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{{Short description|Former American publishing house}} |
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{{Infobox publisher|name=Julian Messner, Inc.|founded={{Start date|1933}}|parent=[[Simon & Schuster]] (1966–1998)|status=Defunct (1999)|founder=Julian and Kathryn Messner|country=[[United States]]|headquarters=[[New York City]]|successor=[[Pearson Education]]}} |
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'''Julian Messner, Inc.''' was an American publishing house founded in 1933. Its best-selling books included 1956's ''[[Peyton Place (novel)|Peyton Place]]''. In the 1960s it became a division of [[Simon & Schuster]], and continued as a children's imprint into the 1990s. |
'''Julian Messner, Inc.''' was an American publishing house founded in 1933. Its best-selling books included 1956's ''[[Peyton Place (novel)|Peyton Place]]''. In the 1960s it became a division of [[Simon & Schuster]], and continued as a children's imprint into the 1990s. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Julian Messner, previously an executive with [[Boni & Liveright]], and his wife Kathryn founded the firm in 1933, opening an office on West 40th Street in [[Manhattan]], and planning to publish juvenile books along with a small offering of adult books.<ref name="inside">Toth, Emily. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XVdI6PQsZaUC&pg=PA101 |
Julian Messner, previously an executive with [[Boni & Liveright]], and his wife Kathryn founded the firm in 1933, opening an office on West 40th Street in [[Manhattan]], and planning to publish juvenile books along with a small offering of adult books.<ref name="inside">Toth, Emily. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XVdI6PQsZaUC&pg=PA101 ''Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious''] (1980), p. 101.</ref> They published four books in their first year, including ''Senator Marlowe's Daughter'' by [[Frances Parkinson Keyes]].<ref name="inside"/> |
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When Julian Messner died in 1948, Kathryn (they divorced in 1944) became president. At first the idea of a woman president caused concern, and the board appointed a vice-president in charge of the president, an anomaly which soon became clear was not needed. She served as president until her death in August 1964; <ref name="kathobit"> |
When Julian Messner died in 1948, Kathryn (they divorced in 1944) became president. At first the idea of a woman president caused concern, and the board appointed a vice-president in charge of the president, an anomaly which soon became clear was not needed. She served as president until her death in August 1964; <ref name="kathobit">[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/08/05/mrs-kathryn-g-messner-61-chief-of-publishing-house-dies.html "Mrs. Kathryn G. Messner, 61, Chief of Publishing House, Dies"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 5, 1964.</ref><ref name="julianobit">[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9903E4D71530E23ABC4153DFB4668383659EDE "Julian Messner, Publisher, Dead; Founder in 1933 and President of Book Firm Offered Award for Tolerance Volume"], ''The New York Times'', February 9, 1948.</ref> the company was sold by the end of the year to [[Pocket Books]].<ref name="messner1">[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/31/messner-bought-by-pocket-books.html "Messner Bought by Pocket Books"], ''The New York Times'', December 31, 1964.</ref> Pocket was then acquired by [[Simon & Schuster]] in 1966, during the 1960s wave of consolidation in the publishing industry.<ref name="consoli">Brier, Evan. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ygke3pOSL8gC&pg=PA123 ''A Novel Marketplace: Mass Culture, the Book Trade, and Postwar American Fiction''], p. 123 (2010).</ref> |
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"Julian Messner" continued as a children's imprint under Simon & Schuster. The imprint later fell under [[Macmillan Publishers (United States)| |
"Julian Messner" continued as a children's imprint under Simon & Schuster (S&S). The imprint later fell under [[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|Macmillan Library Reference]] (S&S had acquired Macmillan, Inc., in 1994, and [[Pearson Education|Pearson]] acquired the educational, professional, and reference businesses of S&S in 1998), and shut down six children's imprints including Julian Messner in 1999.<ref name="acquires">Hane, Paula J. (June 21, 1999). [http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Thomsons-Gale-Group-Acquires-MacMillan-Library-Reference-USA-17944.asp "Thomson’s Gale Group Acquires MacMillan Library Reference USA"], ''NewsBreaks''.</ref><ref name="pw1999">Milliot, Jim (31 May 1999). [http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990531/40646-six-macmillan-library-kids-imprints-closed.html "Six Macmillan Library Kids Imprints Closed"], ''[[Publishers Weekly]]''.</ref> |
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In 1958, the company published a fictionalized biography of baseball player [[Warren Spahn]] for young readers, which was full of incorrect information and even positive false claims (such as claiming that Spahn had won a [[Bronze Star]], which was untrue). Spahn prevailed in a lawsuit against Messner, which is a leading case in the concept of [[false light]], a claim related to [[defamation]].<ref name="spahn1">Mathewson, Joe. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wEffBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 ''Law and Ethics for Today's Journalist: A Concise Guide''] (2014), p. 81.</ref><ref name="false2">Yasser, Ray. [http://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1155&context=fac_pub "Warren Spahn's Legal Legacy: The Right to Be Free from False Praise"], 18 Seton Hall. J. Sports & Enter L. 49 (2008).</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist|30em}} |
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{{Pearson}} |
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[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1933]] |
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1933]] |
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[[Category:Book publishing companies based in New York]] |
[[Category:Book publishing companies based in New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:Book publishing company imprints]] |
Latest revision as of 13:44, 15 March 2023
Parent company | Simon & Schuster (1966–1998) |
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Status | Defunct (1999) |
Founded | 1933 |
Founder | Julian and Kathryn Messner |
Successor | Pearson Education |
Country of origin | United States |
Headquarters location | New York City |
Julian Messner, Inc. was an American publishing house founded in 1933. Its best-selling books included 1956's Peyton Place. In the 1960s it became a division of Simon & Schuster, and continued as a children's imprint into the 1990s.
History[edit]
Julian Messner, previously an executive with Boni & Liveright, and his wife Kathryn founded the firm in 1933, opening an office on West 40th Street in Manhattan, and planning to publish juvenile books along with a small offering of adult books.[1] They published four books in their first year, including Senator Marlowe's Daughter by Frances Parkinson Keyes.[1]
When Julian Messner died in 1948, Kathryn (they divorced in 1944) became president. At first the idea of a woman president caused concern, and the board appointed a vice-president in charge of the president, an anomaly which soon became clear was not needed. She served as president until her death in August 1964; [2][3] the company was sold by the end of the year to Pocket Books.[4] Pocket was then acquired by Simon & Schuster in 1966, during the 1960s wave of consolidation in the publishing industry.[5]
"Julian Messner" continued as a children's imprint under Simon & Schuster (S&S). The imprint later fell under Macmillan Library Reference (S&S had acquired Macmillan, Inc., in 1994, and Pearson acquired the educational, professional, and reference businesses of S&S in 1998), and shut down six children's imprints including Julian Messner in 1999.[6][7]
In 1958, the company published a fictionalized biography of baseball player Warren Spahn for young readers, which was full of incorrect information and even positive false claims (such as claiming that Spahn had won a Bronze Star, which was untrue). Spahn prevailed in a lawsuit against Messner, which is a leading case in the concept of false light, a claim related to defamation.[8][9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Toth, Emily. Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious (1980), p. 101.
- ^ "Mrs. Kathryn G. Messner, 61, Chief of Publishing House, Dies", The New York Times, August 5, 1964.
- ^ "Julian Messner, Publisher, Dead; Founder in 1933 and President of Book Firm Offered Award for Tolerance Volume", The New York Times, February 9, 1948.
- ^ "Messner Bought by Pocket Books", The New York Times, December 31, 1964.
- ^ Brier, Evan. A Novel Marketplace: Mass Culture, the Book Trade, and Postwar American Fiction, p. 123 (2010).
- ^ Hane, Paula J. (June 21, 1999). "Thomson’s Gale Group Acquires MacMillan Library Reference USA", NewsBreaks.
- ^ Milliot, Jim (31 May 1999). "Six Macmillan Library Kids Imprints Closed", Publishers Weekly.
- ^ Mathewson, Joe. Law and Ethics for Today's Journalist: A Concise Guide (2014), p. 81.
- ^ Yasser, Ray. "Warren Spahn's Legal Legacy: The Right to Be Free from False Praise", 18 Seton Hall. J. Sports & Enter L. 49 (2008).