A Masterfully Constructed Epic Biography Vividly Chronicles How Bennett Cerf Built a Storied American Publishing House

‘Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built’By Gayle FeldmanRandom House, 1072 pagesDon’t let the length of this masterful biography daunt you. Gayle Feldman has produced not merely an account of one of the great American publishers, she has provided extraordinary insights into the business of publishing and what it takes to produce significant books that might not sell well to begin with but that, in the long run, accrue in a publisher’s profits and prestige.Inside of this epic biography is a case study of William Faulkner’s literary career, which serves as a focal point for understanding why Cerf remains an outstanding publisher to emulate. With the exception of “Sanctuary” (1931), a modernist version of the gangster novel that appeared even as Edward G. Robinson became a star as Rico in the Warner Bros. crime drama, “Little Caesar,” Faulkner’s novels did not sell well. Other publishers, such as Horace Liveright and Smith and Haas, tried to market this innovative writer, but only Cerf understood how to hold on long enough for his investment in a great American writer to pay off.The key was to create the Modern Library editions, hardcovers at popular prices. Ms. Feldman, who has been writing for industry publications like Publishers Weekly for decades provides the sales numbers, the calculations behind how Cerf, even during the Depression, held on to and promoted authors of quality and lasting power.Of course, Cerf did not become successful on his own. He had partners like Robert Haas, who knew how to cater to Faulkner, send him sums that helped save the author from bankruptcy, and patiently support him even as his demands for more money increased.Cerf had more than business acumen going for him, however. He was a charmer — as you can still see on YouTube in his role as a panelist on “What’s My Line?” When Faulkner ran into trouble, drinking too much in New York, he panicked and sent a message home to his wife Estelle to head north. Ms. Feldman selects exactly the right word for Estelle. She was “vivid,” and Cerf asked her to dance. When she got home, she put a photograph of the publisher on hermantel.A disgruntled Faulkner called Cerf a “con man.” Perhaps that term was actually a compliment. Faulkner appreciated a publisher who stood by him, even if the author had his fun, inscribing one of his books to Bennett Surf. Cerf published the writers Faulkner admired, especially James Joyce and Eugene O’Neill. It mattered to be in the right company.When Faulkner finally had a bestseller, “Intruder in the Dust,” that also became a movie property, Cerf took 20% of the $50,000 advance, then quite a significant sum for a literary property. At that point, Faulkner had no complaints. Random House had done everything it could for him, and he knew it. When Saxe Commins, one of Faulkner’s important editors was asked at a Princeton party what he did for a living, he responded “cleaning and repairing,” an allusion to just how involved he had become in restoring Faulkner’s health during binge drinking episodes.Cerf had a phalanx of business partners and editors like Commins, who were team players, you might say, that reflected the publisher’s deep bench. They cosseted writers like Faulkner but also established contacts with Broadway, Hollywood, television, and with celebrities and artists who help generate the attention and revenue that sustained and strengthened Random House through hard times.Ms. Feldman has done the hard, diligent work in archives, a labor in this case that took decades, and included hundreds of interviews and, as I know firsthand, just as many or more casual, informal conversations with authors and others in the book business to produce her authoritative and compelling biography. The result is a portrayal not only of a singular individual but of an industry and period of time in the history of publishing.So much detail threatens to congest many biographies, however worthy, but Ms. Feldman has employed her facts and perceptions in a lively narrative that never flags. Above all, I have to admire her persistence to get the story right. She has done justice not just to Cerf but to all of those figures who contributed to the success of a great publishing house.Mr. Rollyson is the author of “Faulkner On and Off the Page: Essays in Biographical Criticism.”

A Masterfully Constructed Epic Biography Vividly Chronicles How Bennett Cerf Built a Storied American Publishing House

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