Just a few notes to clear up some questioned details in this forum:
1. I started my publishing career with Little, Brown & Co. in New York City then Boston, MA in 1964 and resigned as their National Sales Manager to start my own venture in 1971 in the Midwest. I expanded my business from the Midwest to include the Southeast, Southwest and, eventually in 1976, the mid-Atlantic territory. The mid-Atlantic territory proved to be so highly successful that I sold the other three territories to an associate and moved to Gaithersburg, MD in 1979. JM and the BSP were continuous publisher-clients throughout the 30 plus years in all territories. There was never a break in representation with WJW Associates, Inc.
2. The Noel Young letter of JM re Noel's Capra Press and our representation thereof referred to in the NM archives,
http://elibrary.unm.edu/oanm/NmU/nmu1#mss313bc/, of BSP correspondence is a surprise as I have the original sent to me by JM in confidence. At the time JM was concerned about a dissolution of our efforts if we took on Capra Press and most politely asked us to decline representation. (Noel was one of the printers for BSP as well as a fledgling publisher) There were other confidential matters discussed in correspondence as well. In the light of today, some of those matters seem silly, but were thought important at the time.
3. I have saved the over 30 years correspondence with JM. It is mostly business related letters and notes, a few are personal, of which none appear in that archive. Maybe because its worthless.
4. I have always gotten a grin over John's "imperfect sense of the geography of the eastern seaboard." Does anyone else think NYC may be close to Buffalo, NY? *S*
5. John told me it took only as long as his conversation with his wife Barbara took to decide to accept the HarperCollins offer, as she agreed completely that the timing was right. Yes, 9/11 was one factor in their decision as that event had a negative impact on nearly all commerce in America. (If anyone was wise enough to buy into Las Vegas casino stocks one month after 9/11, they would be most comfortable today.)
That's it for now. Hope it wasn't over long and boring to read.