BESTSELLERS & BEST FRIENDS
My book publishing blog, with murder mysteries woven through it.
If this is your first visit, be sure to start with “1. Let’s do it!”
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Herman Wouk
Back in the Mailer years, Little Brown also published Herman Wouk.
There had been changes in Little Brown’s management, including me. Wouk lived outside of D.C., so when I went there to visit accounts with sales rep, Sandor Szatmari, we thought it would be a good idea to swing by Wouk’s home, to show ourselves off and reassure Wouk that he continued to be in good hands at Little Brown.
Sandor was a terrific sales rep, and a remarkable person.
Born in Hungary, Sandor escaped during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, crossing the Austrian border while hiding in a cart full of onions. He told me how the border guards shoved bayonets into the onions, just missing him several times. Sandor arrived here as a refugee and soon earned his B. A. in History from Monmouth College. He then served in the United States Army for three years.
Sandor Szatmari
While continuing his education at Columbia University, he got a job in the university’s bookstore. As often happens, he went from bookstore staff to a publisher’s sales team. He would be at Little Brown for 37 years.
The thing about Sandor was that he was short, the sort of guy when he sat on a sofa, his feet didn’t reach the floor. He also smoked constantly, the sort of guy with spilled cigarette ash on his shirt and suit coat.
Sandor and I arrived to Wouk’s home. We were asked to wait in a room with a large sofa and two reading chairs. I sat in one of the chairs, Sandor on the sofa, his feet not touching the floor. He lit a cigarette.
Which is when Wouk’s two huge Irish Wolfhounds came into the room. They went straight to Sandor, sniffing him, crowding him.
Sandor held his cigarette overhead, so the dogs wouldn’t knock it out of his hand. Ashes fell on Sandor and the sofa. The dogs were in his face. Sandor pulled up his feet, his shoes on the sofa, his butt on the sofa’s arm. The dogs kept after him, sniffing Sandor, his cigarette held high.
Which is when Wouk walked into the room.
And all I could think of was, “We’re here to reassure you.”
Tomorrow: Road Trip!
Some guy, and two wolfhounds