Chad W. Post on the Complicated Honesty of Dalkey Archive's John O'Brien (1945–2020)

If you're a poet with a penchant for the work published by small presses like Dalkey Archive, and we know so many of you are, you'll appreciate Open Letter Books director Chad W. Post's clear-eyed remembrance of John O'Brien, who died in late November. Published at Words Without Borders this week, Post's article covers both the founding editor's checkered history—"[o]ver the six years I worked with him, I heard innumerable stories about fallings-out he had"—and his unflappable devotion to the books. Post was no slouch himself: "I read a lot of Harry Mathews at that time and decided I would do whatever it took to work for the press that published Cigarettes." Relatable. An excerpt:

John was an eternal optimist with unrealistic goals. He spent his career looking for an assistant who could read his mind. He gave a lot of us misfits a chance. He brought together some of the most talented readers and editors of our time. From Steven Moore to Martin Riker and Danielle Dutton (founder of Dorothy, A Publishing Project) to Jeremy Davies (formerly of FSG, now the US branch of And Other Stories)—and many more after my time—John attracted the best talent available. He might have left behind a slew of complaints, unpaid contracts, general frustration, and distrust, but he also gave voice to so many amazing writers and translators who otherwise would never have had access to this world. (The publishing industry is filthy with Ivy League grads complete with trust funds and industry connections, something that drove John insane and was a reason he gave someone from Bay City, Michigan with a BA in psychology from Michigan State University the opportunity to be the associate director of one of the most important publishing houses ever.) The books, the art took precedence over the pedigree. John fought like David, throwing rocks at the establishment to try and tear away the bullshit and create a more equal playing field.

Was he demanding? The most demanding human I ever met. Was he controversial? Most definitely. Was he unflappable? He had a vision of literature that was unwavering. Was he concerned about the future? All he wanted was for these books to out-survive him. And they will.

Read it all at WWB.