RARA-AVIS: Re: RARA-AVIS Digest V2 #270

Lawrence R. (goldensam@sprintmail.com)
Sun, 26 Apr 1998 13:38:17 -0400 > Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 16:54:10 -0700
> From: Reed Andrus <randrus@home.com>
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: Ellery Queen & FIRSTS, Book Collectors Mag
>
> Recently subscribed to FIRSTS, a very good monthly periodical that
> focuses on book collecting, first editions, and related literary items
> relevant to bibliophiles. The latest issue (May) contained a couple of
> items that might be interesting to Rara-avians. Don't think I'm
> violating anything by reprinting a letter to the editor:
>
> "Dear Firsts,
> Your "From The Editor" column in the March, 1998 issue refers to an
> "Ellery Queen title that is not only rare, but written under a
> little-known variant pseudonym"
>
> "I am one of the sons of Frederic Dannay who, with Manfred B. Lee, was
> Ellery Queen. I don't think there is any Queen pseudonym that I'm
> unfamiliar with, so the only book I can imagine you were referring to is
> THE GOLDEN SUMMER by Daniel Nathan. That book was written by my father
> alone and was not a Queen title. It is the fictional memoir of his
> boyhood written under his birth name, Daniel Nathan, which he changed to
> Frederic Dannay before later assuming the Queen pseudonym (and then
> briefly "Barnaby Ross"), with his first cousin, Manny Lee. The name
> Dannay was formed by taking the "Dan" from Daniel and the "na" from
> Nathan, adding a "y" for sound and appearance.
>
> "When THE GOLDEN SUMMER was published (in 1953), the publisher (Little,
> Brown) wanted to reveal the connection to Queen, recognizing that it
> would help sales. But my father declined, preferring that the book stand
> on its own.
>
> "Thus, if it was THE GOLDEN SUMMER that you refer to, it was not a Queen
> title. And ironically, the "little-known pseudonym," Daniel Nathan, was
> my father's real name.
>
> "One Queenian twist remains to the mystery. Although family and friends
> (and Manny Lee) continued to call my father Dan or Danny even after his
> name change, Daniel Nathan may not have been his "real" name, after all.
> After his death, I came across a copy of his petition to change his name
> to Frederic Dannay from -- David Nathan!"
>
> signed: Richard Dannay, New York, NY
>
> The FIRSTS editor responds: "You are right. The book I referred to is
> THE GOLDEN SUMMER, and it was listed for sale by Janus Books of Tucson,
> AZ. It seems to me that after all that, any and al of Daniel (David?)
> Nathan's names are pseudonyms. And, of course, Little, Brown was
> correct: the Ellery Queen association is as important for sales today as
> it was in 1953.
>
> THIS IS REED: I'm not a Queen follower, but this kind of information is
> useful. The next issue of FIRSTS is targeted at gumshoes, with articles
> on Charlie Chan, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Inspector Maigret. Also will
> feature an article on collecting Charles Willeford, and another article
> on K.C. Constantine: who he is or might be.
>
> ... Reed Andrus
> Phoenix, AZ (rising)

Fascinating. Is Firsts on-line and if not do you have an address for it (snail
mail)? I have not seen it on the stands (even carriers of more arcane magazines)

Dick Tartow

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