This masterful tandem provides the ideal collaborative model for authors and editors.
"He does the work, I do the cleanup. Then we fight." —Bob Gottlieb
"He thinks I use too many semicolons." —Robert Caro
Recently, I had the privilege of touring the esteemed Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
As a fervent reader and an ardent admirer of the renowned historian and biographer Robert Caro, I found myself awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the library's collection.
Housing an astonishing 45 million pages, it was within these hallowed halls that Caro delved tirelessly into countless documents, dedicating days on end to research his monumental LBJ biography, soon to culminate in its fifth volume.
Regrettably for Caro, this final installment will be bereft of the collaborative efforts of his longtime editor.
On June 14, 2023, the world bid a somber farewell to Robert Adams Gottlieb, a luminary among editors, whose passing at the age of 92 marked the culmination of the most profound editor-and-author partnership of the past century.
For Bob Gottlieb, editing was far more than a mere profession; it served as an inexhaustible source of joy and fulfillment, surpassed only by his profound love for reading. In a lighthearted admission to his future wife, he revealed his aversion to both children and dogs, prompting her playful response—ensuring that their marital journey began with the adoption of a dog, soon followed by two delightful surprises named Lizzie and Nicholas.
While Gottlieb reveled in his reputation as a feisty editor, his deep affection for his talented filmmaker daughter remained undeniable. After years of relentless persuasion, Lizzie finally succeeded in convincing her father, during the twilight of his life, to grant her the opportunity to document his fruitful collaboration with Caro, beginning with their initial triumph, The Power Broker.
The result was the poignant and insightful 2022 film, Turn Every Page.
The film's title encapsulates Caro's meticulous approach to research. Echoing the early career counsel of Alan Hathaway, his managing editor at Newsday, Caro embraced the philosophy of leaving no stone unturned, meticulously examining each page while shunning assumptions. This guiding principle resonated deeply with Caro, becoming an integral aspect of his research methodology.
Caro's formidable intellect encountered a kindred spirit when his agent introduced him to Gottlieb. Amidst a series of big-name New York editors, who wined and dined him while promising to make him a literary star, Gottlieb stood out by inviting Caro to his office for a humble meal of slapped-together sandwiches and candidly discussing Caro's towering manuscript on Robert Moses. Both agreed that the work needed careful trimming to avoid breaking the book's binding.
Gottlieb's fierce honesty, authenticity, and refusal to pander struck a chord with Caro, recognizing that this was precisely the type of editor he required. Their first order of business was to pare down the manuscript from a staggering 1 million words to a more manageable 700,000.
Their collaboration weathered these brutal cuts, foreshadowing the longevity of their enduring relationship.
Turn Every Page stands as a profound testament to the extraordinary bond between Gottlieb and Caro, illuminating their unwavering pursuit of excellence and their profound dedication to their respective crafts. Through its captivating exploration of their collaboration, the film shines a light on the intricacies of their working relationship and the indelible impact of their shared endeavors.
As the world reflects upon Gottlieb's lasting legacy, his immeasurable contributions to the literary realm remain undeniably profound. Through Turn Every Page, his daughter Lizzie tenderly honors her father's remarkable career while celebrating the extraordinary collaboration between two literary luminaries.
The film serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of collaboration, the sheer joy of storytelling, and the timeless significance of turning every page in the ceaseless pursuit of knowledge and literary excellence.
If you are a writer in pursuit of literary excellence and need an editor who is honest, authentic, and refuses to pander—in the spirit of Bob Gottlieb—I happen to know one.
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