Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021         Page 511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534535536537538539540541542543544545546547548549550551552553554555556557558559 of 1029

He was an editor. Did he edit anything that is noteworthy?

He bought with him one author. This is how the Random House list grew. He had been a student in college with him--a gentleman named Robert Penn Warren. Robert Penn Warren came to Random House, and in his contract is a clause that, if Albert Erskine ever leaves, he can abrogate the contract if he wants to. We've kept that clause in all these years. Red Warren's become a very close friend of mine, but he and Erskine are blood brothers.

Talk about authors that it's a pleasure to do business with, Red Warren is the greatest, the nicest, the most agreeable, the most willing to listen--especially to Erskine, whom he trusts implicitly. If Albert tells him that something's wrong, that's it. God has spoken to Red Warren.

Then gradually we got to know Red's wife, Eleanor Clark, and she is now with Pantheon. She didn't want to be published by the same publisher that did her husband so we put her with Pantheon, which of course is part of Random House. She writes slowly, but she's a beautiful writer.

What kind of man is Warren?

He's irresistible.