Rejection: Summer and Fall, 1954

Later in Olson's life, the myth would develop--a myth he encouraged--that his manuscript was rejected by eight, even ten publishers. His own papers and the files of his agent, Marie Rodell, document just three, and the timing is such that other undocumented rejections seem extremely unlikely. But that doesn't mean it wasn't painful. Dodd, Mead said little in its rejection during the summer of 1954, the first of the three. George Brockway, however, writing for W.W. Norton & Co. on October 29, 1954, called the book "too diffuse, too self-conscious, and too sentimental." .

That November of 1954 Sigurd gave a major talk in New York City, a keynote speech on the spiritual values of nature, to an audience composed of national leaders in conservation. [For more on that conference, click here.] When he arrived home there were two important letters waiting for him. The first one came from Rodell, who forwarded yet another rejection for Sigurd's book. This one was especially painful, because it came from Paul Brooks, an editor at Houghton Mifflin who was a friend of Sigurd. Rodell also said she was going to send the manuscript to Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., which at the time was considered the world's most prestigious publisher. The second letter came from a man who had attended Sig's talk in New York, and wanted to say how impressed he had been. He ended his letter with a question: "I am wondering if you are not going to have a book for us one of these days?"

The man, of course, was none other than Alfred A. Knopf himself. Sigurd forwarded Knopf's letter to Marie Rodell, and said, "Perhaps Alfred Knopf will in a moment of weakness decide to take a gambling chance."

Below are the letters from Rodell and Paul Brooks (a scan of the original letter from Brooks), and two letters from Sigurd: one to Alfred Knopf, and one to Marie Rodell, in which he quotes the key sentence from Knopf's letter to him. Unfortunately, the original letter from Knopf has not yet been found. To see these letters in larger context, read The Making of The Singing Wilderness.

Marie Rodell to Sigurd Olson, November 26, 1954

November 26, 1954

Dear Sig:

There's nothing like having a captive editor for making a sale. I am delighted to know that Barrett wants a piece from you in December. Yes, he did see TIMBER WOLVES and sent it back.

I have a copy of the WEB OF LIFE and will read it over the weekend and sent it on to you at the beginning of the week.

I am enclosing a note from Paul Brooks. The manuscript goes over to Knopf today.

Yours,

Marie F. Rodell

P.S. May I have the carbon of Saganaga which I returned to you so I can add it to the book script?

Paul Brooks to Marie Rodell, November 23, 1954

Sigurd Olson to Alfred A. Knopf, November 29, 1954

Ely, Minnesota
November 29, 1954

Mr. Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
501 Madision Ave.
New York 22, NY.

Dear Mr. Knopf:

I appreciated very much your comments on the National Parks Conference in New York and that you thought it had gone well. It probably did accomplish its purpose which was to unify the thinking of the major conservation groups and alert the press to the importance of the issue. It also served notice on congressmen generally that the Echo Park matter is being watched closely by a lot of people.

Meeting you was one of the compensations. Dr. Woodbury, Fred Packard, Connie Wirth and others had told me about you and your great interest but somehow I had always missed meeting you.

As to a book on conservation, my agent Marie F. Rodell of New York has been urging me to do one on ecology for the layman and I believe has talked to someone on your staff about it. This could develop into an interesting project and could be built around Leopold's definition of conservation as the development of an "ecological conscience" or the one I mentioned during the New York meeting of Paul Sears, "a point of view."

I have a note from Marie Rodell today in which she says she is submitting the manuscript of a book of mine "The Pipes of Pan" for your consideration. It is a collection of essays and sketches of my experiences, and while not strictly a conservation book, the philosophy of understanding and interpretation runs through it. Should you decide to publish, it might set the stage for the other.

Kindest regards.

Sigurd Olson to Marie Rodell, November 29, 1954

Ely, Minnesota
November 29, 1954

Dear Marie:

I am stealing all the time possible to get the promised piece for Peter Barrett, but don't know whether under pressure I can do the thing I had in mind. In a few days I hit the airplanes again. A captive editor is a wonderful thing but captives have to be fed or they die on you. Thank heaven he wants to see Timber Wolves again.

Shall be looking forward to The Web of Life with much interest. By the way isn't the attached letter from Alfred Knopf also of interest - "I am wondering if you are not going to have a book for us one of these days?" Do you call this sort of thing fortuitous or what.

Paul Brooks' reaction was certainly not good was it, but he is partly wrong because I have spent a lot of my life writing about what I have been doing and were it not for a lot of other favorable comments on my writing and style, his letter might have thrown me for a loop. I am wondering if you are not getting discouraged about the book and its chances after all of these turn downs. If you are, I don't blame you. Perhaps Alfred Knopf will in a moment of weakness decide to take a gambling chance.

Am enclosing the carbon of "Farewll to Saganaga" as you requested. Don't forget to substitute the revision on the last couple of pages for the original.

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