The real story behind some cryptic dedications

By Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune

Last update: October 24, 2008 - 5:40 PM

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ONCE AGAIN TO ZELDA

By: Marlene Wagman-Geller.

Publisher: Perigee, 336 pages, $16.95.

Review: The stories behind all of those literary dedications are sometimes as good as the book.

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Some book dedications are straightforward. (Mark Twain dedicated "Tom Sawyer" to his wife, with affection.) Some are mysterious. ("Peyton Place" was dedicated "To George, for all the reasons he knows so well.") Some are, frankly, bizarre. (Ayn Rand dedicated "Atlas Shrugged" to her husband and her lover. And yes, those were two different men.)

In this appealing book, Marlene Wagman-Geller tells the stories behind 50 literary dedications, from Mary Shelley to J.K. Rowling.

Dedications are curious things -- often cryptically private, yet publicly proclaimed. They raise curiosity; we want to know the stories, gossipy though that may seem.

Wagman-Geller found her interest piqued by Grace Metalious' "Peyton Place" dedication, and she set about finding out who George was and what it was he had done.

George, as it turns out, was Metalious' husband, twice. Their relationship was stormy, and Grace was not interested in being a housewife. Once, when she started to clean the kitchen table, she reached for what she thought was a Brillo pad but was actually a dead mouse.

While she wrote her book, George tended house, cooked, and fed and ferried the kids. (Judging by the mouse incident, nobody cleaned.)

So, yes, I guess he knows what he did: just about everything.

The other 49 dedication stories are just as intriguing -- some are romantic, some are sad. They're fun to read, and they're better than gossip; they're true.

LAURIE HERTZEL

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Here are some of Books Editor Laurie Hertzel's favorite sites and blogs. Got a literary link to share? E-mail Laurie.

Reading Minnesota A blog that features Minnesota writers, illustrators, publishers, bookstores, and reviewers.
Talk of the Stacks An author series from the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
Poets & Writers The website for Poets and Writers Magazine--podcasts, author interviews, and writing resources.
Creative Writing A place to keep apprised of writing competitions in the United States.
Gather Minnesota Readers The Website for Minnesota Public Radio's books blog.
The Loft Literary Center The Website for the Loft, a local place for writers and readers.
Good Reads A way to track what you're reading, and what your friends are reading.
Lost Manuscripts Just what it sounds like - a blog (sporadically updated) devoted to missing and destroyed manuscripts.
Maud Newton Very hip, reviews, links, a little attitude.
bookreporter.com A plethora of online book reviews and reading guides.
Rain Taxi Rain Taxi Review of Books.