Byron Dobell (May 30, 1927 – January 21, 2017) was an American editor and artist. He is considered "one of the most respected and accomplished editors in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

magazine publishing history," the editor of several popular American magazines, including '' American Heritage'' and ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

''.Reagan, Gillian
"Byron Dobell, Former Ubiquitous New York Editor, Opens Art Show"
''The Observer'', 7 July 2012. Accessed 8 June 2016. He is credited with helping the early careers of many writers such as

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

David Halberstam David Halberstam (April 10, 1934 April 23, 2007) was an American writer, journalist, and historian, known for his work on the Vietnam War, politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, Korean War, and late ...

and

Mario Puzo Mario Francis Puzo (; ; October 15, 1920 – July 2, 1999) was an American author and screenwriter. He wrote crime novels about the Italian-American Mafia and Sicilian Mafia, most notably ''The Godfather (novel), The Godfather'' (1969), which h ...

. In 1998, Dobell was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. Dobell also wrote essays and poems that were published in, among others, ''

The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to Phi Beta Kappa society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his groundb ...

'', ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'' and '' The Southampton Review''.

Journalism

Tom Wolfe

In 1963,

approached Dobell at ''

'' to propose an article on the

hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...

and

custom car A custom car is a passenger automobile, vehicle that has been altered to engine tuning, improve its performance, change its aesthetics, or combine both. Some automotive enthusiasts in the United States want to push "styling and performance a st ...

culture of Southern California. Wolfe struggled with the article, developing writer's block, and was unable to complete it. Dobell suggested that Wolfe send him his notes so they could piece the story together. Wolfe procrastinated until, on the evening before the article was due, he worked all night typing a letter to Dobell explaining what he wanted to say on the subject, ignoring all journalistic conventions. Dobell's response was to remove the salutation "Dear Byron" from the top of the letter and publish it intact as reportage. The result, published in the November 1963 issue, was "There Goes (Varoom! Varoom!) That Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby." The article was widely discussed — loved by some, hated by others — and helped Wolfe publish his first book, '' The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby''. Wolfe also credited Dobell with the idea of changing Sherman McCoy, the protagonist of Wolfe's novel '' Bonfire of the Vanities'', from a writer to a bond trader.

Mario Puzo

As the editor of ''Book World'' from 1967-1969, Dobell published numerous book reviews by

, including the first book review Puzo ever wrote. "I think Byron ... was the only guy who would have printed it and certainly the only guy who would have given it a front page."

Art career

In 1990, Dobell left journalism to fulfill a long-held passion: portrait painting. In the years that followed, Dobell painted many of his friends and colleagues and others on commission, including

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

founder

Clay Felker Clay Schuette Felker (October 2, 1925 – July 1, 2008) was an American magazine editor and journalist who co-founded '' New York'' magazine in 1968 and ''California'' magazine (first known as ''New West'') in 1976. He was known for bringing nume ...

and chief operating officer of Forbes, Tim Forbes. Dobell's paintings of

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1962 to his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and ...

, Betty Friedan, and

are in the collection of the Smithsonian’s

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

. He was an artist member of New York’s Century Association and was a Visiting Artist at the

American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome, Italy. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History 19th century In 1893, a group of American architect ...

in 2006. Between 1994 and 2015, Dobell had 11 solo shows in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, consisting primarily of landscapes, still lifes and life studies.''The New Yorker'', December 24, 2012, page 24

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dobell, Byron 1927 births 2017 deaths American magazine editors American portrait painters The High School of Music & Art alumni Columbia College (New York) alumni Artists from the Bronx Writers from the Bronx