ALFRED CHENEY JOHNSTON, The Making of the Book JAZZ AGE BEAUTIES, # 3

So in 2002, I called ABRAMS Books in New York. As far as I was concerned, they were THE BEST publisher for creating stunning art books. I also knew that they had a reputation in the 1980’s and 90’s for being “accessible“ to writers with ideas. I had called them on a whim about 10 years earlier when I had a different idea for a book- a coffee table book on “The Art of Figure Skating.” I simply called their main number, and very directly asked to speak to Paul Gottlieb, a name I had found in one of my coffee table art books at home. Paul must have been in the mood for talking, or sensed my idealistic spirit because we talked for a good 30-45 minutes about the merits of the idea and the possibilities for publishing it. He was a perfect first contact in the publishing world- warm, engaging, creative…and sensitive to my feelings when explaining why the book couldn’t be published. Basically, he said I was a few years too late, that the craze for figure skating had passed, and too many other books had iced the market rink. But in parting, he said very genuinely, “Call me again if you have another great idea.”
So on a Friday, I called and asked for Paul Gottlieb but he was out and I was given his voice mail. I left a brief message recounting our previous contact and told him I had another proposal for him. I wasn’t prepared for what came next….
My wife Ellie and I were spending a typical Sunday morning, leisurely sipping tea and listening to our favorite news magazine program- SUNDAY MORNING on CBS, when a reporter announced: “This weekend, Paul Gottlieb, from ABRAMS Books and creator of many fine art books, died at his home in Manhattan…”
About a week or two later, I got a call from Eric Himmel, the editor who succeeded Paul Gottlieb. He asked about my call, and then requested that I send my proposal on Alfred Cheney Johnston to him so that ABRAMS could review them. I sent the materials off, but was saddened by the loss of Gottlieb, and the chance of possibly being able to work with him on the Alfred Cheney Johnston book. He struck had me as a remarkable man. Strange how the events in life can change so quickly, I thought….