Knowledge

Robert Giroux

Source 📝

31: 679:. The former was dedicated to him. In a documentary interview, Giroux recalled how he tried to explain to Kerouac that the novel, typed out on a huge, single roll of paper, needed to be worked on, to which Kerouac replied: "There shall be no editing of this manuscript, this manuscript was dictated by the Holy Ghost." 296:
in manuscript form in 1924. "Imagine discovering a masterpiece..., as he later noted, "a great book is often ahead of its time, and the trick is how to keep it afloat until the times catch up with it". At Columbia, too, Giroux met a number of contemporaries who were destined for greatness in arts and
717:
His relationship with Straus was often strained. Giroux, more the literary man, was often at odds with Straus, who was primarily a businessman. Farrar, Straus & Giroux never published his 25th-anniversary anthology, which he also edited, as Straus took offense to his portrayal in Giroux's
557:, the 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger, but lost it after the textbook department noted "Not for us", rejecting the manuscript. He soon started looking around and in 1955 he joined Farrar, Straus & Company, run by his fellow Second World War veterans 258:
of Jersey City. His sisters Josephine and Estelle both left high school to work and contribute money so that Bob could continue his education. He has three nieces, Maclovia, Kathleen and Roberta, whom he was close to throughout his life.
789:
they divorced in 1969. Doña Carmen de Arango was the younger daughter of Cuban aristocrat Don Francisco de Arango, 3rd Marquis de la Gratitud, and his wife, the former Doña Petronilla del Valle, and she had been previously engaged to
254:, to Arthur J. Giroux, a foreman for a silk manufacturer, and Katharine Lyons Giroux, a grade-school teacher. Robert Giroux was one of five children: Arnold, Lester, Estele, Josephine and Robert, and grew up in the old Irish-Catholic 402:
Lagoon in the Pacific to a Navy public information Office in New York, where the officer in charge, Lt. Roger W. Straus Jr., suggested that he could get him $ 1,000 by selling it to a mass publication. "Rescue at Truk" ran in
718:
introduction. Giroux did not complete his memoirs because he said he did not want to write negatively about Straus. For his part, Straus counted Giroux's joining his company as the significant event in its history.
826:, another editor said, "It is tempting to float an analogy between his death and the death of a certain kind of publishing. But the fact is that his kind of publishing was rare in his own time, and so was he." 794:
and Don Julio Lafitte, Count de Lugar Nuevo. After the death of her sister, Doña Mercedes, the 4th Marquise in 1998, Doña Carmen de Arango Giroux became the 5th Marquise de la Gratitud.
502:
From 1948 to 1955, Giroux continued to edit important works. By 1951, his reputation as America's foremost editor had attracted foreign writers. For example, in 1951, he published
912: 551:
died, Giroux decided to move. In the same Plimpton interview, he revealed how as a young editor at Harcourt, Brace & Co., he won the opportunity to publish
752: 1374: 1354: 565:, as editor-in-chief. Almost twenty of his writers at Harcourt eventually followed him, including Eliot, Lowell, O'Connor, and Malamud. In 1959, Malamud's 1384: 744:
in 2001, the Mayoral Award of Honor for Art and Culture from the City of New York in 1989, and the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award in Arts and Letters from
751:
He also received the Alexander Hamilton Medal, the Columbia College Alumni Association's highest honor, in 1987, the same year he received the
1389: 1379: 1359: 1014: 1399: 1394: 1349: 725: 278:, intending to study journalism. Soon, though, he found himself drawn to literature. His main classroom mentors were the poet and critic 1344: 819: 489:
scholar whom Brace had brought in to replace Morley. This development did not turn out amicably for the two. In a 2000 interview with
481:
In 1947, Frank Morley left the company and returned to London, and a year later, Giroux was promoted to editor-in-chief, reporting to
920: 464:, who was trying to find a publisher for his second book of poems. Impressed by Lowell's manuscript, Giroux published the collection 331:, where he published some of Berryman's and Merton's earliest works. Upon graduating in 1936, he declined Van Doren's offer of a 275: 1364: 1134: 760: 782: 456:(1948). Soon he became adept at finding new authors, and one of his first finds was the novelist and short-story writer 1313: 882: 756: 721:
Once Giroux suggested to Eliot that editors were mostly failed writers, to which Eliot replied: "so are most writers".
144:
In his career stretching over five decades, he edited some of the most important voices of the 20th century, including
1283: 263: 982: 842: 1369: 508: 409:
and was later widely anthologized. He published an article about the "Capture at Truk" which made the cover of
1243: 775:
In 1952, Giroux married Doña Carmen Natica de Arango y del Valle (common name: Carmen de Arango) (died 1999),
478:
documentary on Lowell, Giroux states that it was the most successful book of poems that he ever published.
348: 855: 741: 274:. (He eventually received his diploma 57 years later, in 1988.) Giroux received a scholarship to attend 1045:"Robert Giroux: America's pre-eminent editor, he fostered Jack Kerouac, Susan Sontag and Robert Lowell" 1044: 653: 222: 193: 576: 471: 452: 314: 138: 134: 126: 98: 1106:"Courtly Lion: Robert Giroux's life reminds us that great publishing needs quiet rebels (and taste)" 682:
Among the notable works he published as an editor were a collection of Berryman's critical prose as
791: 137:
in 1955, where he became a partner and, eventually, its chairman. The firm was henceforth known as
70: 575:
winner. Farrar, Straus & Company made him a partner in 1964, giving the company its new name,
416:
In 1948, Giroux rejoined Harcourt, where he became executive editor and worked the supervision of
251: 51: 1184: 711: 553: 513: 466: 365: 255: 217: 1072: 776: 398:
After leaving the navy, he took his article about the rescue of a fighter pilot downed at the
1166: 737: 665: 625: 613: 517: 436: 404: 197: 355:. After working there for four years, he found his first editing job as a junior editor, at 1339: 1334: 609: 392: 388: 356: 336: 165: 130: 8: 1127:
The Time of Their Lives: The Golden Age of American Publishers, Their Editors and Authors
1110: 954: 859: 745: 572: 324: 235: 82: 1205: 810:
Giroux died on September 5, 2008, at Seabrook Village, an independent-living center, in
843:
Arts, Jersey City, People » Remembering Robert Giroux, Jersey City's literary lion
581: 377: 332: 30: 1130: 916: 585:(1964) was the first book to bear his imprint. He became company's chairman in 1973. 883:"Obituaries: Robert Giroux; Publishing Maverick Discovered and Edited Great Writers" 1170: 633: 621: 567: 495: 421: 381: 352: 239: 887: 670: 645: 601: 544: 533: 525: 490: 425: 287: 231: 213: 205: 189: 173: 1288: 1269: 1255: 1230: 1189: 1077: 959: 786: 649: 558: 399: 283: 279: 271: 267: 177: 153: 1105: 1328: 641: 617: 605: 597: 593: 529: 521: 503: 482: 461: 457: 447: 360: 306: 298: 209: 201: 185: 169: 157: 149: 1049: 811: 629: 589: 562: 548: 417: 373: 310: 181: 161: 230:
wrote, "He is the only living editor whose name is bracketed with that of
764: 675: 637: 430: 302: 227: 118: 424:. He published many novels rejected by other publishing houses, such as 913:"Robert Giroux, Who Published Gaddis, Malamud, and O'Connor Dies at 94" 815: 537: 486: 442: 319: 292: 145: 710:(1990), an investigation of the 1922 murder of the Hollywood director 1019: 823: 122: 795: 648:. By 2000, FSG books had won 29 literary awards, as well as a dozen 779: 1209: 660: 704:
The Book Known as Q: A Consideration of Shakespeare's Sonnets
588:
Among the writers Giroux discovered or developed at FSG were
86: 1206:"Partner in U.S. publisher Farrar, Straus & Giroux dies" 1306: 1015:"Robert Giroux: influential American publisher and editor" 475: 983:"In Jersey City, this literary lion was just their Bob" 818:, aged 94. At his memorial at Columbia University's 117:(April 8, 1914 – September 5, 2008) was an American 499:, he called Reynal tactless and a "terrible snob". 250:The youngest of five children, Giroux was born in 512:. Of his seven Nobel prize winners, who included 1326: 953:Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (September 5, 2008). 728:, an organization that fights movie censorship. 1311: 767:Award for Distinguished Literary Achievement. 347:Giroux started his career with a job with the 952: 536:, the only one born in the United States was 460:, who in turn introduced him to her husband, 359:in 1940. Among the first works he edited was 141:, where he was known by his nickname, "Bob". 1375:United States Navy personnel of World War II 1314:"Robert Giroux, The Art of Publishing No. 3" 1167:"Robert Giroux: The Art of Publishing No. 3" 1103: 470:immediately, and it went on to win the 1947 363:'s work on 19th-century socialist thinkers, 1355:Businesspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey 1307:Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Official website 759:. He was awarded a Special Citation at the 736:Giroux received an honorary doctorate from 726:National Board of Review of Motion Pictures 724:From 1975 to 1982, he was president of the 339:; the fellowship went to Berryman instead. 245: 694:(1984), whose letters he later edited, as 317:. In addition to writing film reviews for 270:, to take a job with local newspaper, the 29: 1124: 1385:Regis High School (New York City) alumni 980: 1204:Nichols, Michelle (September 5, 2008). 1203: 1043:Carlson, Michael (September 26, 2008). 1042: 880: 753:Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award 369:(1940), which was to become a classic. 276:Columbia College of Columbia University 108:Carmen de Arango (1952–1969) (divorced) 1327: 1161: 1159: 1070: 955:"Robert Giroux, Publisher, Dies at 94" 948: 946: 944: 942: 940: 938: 579:(FSG). Robert Lowell's book of poems, 1099: 1097: 1095: 1038: 1036: 1034: 1032: 1030: 981:Di Ionno, Mark (September 11, 2008). 763:. In 2006, he was presented with the 266:in Manhattan, but dropped out during 1390:20th-century American businesspeople 1380:Writers from Jersey City, New Jersey 1360:People from Tinton Falls, New Jersey 1185:"'Not For Us': His Lost Masterpiece" 1009: 1007: 1005: 1003: 907: 905: 761:National Board of Review Awards 1989 731: 327:and editor of the literary magazine 1156: 1071:Giroux, Robert (October 11, 1998). 935: 919:. September 5, 2008. Archived from 881:Schudel, Matt (September 6, 2008). 692:Collected Prose of Elizabeth Bishop 160:, and published the first books of 125:. Starting his editing career with 13: 1400:Military personnel from New Jersey 1395:20th-century American male writers 1350:Columbia College (New York) alumni 1118: 1104:Boris Kachka (December 28, 2008). 1092: 1073:"Thomas Merton's Durable Mountain" 1027: 845:by Jason Fink. September 11, 2008. 757:National Book Critics Circle Award 391:until 1945, rising to the rank of 297:letters, among them his classmate 290:, who had discovered the novella, 16:American book editor and publisher 14: 1411: 1345:American book publishers (people) 1300: 1284:"Deaths GIROUX, CARMEN DE ARANGO" 1149:Voices and Visions Video Series. 1000: 902: 387:in air combat intelligence as an 323:, Giroux became president of the 742:Saint Peter's College/University 688:Collected Prose of Robert Lowell 669:, and on the manuscript for his 129:, he was hired away to work for 1312:George Plimpton (Summer 2000). 1276: 1262: 1248: 1237: 1223: 1197: 1177: 1143: 192:and edited no fewer than seven 1064: 974: 874: 848: 836: 509:The Origins of Totalitarianism 380:in 1942 and served aboard the 1: 357:Harcourt, Brace & Company 1023:. London. September 8, 2008. 349:Columbia Broadcasting System 7: 1365:United States Navy officers 1129:. New York: Truman Talley. 770: 220:. In a 1980 profile in the 10: 1416: 1244:Honorary Degree Recipients 700:The Education of an Editor 506:'s first book in English, 446:(1952). He also worked on 286:, the first biographer of 223:New York Times Book Review 792:Thomas O'Conor Sloane III 698:(1994). He also authored 577:Farrar, Straus and Giroux 472:Pulitzer Prize for Poetry 453:The Seven Storey Mountain 376:, Giroux enlisted in the 342: 139:Farrar, Straus and Giroux 127:Harcourt, Brace & Co. 104: 99:Farrar, Straus and Giroux 93: 78: 59: 37: 28: 21: 829: 805: 246:Early life and education 71:Tinton Falls, New Jersey 684:The Freedom of the Poet 420:, a former director of 252:Jersey City, New Jersey 52:Jersey City, New Jersey 1125:Silverman, Al (2008). 712:William Desmond Taylor 554:The Catcher in the Rye 514:Alexander Solzhenitsyn 440:(1950) and O'Connor's 366:To the Finland Station 218:Alexander Solzhenitsyn 1370:American book editors 738:Seton Hall University 666:The Town and the City 626:Katherine Anne Porter 614:Isaac Bashevis Singer 518:Isaac Bashevis Singer 437:The Town and the City 198:Isaac Bashevis Singer 1193:. September 6, 2008. 923:on September 7, 2008 663:on his first novel, 393:lieutenant commander 389:intelligence officer 337:Cambridge University 131:Roger W. Straus, Jr. 862:. September 7, 2008 746:New York University 659:Giroux worked with 573:National Book Award 571:became FSG's first 467:Lord Weary's Castle 329:The Columbia Review 325:Philolexian Society 236:F. Scott Fitzgerald 135:Farrar & Straus 83:Columbia University 785:Delegation to the 778:an advisor to the 582:For the Union Dead 450:'s autobiography, 434:(1952), Kerouac's 333:Kellett Fellowship 1292:. March 23, 1999. 917:New York Observer 820:St. Paul's Chapel 732:Awards and honors 610:Flannery O'Connor 422:Faber & Faber 264:Regis High School 234:," the editor of 166:Flannery O'Connor 112: 111: 63:September 5, 2008 1407: 1321: 1318:The Paris Review 1294: 1293: 1280: 1274: 1266: 1260: 1252: 1246: 1241: 1235: 1227: 1221: 1220: 1218: 1216: 1201: 1195: 1194: 1181: 1175: 1174: 1171:The Paris Review 1163: 1154: 1147: 1141: 1140: 1136:978-0312-35003-1 1122: 1116: 1115: 1101: 1090: 1089: 1087: 1085: 1068: 1062: 1061: 1059: 1057: 1040: 1025: 1024: 1011: 998: 997: 995: 993: 978: 972: 971: 969: 967: 950: 933: 932: 930: 928: 909: 900: 899: 897: 895: 878: 872: 871: 869: 867: 852: 846: 840: 634:Donald Barthelme 622:Elizabeth Bishop 568:The Magic Barrel 496:The Paris Review 353:public relations 240:Ernest Hemingway 66: 47: 45: 33: 19: 18: 1415: 1414: 1410: 1409: 1408: 1406: 1405: 1404: 1325: 1324: 1303: 1298: 1297: 1282: 1281: 1277: 1267: 1263: 1253: 1249: 1242: 1238: 1228: 1224: 1214: 1212: 1202: 1198: 1183: 1182: 1178: 1165: 1164: 1157: 1148: 1144: 1137: 1123: 1119: 1102: 1093: 1083: 1081: 1069: 1065: 1055: 1053: 1041: 1028: 1013: 1012: 1001: 991: 989: 979: 975: 965: 963: 951: 936: 926: 924: 911: 910: 903: 893: 891: 888:Washington Post 879: 875: 865: 863: 856:"Robert Giroux" 854: 853: 849: 841: 837: 832: 808: 802: 799: 773: 734: 708:A Deed of Death 650:Pulitzer Prizes 646:William Golding 602:Bernard Malamud 545:Alfred Harcourt 534:Nadine Gordimer 526:William Golding 491:George Plimpton 426:Bernard Malamud 345: 288:Herman Melville 248: 232:Maxwell Perkins 214:William Golding 206:Nadine Gordimer 194:Nobel laureates 190:Randall Jarrell 174:Bernard Malamud 74: 68: 64: 55: 49: 43: 41: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1413: 1403: 1402: 1397: 1392: 1387: 1382: 1377: 1372: 1367: 1362: 1357: 1352: 1347: 1342: 1337: 1323: 1322: 1309: 1302: 1301:External links 1299: 1296: 1295: 1289:New York Times 1275: 1270:New York Times 1261: 1256:New York Times 1247: 1236: 1231:New York Times 1222: 1196: 1190:New York Times 1176: 1173:. Summer 2000. 1155: 1142: 1135: 1117: 1091: 1078:New York Times 1063: 1026: 999: 973: 960:New York Times 934: 901: 873: 847: 834: 833: 831: 828: 807: 804: 787:United Nations 772: 769: 740:in 1999, from 733: 730: 559:John C. Farrar 400:Battle of Truk 344: 341: 284:Raymond Weaver 280:Mark Van Doren 272:Jersey Journal 268:the Depression 247: 244: 178:William Gaddis 154:Virginia Woolf 110: 109: 106: 102: 101: 95: 91: 90: 80: 76: 75: 69: 67:(aged 94) 61: 57: 56: 50: 39: 35: 34: 26: 25: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1412: 1401: 1398: 1396: 1393: 1391: 1388: 1386: 1383: 1381: 1378: 1376: 1373: 1371: 1368: 1366: 1363: 1361: 1358: 1356: 1353: 1351: 1348: 1346: 1343: 1341: 1338: 1336: 1333: 1332: 1330: 1319: 1315: 1310: 1308: 1305: 1304: 1291: 1290: 1285: 1279: 1272: 1271: 1265: 1258: 1257: 1251: 1245: 1240: 1233: 1232: 1226: 1211: 1207: 1200: 1192: 1191: 1186: 1180: 1172: 1168: 1162: 1160: 1152: 1151:Robert Lowell 1146: 1138: 1132: 1128: 1121: 1113: 1112: 1107: 1100: 1098: 1096: 1080: 1079: 1074: 1067: 1052: 1051: 1046: 1039: 1037: 1035: 1033: 1031: 1022: 1021: 1016: 1010: 1008: 1006: 1004: 988: 984: 977: 962: 961: 956: 949: 947: 945: 943: 941: 939: 922: 918: 914: 908: 906: 890: 889: 884: 877: 861: 860:The Telegraph 857: 851: 844: 839: 835: 827: 825: 821: 817: 813: 803: 800: 797: 796: 793: 788: 784: 781: 777: 768: 766: 762: 758: 754: 749: 747: 743: 739: 729: 727: 722: 719: 715: 713: 709: 705: 701: 697: 693: 689: 685: 680: 678: 677: 672: 668: 667: 662: 657: 655: 651: 647: 643: 642:Derek Walcott 639: 635: 631: 627: 623: 619: 618:Carl Sandburg 615: 611: 607: 606:Thomas Merton 603: 599: 598:Jean Stafford 595: 594:John Berryman 591: 586: 584: 583: 578: 574: 570: 569: 564: 560: 556: 555: 550: 546: 541: 539: 535: 531: 530:Seamus Heaney 527: 523: 522:Derek Walcott 519: 515: 511: 510: 505: 504:Hannah Arendt 500: 498: 497: 492: 488: 484: 483:Eugene Reynal 479: 477: 473: 469: 468: 463: 462:Robert Lowell 459: 458:Jean Stafford 455: 454: 449: 448:Thomas Merton 445: 444: 439: 438: 433: 432: 427: 423: 419: 414: 412: 408: 407: 401: 396: 394: 390: 386: 385: 379: 375: 370: 368: 367: 362: 361:Edmund Wilson 358: 354: 350: 340: 338: 334: 330: 326: 322: 321: 316: 315:John Latouche 312: 308: 307:Thomas Merton 304: 300: 299:John Berryman 295: 294: 289: 285: 281: 277: 273: 269: 265: 260: 257: 253: 243: 241: 237: 233: 229: 225: 224: 219: 215: 211: 210:Seamus Heaney 207: 203: 202:Derek Walcott 199: 195: 191: 187: 186:Larry Woiwode 183: 179: 175: 171: 170:Jean Stafford 167: 163: 159: 158:Thomas Merton 155: 151: 150:George Orwell 147: 142: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 120: 116: 115:Robert Giroux 107: 103: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 81: 77: 72: 62: 58: 53: 48:April 8, 1914 40: 36: 32: 27: 23:Robert Giroux 20: 1317: 1287: 1278: 1268: 1264: 1254: 1250: 1239: 1229: 1225: 1213:. Retrieved 1199: 1188: 1179: 1150: 1145: 1126: 1120: 1109: 1082:. Retrieved 1076: 1066: 1054:. Retrieved 1050:The Guardian 1048: 1018: 990:. Retrieved 986: 976: 964:. Retrieved 958: 925:. Retrieved 921:the original 892:. Retrieved 886: 876: 864:. Retrieved 850: 838: 812:Tinton Falls 809: 801: 798: 774: 750: 735: 723: 720: 716: 707: 706:(1982), and 703: 699: 695: 691: 690:(1987), and 687: 683: 681: 674: 664: 658: 654:Nobel Prizes 630:Walker Percy 590:Jack Kerouac 587: 580: 566: 563:Roger Straus 552: 549:Donald Brace 542: 507: 501: 494: 480: 465: 451: 441: 435: 429: 418:Frank Morley 415: 410: 405: 397: 383: 374:World War II 371: 364: 346: 328: 318: 311:Ad Reinhardt 291: 262:He attended 261: 249: 221: 182:Susan Sontag 162:Jack Kerouac 143: 114: 113: 65:(2008-09-05) 1340:2008 deaths 1335:1914 births 765:Philolexian 676:On the Road 638:Grace Paley 431:The Natural 303:Herman Wouk 228:Donald Hall 119:book editor 1329:Categories 1273:11/15/1988 816:New Jersey 538:T.S. Eliot 487:Ivy League 443:Wise Blood 413:magazine. 320:The Nation 293:Billy Budd 146:T.S. Eliot 94:Occupation 44:1914-04-08 1259:6/28/1989 1234:11/7/1999 1215:August 9, 1084:August 9, 1056:August 9, 1020:The Times 992:August 9, 966:August 9, 927:August 9, 894:August 9, 866:August 9, 824:Paul Elie 748:in 1988. 406:Collier's 351:(CBS) in 256:West Side 196:: Eliot, 123:publisher 97:Chairman 79:Education 1111:New York 783:Missions 780:Holy See 771:Marriage 686:(1976), 673:classic 1210:Reuters 1153:. 1988. 755:at the 696:One Art 661:Kerouac 652:and 20 474:. In a 378:US Navy 372:During 226:, poet 1133:  987:NJ.com 543:After 532:, and 343:Career 313:, and 105:Spouse 73:, U.S. 54:, U.S. 830:Notes 806:Death 485:, an 384:Essex 1217:2013 1131:ISBN 1086:2013 1058:2013 994:2013 968:2013 929:2013 896:2013 868:2013 671:Beat 644:and 561:and 547:and 411:Life 382:USS 282:and 238:and 216:and 188:and 121:and 60:Died 38:Born 493:in 476:PBS 428:'s 335:at 133:at 1331:: 1316:. 1286:. 1208:. 1187:. 1169:. 1158:^ 1108:. 1094:^ 1075:. 1047:. 1029:^ 1017:. 1002:^ 985:. 957:. 937:^ 915:. 904:^ 885:. 858:. 822:, 814:, 714:. 702:, 656:. 640:, 636:, 632:, 628:, 624:, 620:, 616:, 612:, 608:, 604:, 600:, 596:, 592:, 540:. 528:, 524:, 520:, 516:, 395:. 309:, 305:, 301:, 242:. 212:, 208:, 204:, 200:, 184:, 180:, 176:, 172:, 168:, 164:, 156:, 152:, 148:, 87:BA 1320:. 1219:. 1139:. 1114:. 1088:. 1060:. 996:. 970:. 931:. 898:. 870:. 89:) 85:( 46:) 42:(

Index


Jersey City, New Jersey
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
Columbia University
BA
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
book editor
publisher
Harcourt, Brace & Co.
Roger W. Straus, Jr.
Farrar & Straus
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
T.S. Eliot
George Orwell
Virginia Woolf
Thomas Merton
Jack Kerouac
Flannery O'Connor
Jean Stafford
Bernard Malamud
William Gaddis
Susan Sontag
Larry Woiwode
Randall Jarrell
Nobel laureates
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Derek Walcott
Nadine Gordimer
Seamus Heaney
William Golding

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.