The Man Behind the Man Booker Winner

I had a Google Alert set so that I wouldn't miss a beat. I wanted to be able to call Jack Macrae the second the news came through about Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's novel of Cromwell's England that just won the Booker. Who's Jack? Mantel's American publisher. Why should anyone care? Because in all of publishing and probably much of the world, there's just nobody else like him.

If he ever wheels himself up to a computer, he'll be mortified that I'm writing this, but I can't help it. I have to. When a mentor changes your life by planting the seeds of an entire career, at some point, you have to acknowledge it. And besides, there's a little revenge. He was so passionate about getting the American publication of Wolf Hall right that before every dinner this year, "come over for a drink first" meant being pumped for thoughts about the latest jacket design for the book.

John Macrae III comes from a publishing dynasty--his grandfather was the owner of Dutton (where I am editor-at-large) and he at one time was the president. For as long as I can remember, he's been at Henry Holt, which is where I was his assistant fresh out of college. It was in his tutelage that I saw what pure selfless passion for beautiful writing, wildly creative thinking, and sheer genius could do in the world.

If there is something he can do to further a great idea or nurture talent, he won't stop until he's exhausted every possibility. He kayaked into Poland to smuggle Lech Walesa's manuscript out. He took down Vaclav Havel's messages to relay back to the States moments before Havel was arrested. He published cantankerous environmentalists Ed Abbey and Doug Peacock. He went after memoirs from apartheid South Africa and the end of the Cultural Revolution in China so that people would understand the suffering caused by lack of freedom. He brought over the great Russian poets Yevtushenko and Voznesensky, and he worked with them to get Russian dissidents released from prison.

Jack's brilliance, and what he passed along to me, is in not worrying about what's on the page you're looking at when evaluating a proposal or a manuscript. His brilliance is in hearing the thinking behind the author's words, inchoate in the holy mess that when I worked for him was usually spread across his office floor. He taught me to find that kernel and to burnish it. He taught me that this process was the most important thing we as editors could do for people and he also did it for me personally.

He took an angry, neurotic and confused twenty-two year old, and through tremendous personal care and compassion, made an editor out of her. So thank you Jack, and congratulations. I know how much you love this book, I've seen you care for Hilary Mantel's career for years now and nobody deserves this more.

Mentors. We need 'em. We're nothing with out them. And once in a while we need to say "thank you," even if it embarrasses them publicly.

 

Comments

[daisydreamsincolor]

I worked with Jack and he is one of the most intelligent and wonderful human beings in the industry. Glad someone is giving him due credit.

[SteveLeveen]

Such a sweet story. And I'm willing to bet that Jack got every bit as much out of being your mentor as you did from him. Probably more. Thanks for sharing this important and wonderful back story.

[JohnJeter]

So few Maxwell Perkinses left in the world. Lovely for you to introduce us to one. A few of us are fortunate to know them ...

[Emmy2]

Congratulations (once removed!). Reading your post reminds me, again, that there are some people who seem to be in a slightly different species from me. I watched Ken Burns' "National Parks" in its entirety last week, and kept thinking: where do these guys get the energy to make all this (sometimes very improbable) stuff happen? Of course, the energy comes from that ability to brush aside the extraneous bits and pieces and focus on the pure core of the goal, while most of us are wandering down random trails thinking: this is interesting, but where was it that I was planning to go?

[Oldtimer]

Now that we you got that out of your system can you start recommending great books?
More posts like that and I'll turn the computer off and pull a book off the shelf.

[SilentPartner]

Book recommendation for Oldtimer: I hear Hilary Mantel's new novel, Wolf Hall, just won the Booker Prize. Not only that, but someone in the publishing business told me that its American publisher has been pushing it on friends for months. Apparently the guy has high standards and a good track record. You might try that one.

[Lithuanian]

Ha! Nice reply! PS -- Anything by Ms. Mantel is worth the read.

[Oldtimer]

Instead of a book I have opted to learn how o play Dark Side of the Moon (the entire
album). You can wish me luck and thanks for the advice. When I'm done (in about
two weeks) I will take your recommendation and actually read Mantel's book. Why?
Because of he simple way you recommended it.!!

[Amy Hertz - Huffpost Blogger]

Have you seen The Huffington Post Editor's Picks?