I couldn't sleep last night but there's no need to feel sorry for me as I stayed up reading this book, the collected letters of Ursula Nordstrom who I now realize helped shaped my childhood. She edited all my favorite books. The Frances books, my beloved Zion/Graham Bloy books, Fran Manushkin's Baby, Sendak/Minariks little Bear books, Where the wild things are and so on. You name it - if I loved it, she edited it. She found authors, illustrators and kept cheering, threatening - everything she could to get the most out of her people.
Her vision was clear - she wanted to publish "Good books for bad children". This book contains her funny and enthusiastic, sometimes angry letters. It's a joy to read. I so wish I could jet off to Ridgefield, Connecticut to hear "Dear Genius" editor Leonard S Marcus discuss the book with Maurice Sendak on Sep. 21st.
If you're closer than I am and interested in great children's lit, go!
Jealous greetings
-e
