Comments on: Norman MacLean's Lost Masterpiece

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:17:12 +0000

Judging by MacLean’s letter, I’d gather he wasn’t too concerned about who had done what.

Hell hath no fury like a writer scorned…

By: David H. Bain

David H. Bain — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:33:21 +0000

I was Chuck Elliott’s editorial assistant at Knopf, ’73-76, which coincided with his first 3 years at the firm; he had previously been copy chief at Life, which folded in Dec. ’72, and he was an excellent acquisitions editor at AAK. Wish I remembered this rejection of MacLean’s masterpiece, which was published by Chicago in May ’76. The president of Knopf in those days was Bob Gottlieb. The editor who apparently tried to acquire it could have been Elliott, or Ashbel Green, Harold Strauss, or Angus Cameron, who all had similar projects and authors. Regardless of the earlier champion, I think Elliott took the full blast from MacLean when it might have actually been shared.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:52:04 +0000

In truth, I don’t fault Norman MacLean. I’m assuming it wasn’t the rejection as much as the chain-yanking that preceded it.

No, I don’t recommend this, but I’ve done similar things twice in my career and don’t regret either.

Some bridges get burned from the other side, and writers should have passion for the work they’re doing – and an expectation that they’ll be treated with a minimum level of professionalism.

MacLeans letter was an act of revenge, but perhaps that’s exactly the feedback Knopf needed to avoid a repeat…

By: Michael Stelzner

Michael Stelzner — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:43:40 +0000

Sounds like extreme bitterness to me. I would hope I would never burn a bridge like that.

Rejection sucks. However, it tastes sweet when someone comes back and wants you.

I speak from experience (Not Normans of course).