Legendary B. Dalton bookseller Kay Sexton died October 17. She was 91.
The Pioneer Press has a long informative and entertaining obituary of the woman who was a bookseller at Dayton's department store, when department stores were still the single most important book retailers, then managed a Dalton store--the chain was founded by department store chain Dayton Hudson--and proved such a good buyer and bookseller that she eventually became a Dalton v-p.
As the Pioneer Press wrote: "Sexton's uncanny ability to pick winning books showed in her weekly in-house newsletter, officially known as Hooked on Books but affectionately referred to in the bookselling world as 'the green sheet.' This publication, featuring Sexton's thoughts on what books would appeal to middle America, became the bible of the publishing industry."
Sexton was also a mentor for many people in the industry. The newspaper wrote: "Her family recalls that her bookcase-lined office held 'the couch' where everyone from secretaries to book buyers and CEOs would come by to pour out their hearts or ask for advice. Her straightforward advice: Know your values, be true to your beliefs, and follow your passion."
She helped create the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and served on the board of Graywolf Press. The Minnesota Book Awards include the Kay Sexton Award, honoring an individual or organization for longstanding dedication and outstanding work in fostering books, reading and literary activity in Minnesota.
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Grant Hugh Kennedy, founder of Lone Pine Publishing, died last Tuesday, October 14. He was 79.
After working in radio and TV, including a stint on Canada's National Film Board, in 1980, Kennedy started Lone Pine Publishing in Edmonton, Alberta. The press is well known in Canada and the U.S. for its gardening books, bird guides and nature guides. It has published more than 800 titles with the motto "The World Outside Your Door."
In the late '90s, Kennedy retired to British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. His son Shane is currently president of Lone Pine Publishing.