Gawker
Peter Olson—widely reported to be stepping down from Random House after a debilitating bout of pneumonia—doesn't get much sympathy in the publishing industry. Here's how the publishing giant's chief executive will be remembered: as a money-minded philistine who's fallen victim to the same financial accountability he tried to instill at Bertelsmann's US book producing factory. But there is one endearing angle to Olson's comeuppance: his departure may have been dictated less by Bertelsmann's Teutonic board members than Olson's formidable wife, Candice.
The New York Times reported the 58-year-old Olson had been "distracted and unavailable" since falling ill in November. But the newspaper didn't explain quite why he couldn't be reached. Candice Olson—known as Candice Carpenter when she ran the iVillage website for women—commandeered all his communication devices, according to a friend. After she left the internet business, Candice Olson decided that she wanted to do something else with the rest of her life. ''I personally came to the conclusion that being a C.E.O. is hell,'' she said in an interview. By some combination of poor results at Random House, pneumonia and a domineering wife, Olson has had the same decision made for him.
The Olsons have five children, two adopted from Eastern Europe; and Candice was still attempting another natural pregnancy at the age of 50. This is the couple's first-encounter story. When Candice met the Random House chief executive in 2001 at a party—only three months before marrying—he heard her explain what she was doing after retiring from business. Mrs. Olson recounted to the New York Times: "I said I was trying to be the best mommy on Park Avenue. That's what captured Peter's attention.'' So the clichéd explanation for so many corporate exits—the desire to spend more time with one's family—may actually hold true in this instance.
But that's quite enough generosity for the departing executive, who acknowledged himself that he was a "pariah" in the literary reaches of the publishing industry. His critics remembered smirking relish with which he fired Ann Godoff and other editors who viewed publishing as an art rather than a business. Wandering around a book fair at the time, he told an interviewer: ''I recognize hundreds of people here. Many of them worked for me. Many of them I fired personally.'' He did not seem upset by this; in fact, he seemed amused, observed the Times' Lynn Hirschberg ''I fired him,'' Olson said as two men passed by. ''There are so many people here that I've fired that we could have a reunion.''
Comments
Floating down the East River right now there are dozens of odd little handmade dolls that have bits of rotten meat sewn into the space where their "lungs" should be.
Wasn't Candice Olsen also the one who sat her kids on the couch so they could watch her do her cardio? And that this counted as "quality time"? But that still might have made her the best mommy on Park Avenue.
He shoulda married the other Candice Olson. She's making bank.
She's described in one of those articles as "Cher's smart sister." Idk, I'm thinking more the Toos in 15 years.
Ha, Krucoff used to work under Candice in the late 1990s.
[gawker.com]
"''There are so many people here that I've fired that we could have a reunion.''
I can read only a little bit of this stuff at a time.
There are so many things about Olson that are repulsive.
When he was still riding high, he managed to portray what he was doing as a matter of bringing basic fiscal responsibility to bear on fey elitist literary types who knew nothing about the real world.
While in reality he was a very wealthy and powerful man blithely destroying the lives and careers of many brilliant people who never had much in terms of money or power.
Wow, there is no smile in that smile. She looks like she's about to chomp on some prey.
@Hamud Ibn Hamud:
I'm always so fascinated by your posts. And most of them leave me laughing my ass off. Are you in publishing? You don't have to answer of course.....
Candice was still attempting another natural pregnancy at the age of 50.
I can't image what mental contortions of the word "natural" she had to do to convince herself of that.
@Hamud Ibn Hamud: What you said.
i didn't know her back in the day but i remember when mentioning her name could start a knife fight
@BabyJewn:
This sounds like a very indirect way of asking if I personally ever scattered brick dust and powdered sulfur outside Olson's office door, or if I ever filched some seemingly innocuous thing of his, like fingernail clippings or a handkerchief.
Since I obviously know nothing about the dark arts, I don't know why you got the impression that I worked in publishing.
@Hamud Ibn Hamud:
Tee-hee. Anyway, whatever you are, I think you are hilarious (and scary!).
@BabyJewn: He is an arch angel.
@BeRightBack:
Indeed!
@BeRightBack: He's Uriel, right? In charge of Poetry, Wrestling and The End Of The World As We Know It...
Nick Denton: respectfully disagreed. Olson is no philistine. He reads over 300 books a year. the guy is smart and brilliant. In my few encounters with him, he was charming and seemed quite kind. he told interns at one point that Jennifer Connelly isn't as pretty in person. candid, and a nice man. I'm sorry to see him go.
@Hamud Ibn Hamud:
Well, if you don't work in publishing, you obviously toil in the fields of law, or investment banking, or real estate brokerage, or film production, or [substitute competitive, superficially prestigious industry of your choice]....
I also enjoy your posts.
@Lazy Susan: He's an Archon. Way outside of these little squabbles.
Olson I don't know, but SHE did a pretty good job. I wouldn't have wanted to work for her, but she did well.
@cyanidecygnet:
Either you're one of those Bertelsmann designed and manufactured autobahn-worthy young editors, or your main squeeze is one.
@Hamud Ibn Hamud:
neither, actually. I just like the dude.
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