The New Colossus
Page 29
I’m sure there are harder things than selling a first-time novel in today’s fiction market, but I can’t think of one right now. When I had trouble landing an agent, I asked my friend Joan Harrison for help. She introduced me to Joe Veltre, who read the manuscript and wanted to handle it. Without Joan, I’m not sure you would be reading this right now. Joe was unwavering in shopping the book and found a warm home for it at Diversion Books. The people at Diversion plunged right in, especially Sarah Masterson Hally. With all the pictures and newspaper articles and clearance issues, the book was not easy to lay out, but Sarah doggedly pushed to make the final product look as good as possible. We also had a crack copyright expert in Rachel Goldberg, who obtained all the necessary clearances.
So far I have mentioned only functional support, but three years of writing a novel, and two years waiting until it reaches a general audience, requires emotional support as well, and in that regard I am blessed. My wife and daughters are my biggest fans, with my extended family and friends a close second. I am profoundly grateful. Dedicating the book to them all is my attempt to say thank you.
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About the Author
Marshall Goldberg has had a varied career as both a lawyer and writer.
An honors graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School, Goldberg was lead counsel on the extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and later served as legislative liaison for the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department.
In 1979 he moved to Los Angeles and spent the next 24 years writing for such shows as “Diff’rent Strokes,” “The Jeffersons,” “Paper Chase,” “Newhart,” “L.A. Law,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” and “Life Goes On,” along with eight television movies, three screenplays and an animated feature. He has been a Humanitas Prize and Writers Guild Award finalist, and taught screenwriting at USC Film School.
From 2003-2005 Goldberg put aside his writing career to serve as General Counsel to the Writers Guild of America, west. In late 2005 he left the WGA and began writing novels.
He is currently an adjunct professor at both Stanford and Michigan Law School.