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Susan
Hirschman grew up in New York City in an apartment filled with
books. She was an avid reader as a child and even took some
of her favorite children's books along to college. During Hirschman's
senior year, she was inspired by Jennie D. Lindquist, editor
of Horn Book, who spoke to a group of students. Upon
graduation from Wellesley College, Hirschman knew her future
was in publishing.
She began
her illustrious career in children's publishing in 1954 with
a job in the children's book department of Alfred A. Knopf,
working in the morning as secretary to the editor in chief,
and in the afternoon as secretary to the library promotion
director. She was hooked. After a year at Knopf, Hirschman
moved to Harper and Brothers children's department, where
she worked for legendary editor Ursula Nordstrom, reading
unsolicited manuscripts.
During
her time at Harper, Hirschman was responsible for beginning
the careers of many now-famous authors and illustrators. Hirschman
saw the potential in Else Holmelund Minarik's Little Bear
stories and Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia; gave
Arnold Lobel his first job as an illustrator, with Red
Tag Comes Back; and was involved in the formation of the
I Can Read series. Hirschman worked at Harper's for ten years,
when she left to become editor in chief of the Macmillan children's
book department.
At Macmillan,
she worked with the stars of their backlist - Carol Ryrie
Brink, Elizabeth Coatsworth, Berta and Elmer Hader, and Armstrong
Sperry. She launched the careers of Pat Hutchins, Virginia
Hamilton, Jack Prelutsky, Eve Rice, Tana Hoban, Ezra Jack
Keats, Aliki and Franz Brandenberg, and Janina Domanska. Life
at Macmillan was very good until 1974, when all department
heads were told to cut their lists in half and to fire half
of their staff. Rather than acquiesce, Hirschman resigned
in protest. Of course, the situation was known to the entire
children's book publishing community, and Hirschman was soon
offered a position at William Morrow. They offered to start
a new division, where she would be able to hire her talented
staff from Macmillan - art director Ava Weiss, managing editor
Ada Shearon, and senior editor Elizabeth Shub. The new division
was called "Greenwillow," inspired by Elizabeth Coatsworth's
book Under the Greenwillow Tree, illustrated by Janina
Domanska.
Their
first list was published in 1975, with sixteen books by former
Macmillan authors and illustrators. They soon added James
Stevenson, Kevin Henkes, Chris Crutcher, Donald Crews, Ann
Jonas, and many others. Thus far, Greenwillow has had two
Newbery Medal winners, three Newbery Honor books, ten Caldecott
Honor books, and more than one hundred American Library Association
Notable Children's Books and Best Books for Young Adults.
Hirschman's
genius is recognized not only in the United States but throughout
the world. In the summer of 1990, three Japanese art museums
hosted a special exhibition of original art from fifty-five
picture books created by eleven of the artists edited by Hirschman.
Included were works by Arnold Lobel, Anita Lobel, Ezra Jack
Keats, Vera B. Williams, Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, Janina Domanska,
James Stevenson, Eve Rice, Marisabina Russo, and Pat Hutchins.
Those
of us who love children's books are often unaware of the important
role played by editors. They have a special sense that enables
them to recognize an early spark of talent and to patiently
allow that talent to develop and mature. Hirschman cautions
that "we must remember that every author has a first book.
No one starts full-blown. All authors need space and time
to figure out just exactly who they are. Without the early
books, there can be no later ones. One publishes authors,
not books.
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