May Massee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

May Massee (1881-1966)[1] was a children's book editor. Massee became the head of Doubleday's first juvenile department in 1922. Upon leaving Doubleday, she started Viking Press's first juvenile department in 1932[2]. Prior to working at Doubleday, Massee had been editor of the American Library Association's Booklist[3].

Massee was the editor for a number of popular children's writers including Marjorie Flack, Ludwig Bemelmans, and Robert McCloskey[2][4][5].

In 1958, Massee was awarded the AIGA's medal for "recognition of [her] exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of graphic design and visual communication"[6]

It was to Massee that Madeline book creator Ludwig Bemelmans once wrote a note explaining his attitude towards writing a children's book: "We are writing for Children but not for Idiots"[7].

The May Massee Collection, was formed by colleagues and friends of children's literature editor May Massee and donated to what is now Emporia State University, in 1972[8].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lamson Library
  2. ^ a b May Massee and Marjorie Flack: A Classic Collaboration
  3. ^ New England Book Women
  4. ^ ALA Conference in New Orleans (June 22-28, 2006) Report
  5. ^ Bookwomen:Creating an Empire in Children’s Book Publishing, 1919-1939
  6. ^ AIGA Medalists
  7. ^ Notes to May Massee
  8. ^ May Massee Collection

[edit] External links


 This biographical article about a print editor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.