Marcella Smith, longtime bookseller and publisher, died on December 2. She was 78.
Her final and longest-lasting position was as a buyer for Barnes & Noble, where she also served as small press manager and head of vendor relations.
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| Marcella Smith | |
Smith's book career started in Washington, D.C., in the early 1970s, when she became a sales clerk at the Globe, a small bookshop near the White House. She soon became manager of the hardback department at Brentano's main Washington store, and, her obituary noted, "became a beloved fixture in the store, puffing away at Lucky Strikes as she kept track of inventory and the next big sellers, which she had a prescient knack for spotting. She had an oft-repeated refrain for such big hits of the day as Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough: 'It might not be great literature but it sells like hotcakes.' "
Her big break came in 1974, with the publication of All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. "Everyone in Washington wanted a copy, and Marcella ensured that Brentano's had copies on hand to sell. She spent hours on the telephone, calling warehouses and distribution centers around the country to secure books, and as soon as they arrived they flew out the door, hundreds of copies a day."
She was promoted to the New York buying office, then became manager of the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich bookstore. With the store's closure, Smith became a sales representative for St. Martin's Press and spent much of her time traveling around her territory in the Northeast and later served as director of special sales before leaving for Simon and Schuster and eventually Barnes & Noble.
Her obituary noted: "Marcella's apartment on West 46th Street, where she lived for more than 50 years, was a gathering spot for legions of friends, more than a few of whom found temporary lodging on the couch as they settled into life in the big city. From 1995 when she started sharing her life with her wife, Linda Mironti, parties and gatherings got bigger there and at their country home in Sandisfield, Mass.... They were both very active in the Sandisfield Art Center, and Marcella was quickly scooped up by the board to serve as board president for two years. She maintained an active presence, also chairing the program committee for many years, helping to secure art center events. In their almost 30 years together, Marcella and Linda traveled extensively, often in connection with Linda's duties as co-owner of Il Chiostro, a company offering workshops and programs in Italy with a focus on art, culture, food, and wine. Marcella's final trip with Linda was to Venice just a couple of months before her death, and on her return, she said she would always cherish the view of the Grand Canal from her window."
Smith left a message for her friends and family reassuring them that she was at peace with her passing. In her usual literary style, her farewell message was a quote from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "So long and thanks for all the fish!"