Back in the l940s my uncle worked with Richard Corson who was an actor, playwright, and published author. He wrote four books that are still referred to as the definitive bibles of the stage and cinema: Stage Makeup, Fashions in Hair, Fashions in Makeup, and Fashions in Glasses. His books sell internationally and are published in several languages. You can Google him.
He also wrote children’s books. I recently went through some of my uncle’s papers and ran across the manuscript for Mr. Corson’s children’s book titled A Cookie for Abigail Twelve. It was typed on a typewriter (gasp!) and bound in one of those folders we used to use for themed essays, such as “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.”
Tucked inside the front cover was this rejection letter dated September 25, l958.
In this age of electronic submissions, a changing publishing industry, and impersonal form letters, I thought it might be interesting to harken back to the days of yore when rejection still hurt, but felt a tad gentler.
By the way, I read his manuscript and it is charming. In my opinion, it is publish-worthy.
This photo is of Richard Corson (right) and my uncle when they were in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac.
