I’ve never had a literary agent or an editor, but I developed a deep appreciation for those skill sets after hearing Mary Norris, copy editor at The New Yorker, read from her book Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen several years ago. Today, there’s a film playing in theaters that expands my appreciation exponentially.
Turn Every Page is a recent documentary that chronicles the 50-year relationship of Robert Gottlieb, the editor-in-chief at Alfred A. Knopf Inc. and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro. The film is the result of a seven year-long project by Lizzie Gottlieb, Robert’s daughter and an accomplished film maker in her own right.
It might be hard to imagine how a film about an editor and writer could be a thriller — but it is. Caro is 86, Gottlieb 91, and their drama revolves around the much-anticipated completion and publication of the last volume (Volume 5) of Caro’s biography of Lyndon Baines Johnson. This concluding volume details his presidency during the Vietnam War years. The first four volumes run to more than 3,000 pages.
Much of the film centers on the book that brought the two together, The Power Broker, Caro’s biography of Robert Moses, who was the most influential urban planner and developer in American history. Moses was the controversial man responsible for planning and building more than 627 miles of freeways and connecting roads around New York City without ever holding elective office.
The Power Broker won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1974. In its final form the book came in at 1,336 pages. Gottlieb cut more than 350,000 words (700 pages) from the manuscript to reach the final count, and they argued about every semicolon. Fifty years later they still do.
Editing Caro is no easy task, but Gottlieb is no lightweight. His stable of authors has included Toni Morrison, John LeCarre, Doris Lessing, Michael Crichton, Nora Ephron, and Mordecai Richter. And, as Joseph Heller’s editor, the one responsible for changing the name of Heller’s novel from Catch-18 to Catch-22.
If you have even a passing interest in writers and the role of their editors, Turn Every Page is a master class in editing relationships and should not be missed. Gottlieb, who earlier in his career served as Editor-in-Chief at Simon and Schuster and The New Yorker, says he views the editor’s job as helping the writer deliver his vision, not changing the work. His aim is to add clarity to the writer’s intention.
Along the way, the filmmaker brings in New Yorker editor David Remnick, novelist Colm Toibin, late night TV host Conan O’Brien, and actor Ethan Hawke to add content and appreciation for both writer and editor.
One of the more interesting exchanges between involves an extended discussion on the use of the semicolon. Both are adamant about the purpose of that particular punctuation, and when the discussion gets overheated Caro often leaves the room to avoid intemperate outbursts. It reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut’s strong views on the same subject: “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you went to college.”
Vonnegut’s opinion was not given in the film, but other literary opinions were expressed. Colm Toibin praised Gottlieb and Caro for their attention to the rhythm of the prose, something more often alluded to in fiction than non-fiction. And Mary Norris made a cameo appearance with a remark about commas.
The most agreed-upon opinion, however, is that the first requirement for an editor is to be a good reader. Childhood photos of both Caro and Gottlieb reading as very young children are included to make the point. Such serious readers will be richly rewarded by seeing these two veteran wordsmiths in action. It’s in theaters now but should be streaming soon.
Thanks for this piece, Jack. It is a reminder of how much is owed to a really good editor and how seldom we pay tribute to those unsung heroes. I have been lucky enough to have scored some giants among them. I think fondly of so many: people like Beth DeWeese at WSU Press, copy editors at the P-I and Seattle Times, Joe Copeland at Crosscut and now editors at Postalley.org. I stand in awe.
There’s also a recent and very good NPR Fresh Air interview with Mr. Gottlieb and his daughter (the film maker), originally played on January 3, 2023 (I believe).
Inspired by your review, Jack, I went to see this film this afternoon and just loved it. What superb gentlemen, and what a friendship!
Has Caro’s final book on Johnson been published? I have been waiting years for it. Thank you. I love your articles.
Alas, I believe Caro is still “at work” on this. Hoping to live long enough to see it in print has been on my personal prayer list since I read the final words of Caro’s massive “Passage of Power,” covering the post-Kennedy assassination legislative triumphs –
“In the life of Lyndon Baines Johnson, this period stands out as different from the rest, so perhaps that life’s finest moment, as a moment not only masterful, but, in its way, heroic. If he had held in check those forces within him, had conquered himself, for a while, he wasn’t going to be able to do it for very long. But he had done it long enough.”
We yearn for Caro’s account of the sometimes-Shakespearian tragedy to come.
It looks like the book is about 1/3 finished. At this rate it’s unlikely that he’ll finish it anytime soon. He’s 86 and Gottlieb is 91. Your guess is as good as mine. I suspect it will be finished by a surrogate if he’s not able to complete it. It may be the most interesting of the five volumes as it deals with the Vietnam years and his decision not to run for re-election.