The Lost Art of publishing & A FiremanS Pole in Midtown: Remembering Bernie Geis
The publishing world has changed dramatically. It’s a landscape now dominated by corporate structures, a far cry from the era of bold personalities and gut-feeling acquisitions. Recently, we lost one of those personalities: Bernie Geis, who passed away at 91. While many may not recognize the name today, Geis was a publishing titan in his time, the man who propelled Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls to stratospheric success and built a career on commercially prosperous, if not critically acclaimed, fiction.
His passing prompted a flood of memories, specifically of a rather…unconventional office space he occupied in 1980. It wasn’t just a workplace; it was an experience. And it perfectly encapsulates a publishing world that’s largely vanished.
A Midtown Manhattan Time Capsule
In 1980,I briefly worked for literary agent Nat Sobel,whose office was located just above Bernie Geis’s in a somewhat dilapidated five-story building on East 56th Street. The building itself was a relic, a stark contrast to the gleaming towers that define that part of Manhattan today. The elevator, a crucial amenity, only reached the fourth floor.
This seemingly minor detail was the key to understanding Bernie geis’s unique approach to business – and life.To reach his fifth-floor office, one didn’t take the stairs. One slid.
The Fireman’s Pole & The Culture of “Just Do It”
Bernie Geis had installed a full-fledged fireman’s pole connecting his office to the one below.It wasn’t a suggestion; it was the only way down. Imagine the scene: important authors, anxious agents, and harried assistants all compelled to descend via a shiny brass pole.
This wasn’t born of eccentricity alone.It was a statement. geis fostered a culture of embracing the absurd, of not taking oneself too seriously. His assistant, Alice – a woman of few words and even fewer smiles – enforced this policy with unwavering dedication.
* Papers a problem? Alice clipped them into a large butterfly clip and lowered them on a string.
* Hesitation? Alice’s withering gaze was enough to quell any protest.
* The descent? She’d wrap herself around the pole, click her ankles, and whoosh down, setting the example.
A Reward for Bravery: The Iconic Bernie Geis Pen
The experience wasn’t without its reward. Upon reaching the fourth floor, the receptionist would present you with a pen designed by Geis himself. These weren’t ordinary pens.
The top featured a cartoon of a 1960s secretary, complete with a Judy Jetson-esque hairdo, gleefully sliding down the pole in a bright red mini-skirt. Geis’s name and phone number (complete with letters!) were printed on the base. It was a playful, slightly irreverent memento, and a testament to Geis’s unique brand of showmanship. I still treasure mine.
Even a priest Took the Plunge
The fireman’s pole wasn’t discriminatory. Everyone, nonetheless of status or profession, participated. This included Father Andrew Greeley, the controversial Catholic priest and author of Geis’s bestseller, The cardinal Sins.
Dressed in his signature velvet priestly garb, and accompanied by his assistant, Father Greeley didn’t receive special treatment. His papers were clipped, lowered, and then, to the amusement of onlookers, he slid down the pole with surprising grace. His velvet remained remarkably unmussed.
A Publishing Beliefs Lost to time
Whether father Greeley received a pen remains a mystery. But the memory of Bernie Geis, and his extraordinary office, endures. He possessed a keen understanding of the market, a willingness to take risks, and a sense of humor that’s sorely lacking in today’s publishing landscape.
geis understood what readers wanted,even if critics didn’t approve. He built a successful business on providing that entertainment. His approach - a blend of instinct, boldness, and a healthy dose of absurdity – is a reminder of a different era, a time when publishing felt less like a corporate exercise and more like an adventure.
The world of publishing has become increasingly homogenized. The spirit of Bernie Geis – the willingness to be different
