Barthold Fles

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Barthold Fles
Born (1902-02-07)February 7, 1902
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Laren, Netherlands
Pen name Jan van Straaten
Occupation literary agent, author, translator, editor and publisher
Nationality Dutch-American (Jewish atheist)
Period 1928-1982 (occasional writing)
1933-1986 (literary agency)
1935-1943 (translating)
Genre non-fiction, juvenile
Subject music, literature
Notable works books: Slavonic rhapsody, Briefwechsel; translations: Music here and now, Bambi's children; article: Chávez lights new music with old fires
Spouse Ruth Grünwald
Children none
Relatives Louis Fles, George Fles,
Michael John Fles, Bart Berman, Helen Berman, Thijs Berman, Giorgio van Straten

Barthold Fles (February 7, 1902 – December 19, 1989) was a Dutch-American literary agent, author, translator, editor and publisher.[1][2] Among his many clients were Elias Canetti, Raymond Loewy, Heinrich Mann, Joseph Roth, Felix Salten, Ignazio Silone, Bruno Walter and Arnold Zweig.

Life and career

Barthold "Bart" Fles was born in Amsterdam into an assimilating Jewish family. His father, Louis Fles, was a successful businessman and an activist against religion. Barthold had a tense relationship with his father, who wanted him into his business, while the young Fles was mostly interested in reading. Barthold read in Dutch, German, English, and French, anytime and at a tremendous pace. He did study business at a vocational school and found employment at De Lange publishers. In 1923 he left for the United States.[2]

In New York Fles found temporary employment as a violinist, painting apartments, selling vacuum cleaners and working for publishers.[3] In 1933, he established a literary agency in Manhattan, New York. Initially many of his clients were German refugees and other foreign authors.[4][5] He organized evenings for these authors in New York, in order to get them acquainted with the American book market.[6] From the 1940s onwards, however, most of his clientele was from the United States.[7]

In 1936 Barthold married Ruth Grünwald, a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera who had been just one year in the United States.[8] Ruth assisted Barthold at his literary agency.[9] Later she left him.[10]

Fles was a special figure in the lives of many of his clients. He kept closely in touch, encouraged his authors to concentrate on their art, and arranged fellowships with literary funds.[3][11] Still, some clients moved on to larger agencies, or were later represented by publishing houses, lawyers, or by themselves, often after long relationships. An exception was Anaïs Nin who left him soon after she joined his client circle, citing unorganized business conduct as a reason.[12] "Bonjour, friend, and good-bye, literary agent", she wrote to him.[12] In biographical notes on Fles, however, she stated that he had refused to take on her boyfriend Henry Miller.[12] Miller himself also had hard feelings, calling Fles dishonest and part of the publishing establishment.[13] Fles was influential during several decades in getting blacklisted authors published.[14][15]

Although he had no children of his own, Barthold Fles wrote two juvenile books: Slavonic rhapsody: the life of Antonín Dvořák (1948) under the pseudonym Jan van Straaten (Van Straaten being his mother's maiden name), and East Germany (1973). He also wrote introductions to compilations and many articles and translated several books from German to English. Among the translations was another children's book, Bambi's Children by Felix Salten.[16] His non-fictional writings and his translations received considerable praise, except for his book on Germany. This book was clearly outside his (music and literature) expertise and sealed his writing for publication, set aside an intro to More by Dell Shannon (1982) by his prolific client Elizabeth Linington.[17]

In 1986, at the age of 84, Fles closed his agency. Subsequently he returned to his native Netherlands,[18] where he spent his last three years in Laren's Rosa Spier home for retired artists.[4][19] At Rosa Spier he was approached by Madeleine Rietra, a Dutch expert on German literature, who posthumously published his letter exchange with clients Joseph Roth (bookchapter in 1991)[4] and Heinrich Mann (book in 1993),[20] along with commentaries and biographical notes.

Death

Barthold Fles, a diabetic for several decades, died on December 19, 1989, aged 87.

Clients

Publications

Books

Written

Compiled

Translated

Published

These German poetry books were published by Barthold Fles Verlag, New York

  • 1941 - Max Herrmann-Neisse: Letzte Gedichte
  • 1941 - Barthold Viertel: Fürchte dich nicht! Neue Gedichte
  • 1942 - Hans Sahl: Der hellen Nächte, Gedichte Aus Frankreich
  • 1942 - Max Hermann-Neisse: Mir bleibt mein Lied, Auswahl aus unveröffentlichten Gedichten (posthumous publication)

Articles

Written

Translated

Biography

  • Madeleine Rietra: "Der New Yorker Literaturagent Barthold Fles als Vermittler zwischen der alten und neuen Welt (1933-1945)" in Batts MS (ed.): Alte Welten - neue Welten, Akten des IX. Kongresses der Internationale Vereinigung für Germanische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1996, p. 164. ISBN 3-484-10718-9.
  • Madeleine Rietra: "Heinrich Mann/Barthold Fles: Autor/Agent" in Würzner H, Kröhnke K (eds.): Deutsche Literatur im Exil in den Niederlanden 1933-1940. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1994, p 151-162. ISBN 978-90-5183-649-3.

References

  1. ↑ Bleiler EF: The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, page 189. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1983.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Spoor Andrew: Een literaire vroedvrouw; Briefwisseling van Heinrich Mann en zijn Amerikaanse uitgever (English: A literary midwife; Letter exchange of Heinrich Mann and his American Publisher). NRC Handelsblad 1994-05-06. Accessed 2008-07-15.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rietra M: "Muß man dann immer postwendend Geld senden um überhaubt mit Ihnen verkehren zu können? Joseph Roth und Barthold Fles in Briefen", in Onderdelinden S: "Interbellum un Exil", page 199. Rodopi Publishers, 1991.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ester, H: "Correspondentie Heinrich Mann-Barthold Fles: Soms waait er een gure wind uit de brieven, dan kan er geen groet vanaf", Trouw, September 30, 1993
  6. ↑ Groth, M: "The Road to New York: The Emigration of Berlin Journalists, 1933-1945", page 248. K. G. Saur, 1988.
  7. ↑ Cazden, R: "German Exile Literature in America, 1933-1950", page 147. American Library Association, 1970.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Nin A: Fire. Harvest ,1996. ISBN 978-0-15-600390-2.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lewis Buell E: A Fine Sequel to That Modern Classic, "Bambi". New York Times December 3, 1939: BR105.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Shannon, D (Linington, E): "More by Shannon". Doubleday, 1982.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 "Agent Barthold Fles to retire to artists' colony near Amsterdam." Publishers Weekly 228 (Nov. 29, 1985): p. 14
  19. ↑ "Barthold Fles (Obituary)". Publishers Weekly 237 (Jan 12, 1990): 19.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Heinrich Mann: "Briefwechsel mit Barthold Fles". Aufbau, 1993.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Margaret Bearden papers: Folder listing.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Branscum R: Cheater and Flitter Dick. Viking Press, 1983.
  25. ↑ 25.00 25.01 25.02 25.03 25.04 25.05 25.06 25.07 25.08 25.09 25.10 25.11 25.12 25.13 25.14 25.15 25.16 25.17 25.18 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 26.7 26.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Fred CJ: Maverick: Fifty Years of Investigative Reporting, page 183.
  28. ↑ The Book of the Sea, page vi.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Henry B. Maloney (1973): Goal making for English teaching, p. 14.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Full text of "KPFK program folio"
  33. ↑ "Margaret Larkin, Writer, 67, Dead; Poet and Ex-Union Activist Aided Lewis on 'La Vida'." New York Times May 11, 1967, page 47.
  34. ↑ Raymond Loewy Archives: "Accession 2251", Hagley Museum and Library.
  35. ↑ Miller H and Laughlin J: Selected Letters, page 2. W. W. Norton & Company, 1995.
  36. ↑ Ullmann L and Rose PI: The Dispossessed: An Anatomy Of Exile, page 321. University of Massachusetts Press, 2004.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Munson G: The Writer's Workshop Companion, page v. Farrar, Straus and Young, 1951.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ "Greenbie v. Noble (Levet J.)." United States Patents Quarterly 1957: 115-124?.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Stephen J. Herzog: Minority group politics, p. 281 and p. 322.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Waters F: Of Time and Change: A Memoir, page 216
  47. ↑ Serke J: Böhmische Dörfer: Wanderungen durch eine verlassene literarische Landschaft, page 92. Zsolnay, 1987.
  48. ↑ Typton G: "Review: Two Biographies." Music Educators Journal 35 (6) (May-Jun, 1949): 46-47.
  49. ↑ Jackson MM: "East Germany (Book Review)." School Library Journal 21(1): 103, 9/1974
  50. ↑ Birge EB: "Music here and now (bookreview)." Music Educators Journal 26 (4): 48, Feb 1940.
  51. ↑ Gould J: America Through a Refugee's Eyes. New York Times Nov 7, 1943: BR5.
  52. ↑ Oja CJ: Making Music Modern: New York in the 1920s. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, page 445. ISBN 0-19-516257-9.
  53. ↑ Stevenson R: "Carlos Chávez’s United States Press Coverage". Aztlán 14 (1) (Spring 1983): 21-33.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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