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gallivanting about with Sylvia. Random House came in a very bad second that year, and poor Donald had to take care of the business.

Before I met Sylvia, we had decided to back Story Magazine, with Whit Burnett and Martha Foley. They had founded Story Magazine in Europe. With Harry Scherman of the Book of the Month Club, we put up the money to bring them and Story to America. But they never got very far with it here. They did discover William Saroyan. One day Whit Burnett, who talked everybody to death, barged into my office and said there was a girl outside he thought I'd like to meet--one of his new authors. I said I was so busy I couldn't see anyone. And he said, “All right, but she's Ambassador Dodd's daughter.” That was different! Ambassador Dodd was our ambassador to Germany. I enthused, “Oh, why didn't you say so? By all means, bring her in!”

This was how Martha Dodd made her entrance to the Random House scene. She caused plenty of trouble to both Donald and me before we were finished with Martha Dodd.

Did she work for Random House?

Oh, no. She was out to become a famous author.

And then did you publish her?

No.