Joyce Engelson, whose career as a book editor spanned 40 years, died on Christmas Day 2009 of pneumonia. At 25, a graduate of her beloved Smith College, she was Editor-in-Chief at Abelard Schuman, the youngest ever to hold that title, and went on to be Executive Editor of The Dial Press, the Editor-in-Chief of Richard Marek Publishers at St. Martin’s Press, the Editor-in-Chief of Richard Marek Publishers at G.P. Putnam’s Sons, the Editor-in-Chief of E.P. Dutton, and Editor at Large for Crown Publishers. Among the hundreds of authors she edited were Richard Condon, who called her “the smartest girl in town”; Samuel Shem, whose “House of God” sold over four million copies; Norman Cousins, Heywood Hale Broun, Irving Howe, Gael Green and Ishmael Reed. She was the editor of the multi-million copy bestseller, “When I Say No I Feel Guilty”; “Making Love: How to Be Your Own Sex Therapist, one of the best selling sex therapy volumes of the 1970s; and “Captions Courageous,” the first contemporary comic captions book. She was the first editor to publish Max Frisch’s “Homo Faber” and the classic, “I’m Not Stiller” in this country An author of novels herself (“The Silent Slain,” “Mountain of Villainy”), her short stories were published in Playboy (first woman to be published there), The Atlantic Monthly, and the Quarterly Review of Literature. Twelve years ago, she founded, along with Jerry Gross, The Independent Editors Group.

Known for her fierce honesty with authors young editors at Richard Marek Publishers used to stand by her office door when she spoke to her writers just to see how a true professional plied her craft and with her colleagues, she inspired love, loyalty, and awe at her achievements. “Witty, intelligent and helpful, she was unique as an editor, a mentor and as a friend,” said Richard Marek, with whom she shared most of her professional life. “If you were Joyce’s friend, you had no greater champion in your corner. If you were her enemy, watch out!” She is survived by her husband and by her two children, Brom and Mandy, and a grandson, Julian Keifetz.