An investigation into the transformation of publishing in the United States from a field in which Jews were systematically excluded to one in which they became ubiquitous.
A chronicle of the rise of Jewish editors to important positions in the literary establishment by the 1960s and how they shaped the book industry and the reading public...A multilayered scholarly argument for the continued study of 'the development of ethnic niches.'
Equal parts history, literary analysis and character studies, the book unveils no central cabal, but rather a group of families and individuals driven by their own tastes and prejudices...Lambert concludes that the alleged mafia was — like the sort we see in mob movies — full of eccentric, complex and capricious characters who held a lot of sway...But unlike the mafia, it had no universal rules and, strictly speaking, can’t be said to actually have existed.
The notion that a 'Jewish literary mafia' served as postwar publishing gatekeepers is traced in this thorough study from English professor Lambert... Rather than a tight-knit cabal, the ascendent Jewish publishing professionals were 'members of different generations... socioeconomic strata, and some [had] very little in common'...He concludes with ideas for the industry’s ongoing diversity efforts, suggesting that investing in 'BIPOC-led new ventures' could benefit the literary landscape in a similar way as the inclusion of Jewish editors and publishers did...It’s a niche history, but Lambert covers it well...Readers with an interest in the industry will find plenty of insights
