrom was an open-minded genius who loved bad children and the books written for them as much as she despised narrow-minded, moralistic adults. I found myself wishing we could have lunch together.

[Sylvia Titgemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was led to this book by the recent Mary Rodgers' memoir (which I also adored). Anyone who enjoyed children's literature in the 20th century should find this fascinating. It took a while to read because I kept going off on tangents reading books that were discussed. Finally decided to finish this and then go back and slowly work through all the books I wanted to read or reread. And I would love to learn more about Ms. Nordstrom too.

[Sophie Brookover · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's impossible to overstate the significance of this book, and the work of Ursula Nordstrom, in my life as a reader & librarian.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just plain delicious.
If you were touched by a children's book of the 20th century...ever...it's worth the read just for the behind-the-scenes on those. "Harriet the Spy," "Where the Wild Things Are," "Bedtime for Frances," "The Giving Tree," "Freaky Friday,"...the list of books and their creators discussed in this compendium just goes on and on and on. If it were just that, it would be well worth the read for any book lover.
What makes it delightful, though, is that it goes beyond that. In the letters you meet another character, that of Ursula Nordstrom. Little by little as the years go on she lets more of her personality into these letters between her and famous authors, editors, and librarians. She never totally lets her guard down...she's a woman at work, after all...but she sneaks in here and there her thoughts on religion, politics, and family, her favorite poems and quotes and who she is as a person. She's more than a defender of children and their right to read, although she is for sure that. She's also a feminist, a liberal, a career woman, a lesbian. She's an absolutely delightful character all on her own. And you get to read her conversations with some of America's best authors OF ALL TIME. What could possibly be better than that?

[Sarah Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting and inspiring to read the letters of legendary Harper children's book editor, Ursula Nordstrom. She edited many kidlit classics and worked with authors and illustrators like E.B. White, Ruth Krauss, Maurice Sendak, Charlotte Zolotow, and Shel Silverstein . . . She was part coach, part cheerleader, and part (sometimes) tough school marm. I learned quite a lot of industry history, was introduced to some new (old) authors, and enjoyed getting an insider's perspective. Though children's books have changed greatly in the last 70 years, there's a lot to love and learn here if you're interested in writing for kids.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this slowly over a long time, savouring the clever writing. Ursula, a world famous, renowned children’s book editor, is hilarious and dramatic and her letters reflect that. Shel Silverstein saved me when I was a kid and I’ve always been a huge lover of children’s lit so it was special to read about some of their processes. Also Ursula had the very best sign offs for her letters. “Love to all, especially you my dear liaison wonder-person”.

[BookSweetie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read for those of us wanting a peek behind-the-scenes in children's literature and publishing.

Who better than the influential Ursula Nordstrom herself to reveal a bit of historic reality about the writers, illustrators, editors, and publishers who gifted the world with many twentieth century American children's classics: chapter books like Charlotte's Web and Harriet the Spy, I Can Read Books like the Little Bear series, and picture books like Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny, this last gem being one of my personal favorites.

Nordstrom, director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940-1973 (called Harper Junior Books starting in 1968), writes information rich letters full of sparkle, wit, and emotional warmth, mostly to the authors and illustrators whose creativity resulted in the aforementioned classics of the twentieth century -- along with many other notable titles. What a wonderful legacy she helped leave for the rest of us.

Hundreds of pages of Nordstrom's letters have been gathered, selected, edited and introduced by the historian, author, critic, Leonard S. Marcus.

The letters, originally pounded out manually by Ursula using a typewriter, are remarkably addictive to read.

In the Introduction to DEAR GENIUS, Marcus writes on page xxxiii:

"When asked to explain how she chose the books that Harper published, Nordstrom often said: 'If I can resist a book, I resist it.'"

Well, that is also true for me, but as a reader rather than as an editor/publishing director. You see, I normally have an unwieldy stack of books on the nightstand and have multiple books underway at the same time (with many other books, of course, within reach), so it is easy to resist a specific title. So, a book of letters...I was thinking that it would be perfect to read in short bursts, a few at a time, interspersed with a book or books with (ta da) plot. Hah! Surprise! Once I got started, I didn't want to stop.

May your reading experience be as absorbing as mine-- maybe with this book; if not, then certainly with some other title of your choice.

I must mention that the letters are one way, meaning we don't get to read any responses to what Nordstrom has written. Most of the time that didn't bother me at all. My imagination could fill in a recipient's response, sometimes with hilarious possibilities.

If you yourself are hankering for a little chuckle: keep your eyes out for her letters to Edward Gorey!!! Ursula really wants to hear from him. He is not meeting the time table that Ursula clearly has in mind. There is more than one letter, but the letter on page 325 made me laugh out loud. "I wonder if you will remember me? Perhaps my name is vaguely familiar to you? " Then she goes on reminding him of a few reasons for the timetable, whose purpose is (smile) to make him very rich. "Really, Mr. Gorey, I think it would be easier for you to finish the...book than to have to receive mournful phone calls from me. And now this letter. Hope is still flickering within my heart but it is a guttering flame and it any moment may go out."

Over a month later, she writes another humorous letter on page 327. "Thanks for your card telling me you are having a nervous breakdown. Welcome to the club. I think you know that I have His and Her Straitjackets hanging in my office. Come down and slip into one and we can have a good talk. "

Oh, I love the humor. But I really, really do not like the cover at all. I had to remember the old saying: Don't judge a book by its cover. If you like the cover, then fine. However, if you don't, and you are feeling visual, quickly open to page two hundred and flip through the people photos!

[Susann · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 Williams letters. (He was the one - not Russell Hoban - who decided to make Frances a badger!)
Even if you stripped away all the literary discussions, the book is still a fabulous journey through the 20th century: the political comments, the slang, the fads, the rising social consciousness. During an interminable subway ride, I read 40 pages straight and, when I finally looked up from the book, I had a split-second sense of being back in the early 1970s.
Any book that gives me a transcendental jump back in time merits five stars.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 these compressed names but then continued to use the whole name, followed by the shortened version in parentheses throughout.

In summation I see the merit of a book of letters but I'd have been much, much happier with a biography.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed reading the letters of a children’s book editor to her writers and friends. Many of the letters were funny, and they introduced me to many authors, illustrators, and books I’d otherwise have missed. This is my 200th book to finish this year — 48 of them were related to her letters and read while this one gathered late fees at the library. I still have another 20-plus books in my library queue written by her writers.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely not the ideal reader for this book. I know close to nothing about children's literature, the subject of this book. Of the many books discussed here, I believe that I have read no more than half a dozen or so. I certainly had books as a child, but I don't believe that the books Ursula Nordstrom edited were among them. And Nordstrom edited many of the most highly regarded books for children and adolescents published from 1940 through the early 1970s. Authors and artists with whom she worked include Margaret Wise Brown, Edward Gorey, Russell Hoban, Crockett Johnson, Ruth Krauss, Arnold Lobel, William Pène du Bois, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, Marc Simont, Isaac Bashevis Singer, John Steptoe, Mary Stolz, Kay Thompson, E. B. White, Lauren Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams, and a host of others.

Some time ago, I read Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children's Literature by Philip Nel. Krauss and Johnson were two of the talented people with whom Ursula Nordstrom worked, and Nordstrom was mentioned repeatedly in that book. In Goodreads commenter Barb Middleton's excellent discussion of that book, she praised Dear Genius highly, and that brought me to this collection of Nordstrom's letters.

Some of the letters deal with exactly what one might expect from an editor:
A hand in a picture is positioned awkwardly; would the artist please redo this? Would a child coming home from a visit with monsters want his dinner to be "still warm" or "still hot"; do children really want their food to be hot? We don't want to rush you, but your manuscript is already months behind schedule; does the author know when it will be finished? Is there something we can do to help?

A surprising amount of the correspondence deals with personal lives, both of the authors and artists and their families and of Ms. Nordstrom herself:
I went to the play you recommended and enjoyed it. I saw the show at the art gallery that you mentioned and loved it. I am so sorry about your father's illness.

There is also very touching encouragement. In a letter to John Steptoe, still a high school student, Nordstrom wrote detailed instructions for making a "dummy" of his intended book. And then she went on:

I think the ideas you expressed so well, and the feeling that you managed to communicate to me though it was very late on a very tiring day, could well make a fine picture book. And never forget that what you told me is something ONLY YOU know about; no one else knows just what you know about anything. And that is why it will be so important for you to put down your thoughts and emotions in picture book form.

Ms. Nordstrom is also very funny. There are dozens of fine comic passages. The following is one of my favorites (and keep in mind that Nordstrom worked for the publishing company Harper's):

I have to tell you that on my ceaseless search for new talent I went late one afternoon to a gallery exhibit of drawings. I was terribly tired that day and sort of depressed, but I pushed myself way up on Madison Avenue to find someone NEW who can draw, just black and white line, that's all I asked for! Across the room I saw the most magnificent black and white drawings; my fatigue vanished, a large smile covered my large face. I catapulted my large self across the room. Henri Matisse. I was so mad, because everyone knows he is tied up with Simon and Schuster.... [Simon and Schuster was a rival publishing company, but the joke is that Matisse was a world-renowned artist, who would not, of course, have such a connection with any publisher.]

Perhaps the saddest letter was written to her friend, author Mary Stolz, in 1980, when Nordstrom was no longer working at Harper's. She wrote:

I love your letters but you never really write as if you'd heard from me.
Nordstrom gave a couple of examples of things she had put in letters that she had thought were especially worthy of comment. She then gave replies Stolz might have made.
Like that, Molly. Then I know that you have read my epistle. I am NOT criticizing you - just observing... Do try to do better. I am joking, of course

I strongly doubt that she was joking.

The last, perfectly apposite, letter in the book was written to a former colleague in 1982, six years before Nordstrom died. She quotes Stevie Smith's lovely, terrible poem "Not Waving But Drowning," about a death. Then in the last paragraph of her missive she mentions that she has been reading a collection of letters by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and quotes from one of them. Ms. St. Vincent Millay lives on in her work and in her letters.

As does Ursula Nordstrom.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula Nordstrom was the director of Harper’s children’s books division from 1940 to 1973. Her creative vision, along with her encouragement and support of children’s writers and illustrators helped generate classics such as Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are and the Little House on the Prairie series. A gifted editor, she was known in the publishing business for both her sagacity and her sense of humor. When she was asked what qualified her, a noncollege graduate, nonparent, nonteacher, and nonlibrarian to publish children’s books, she replied, “Well, I am a former child, and I haven’t forgotten a thing.”

Dear Genius is a compilation of some of her professional correspondence with authors and illustrators such as Margaret Wise Brown, E.B. White, Garth Williams, Maurice Sendak, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and many others who are less well known. Her letters are often funny, insightful, and at times diplomatic. She manages to offer praise and encouragement even when having to be the bearer of bad news.

I first learned about Ursula Nordstrom in several biographies of E.B. White that mentioned her exceptional qualities as an editor and mentor, and the relationships she cultivated with various authors and illustrators at Harper Books. I’ve appreciated children’s literature long past my own childhood years, and I was curious to learn more about her. I found many of her letters to be delightful, and the source of some interesting background material on some of the books and authors I loved as a child. I learned for example that Garth Williams, the talented illustrator of E.B. White’s Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web, caused an uproar in 1958 with his picture book The Rabbits’ Wedding, because his illustrations depicted a marriage between a white rabbit and a black one.

As much as I enjoyed getting to know Nordstrom through her letters, by the time I was halfway through the book I started sensing a quality of sameness in their tone and content. The novelty wore off and I began to weary of the book. Perhaps this would not have been the case if I were someone who was deeply involved with the publishing industry, but 360 pages of letters is a lot, and I felt that I’d gotten the gist of it long before the book ended. Some of the letters were more interesting than others, and the book began to feel a bit monotonous by the end.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in twentieth century children’s literature, with the caveat that it went on too long for my taste. I greatly enjoyed the first half of the book (as well as the introduction). I was glad for the opportunity to become acquainted with Ursula Nordstrom but I believe that if she’d still been alive when this book was published she would have edited it for length!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, it's a peek back in time to when people wrote letters by hand or typewriting- let's go back to those days because there are records like the repository that was used to create this homage to Nordstrom's empire in the children's publishing world. What better way to know a person's personality and voice than through their letters.

As a librarian, it was particularly insightful to see how she puppeteered and conspired, schmoozed and buttered-up people in person, at events, and through these letters to create the vision of publishing that she wanted and you get to see the letters to greats like E.B. White and Maurice Sendak.

She was a sassy lady who knew what she wanted and her language (I especially like how she swings people to her side with her language skills) is a tutorial in persuasion.

I picked this up because at a conference, a presenter said it was absolutely worth the read.

"SORRY CANNOT ACCEPT GRACIOUS INVITATION. WISH I COULD. HAVE IMPORTANT DATE WITH IMPORTANT LIBRARIAN ABOUT IMPORTANT BOOK. WILL WRITE WHEN I AM LESS IMPORTANT."

"No, I have never encountered any story plot like Charlotte's Web. I do not believe that any other writer has ever told about a spider writing words in its web... I believe Charlotte is the first spider since Miss Muffet's."

"Thank you for your recent letter about 'controversial literature' for children, with particular emphasis on Harriet the Spy and The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh. You ask about our future plans for publishing controversial books; we have no taboos, within the limits of good taste. We think that any subject of interest to young readers can be treated, by a creative writer, in books for young readers. It is difficult to fin the writers, but if we can find writers who will write manuscripts, we are sure the children will welcome more vigorous books. And we think there are enough perceptive and sensitive librarians, teachers and parents to help us get them to the children...."

Plus who knew that Shel Silverstein spent time at the Playboy mansion because he wrote for Playboy!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ursula Nordstrom was the director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 to 1973 and lived in New York City for all of that time. I like to think that at some point, Ms. Nordstrom and Ms.[Helene]Hanff were at the same NYC party or social event and spent a few minutes together bonding over their favorite writers and eateries. They make some smart remarks and before they know it, the room has fallen silent and their conversation takes center stage and laughter follows each of their remarks.
But since no online search gives me evidence of their acquaintance or friendship, I will leave it some enterprising grad student to dig up what I currently imagine.
The letters in this book are interesting for their content and their style. Letters flying out from Ursula Nordstrom's typewriter to well known authors with demands, exclamations and well written apologies abound. She adds in colorful moments of interactions with whomever that she recalls alternating with fondness and disdain. I would guess that next to the dictionary definition of *snarky* is Ursula Nordstrom's headshot.
I learned so much about different authors, illustrators and their books that I did not know previously. And I spent time looking up different things after reading portions of this book. I've already started rereading it since it took me so long to work through all the letters. A real treat.

[Sue Hodara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ursula Nordstrom was a singular voice in Children's Publishing as an editor and champion of quality books for children, but even more so for the authors of those books. The best proof of this was on page 285 in a letter to George Woods, commenting with disgust on what nowadays is commonplace. Ms. Nordstrom writes:

"Do you know that along with their big review space, and their big cocktail parties, and their big fat luncheons with literary agents, editors of adult books refer to something called MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE SLUSH PILE???? Isn't that utterly disgusting? Oh of course I wish authors and reviewers and bookstore personnel realized how important children's books can be...."

In regard to the printing of Sendak's "The Night Kitchen," she mentions to Virginia Haviland on page 303: "The proofs of the book, early ones, are on the couch in my office and they seem to have a life of their own--just glowing and almost seeming to pulsate. How I do go on!!"

And she does "go on," as Ms. Nordstrom was a prolific letter writer... She was a rare bird, one we are not likely to see again with her passion, dedication, belief in craft, ability to nurture and inspire, and (when needed) the ability to coax out of writers their best work.

A book best read when one needs inspiration. :)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give 5 stars when I loved something enough to recommend it widely or when I loved something so much that I would recommend it enthusiastically but only to a small group of people. This falls into the second camp. It will appeal to a smaller niche, but the people it is for will geek out. I revisited old classics, googled books and authors, put books on hold at the library, ordered books that I want my own copy of...some of which are out of print. I love children's lit. I also love the format for this book. John Steinbeck's biography is also a compilation of letters he wrote, and it is such a great way to see who a person was and what they cared about. Reading Ursula Nordstorm's letters and editorial notes to pretty much every big name in children's lit during her time (Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, HA and Margret Rey, Crockett Johnson, Laura Ingalls Wilder, EB White, Russell Hoban...just to name a few) felt like an inside look at the history of the industry. Her commitment to representing real issues (emotions, disobedience, divorce, race, periods, sexulaity, etc.) even in the face of backlash, was groundbreaking. I could give examples and quotes, but this review is already getting pretty long. If you are big into children's lit and value the work of strong, trailblazing women, this book is a gem.