THE MEDIA WRITE ON!

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01314R000300090003-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 13, 1970
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

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NEWSPJL'Elt
Approved For Release 2001/81,iX:1GY,A-RDP88-0
Write On!
At first meeting, it seems like a highly
peculiar publishing partnership. On one
side, the shrillest and angriest voices of
the New Left-eager to drag down the
capitalist system. On the other, New
York Citv's oldest and most (listinguished
book publishers-equally eager to drive
up corporate dividends. And yet, despite
what seem to be diametrically opposed
aims, the two sides are joining together
in a flourishing new industry: publishing
the progress of the "revolution" for mutu-
al profit.
Over the past few years, major pub-
lishers have added to their lists of re-
spected establishment , authors such
names as Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Scale,
I-I. Rap Brown, Abbie Koffman and Jerry
Rubin. More recently, in the aftermath
of the Chicago conspiracy trial and amid
the growing interest in women's libera-
tion, publishers are gearing up for large
press runs of some two dozen radical
new titles, including Tom Hayden's "The
Trial" (a defendant's analysis of the
events in judge IIoffman's courtroom),
Kate Millett's "Sexual Politics" (a treatise
on anti-feminism in literature) and Diane
Schulder and Florynce Kennedy's "Abor-
tion Rap" (personal testimonies of women
caught in the abortion morass).
More than anything else, perhaps, the
unusual alliance between the revolution-
aries and the publishers results from the
rise of a new group of radical, young edi-
tors determined to pry open the doors of
their publishing houses and admit the
Movement. Among them are Danny
Moses, 34, an eloquent and long-haired
senior editor at Simon and Schuster who
edited Jerry Rubin's anarchist tract "Do
Id"; Joyce Johnson, also 34, a senior
editor at McGraw-Hill who chased down
Abbic Hoffman three years ago and
talked him into writing "Revolution for
the Hell of It" and has just edited "Abor-
tion Rap"; Random House senior editor
John Simon, 35, who has edited Black
Panther Bobby Scale's autobiography,
"Seize The Time," and 27-year-old Ran-
dom House senior 'editor Christopher
Christopher Ccrf
Joyce Johnson
to read. Sales, at any rate, have been
impressive. In two years Cleaver's "Soul
on Ice" has sold more than 1.4 million
copies and Rubin's "Do Itl" has sold
200,000 just since last spring..
Smash: A fat part of the profits, of
course, ends up supporting the revolu-
tion. Rubin got a $10,000 advance from
Simon and Schuster for "Do Itl" and will
receive a much larger, although undis-
closed, advance on a second book now
in the works. McGraw-Hill has reported-
ly offered Eldridge Cleaver a $350
000
,
advance for a sequel to "Soul on Ice,"
which will, among other things, explain
Jtdw he jumped parole and slipped out
of the U.S. into Cuba and then into Al-
geria. Abbie.Hoffman has earned about
$50,000 from his first two tomes, "Revo-
lution" and , "Woodstock Nation," and
has reportedly received another $25,000
for the movie rights to "Revolution." "I
give the money to needy projects," says
Hoffman, "`like the Panthers and Al
Fatah. But I don't want to get pegged as
a philanthropist. I just want to smash
the state
We're ri
in
ff t
E
b
.
pp
g o
sta
-
he
Cerf, who edited Abbie Hoffman's lishntcnt, using them to promote the I
Woodstock Nation" and is perhaps the revolutionary consciousness.'
most influential of the Movement's fifth The irony of it all has not escaped the
column-at least partly because his fa- publishers, but ironies-especially ide-
ther is Random House board chairman ological ones-are hardly the stuff on
Bennett Cerf. which the business bases its editorial ;
'Publishers used to take a self-limiting decisions. As for the radical writers, the
r u
att't d " ' C f
Danny Moses
New,weck-Ilol.ert It. McE.Iroy
STAT
defense contractor in the United States."
Occasionally, however, the alliance
does show signs of strain. While Bennett
Cerf was escorting a distinguished wom-
an guest through Random House's new
steel and glass building in midtown
Manhattan recently, lie decided, on the
spur of the moment, . to stop off at
Christopher's office and introduce the
guest. Cerf opened the door and saw-
lying on the floor, his shirt off, holding a
suspicious-looking cigarette in one hand
and a pencil and legal pad in the other
-none other than Abbie Roffman. "That's
not my son," Cerf sputtered. "`That's not
my son." Abbie looked up, grinned and
said, "Hi Dad."
That bit of mischief was forgivable,
perhaps, but now Hoffman is about to
make a statement that the publishing
industry may finally find too much. For
his next put-on literary performance,
Hoffman and yippie comrade Izak, Haber
are putting together a tract with the in-
viting title, ""Steal This Book." But despite
the obvious risks, several publishers have
already offered five-figure bids for the
e
do is buy such books' crh~a~~s ac ~ucl to l c r! i tc . roc groups.
Carry around as ba(I ldfS+1~4+'nFl'> rR ; Pslea d ' `'~',a~~ ,f icl9'-W.D 8d g 3'#1 000300090003-1
c, saHys young er , a former edi- message needs the medium. ""These peo-
tor of the arvard Lampoon. "They'd plc want to be heard," says Simon and
say, 'Young people don't read that much Schuster's Moses, "and it's like do you'
so we won't publish a lot of stuff that prefer to have your work run off on a
would be of interest, primarily to the mimeograph machine and passed out on
young,' And, of course, that attitude was the street corner or printed tip with'
self-fulfilling.. Fortunately, the houses 200,000 copies sent out ail over the na-
have come to realize that kids do love to tion. The writers are simply following a'
read." Some of publishing's older hands pattern established by other radical, tin-
contend that what the kids really live to dcreround artists Iik
tl 11