David G. Hartwell

Clifton P. "Kip" Fadiman was an American intellectual, author, editor, radio and television personality. Fadiman grew up in Brooklyn, a grandson of the famed 1887-emigree Russian psychologist Boris Sidis and a nephew of the child prodigy William James Sidis. His mother Grace's maiden name was... Mendelbaum. His father, Isadore, immigrated from Russia in 1892 and worked as a druggist. Clifton graduated from Columbia University and worked ten years for Simon & Schuster, ending as its chief editor. He spent another ten years in charge of The New Yorker's book review section. He was emcee for the National Book Award ceremonies in 1938 and 1939, at least, and again when those literary awards by the American book industry were re-inaugurated in 1950. Fadiman became a judge for the Book of the Month Club in 1944. In the 1970s he was also senior editor of Cricket Magazine, where he wrote the book review column for children, "Cricket's Bookshelf". He received the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation. His witticisms and sayings were frequently printed in newspapers and magazines.
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