Biography
Albert Sidney Fleischman, born on the bustling streets of Brooklyn, New York, on March 16, 1920, found his formative years unfolding amidst the sunny landscapes of San Diego, California. In his autobiography, glimpses of his father’s endeavors are revealed during their New York chapter.
Originally hailing from the humble Ukrainian village of Olik, Fleischman’s father, known as Rivven, later adopted the anglicized name Reuben. Without the luxury of calendars, Reuben never knew his exact birth date. Desperate to evade the harsh conscription into the Russian army, Rivven and his father entrusted their fate to Ukrainian smugglers, escaping to Hamburg and then to New York aboard an immigrant ship. Among the Fleischman men, tailoring and presswork were common trades, yet Sid was the exception, unable to sew a stitch. In New York, Reuben transformed into Louie, embodying the spirit of "luftmenschen"—those impractical dreamers juggling trades for survival. After toiling long hours in suffocating sweatshops, he purchased a taxicab, only to later try his luck with a notions and ribbon shop, which soon failed. However, his move to San Diego was fortuitous, as he opened a shop on Fifth Avenue catering to the needs of sailors who, even in the Great Depression, had steady paychecks due to the naval base, making San Diego an oasis of prosperity in those dire times.
Fleischman's mother, emerging from a lineage of immigrant tailors herself, was a bright young girl forced to exchange her education for the humming of sewing machines in a factory producing ladies’ shirtwaists. Her path crossed with Louie’s in his notions and ribbon store, and by then, she was employed in a ladies' hat shop. Her remarkable card-playing skills, which she later used to help the family during the Depression, seemed to be a legacy she passed on to her son, the magician.
At the tender age of two, Sid received train tickets from his father to join him in San Diego. Though a "recalcitrant reader" in his early years, he developed a fondness for certain tales, with Robin Hood captivating him for a spell. His father, a masterful storyteller, would skillfully weave tales, while his mother, Sadie (Solomon) Fleischman, introduced him to the literary world through readings of Aesop's Fables and Uncle Tom's Cabin. His disdain for Simon Legree was notably fervent. Fleischman’s enchantment with magic was sparked when his father gifted him a nickel to attend a magic show next door to his shop. Declaring, "Someone else could be president of the United States. I wanted to be a magician," he devoured every library book he could find on magic, honing his craft enough to join the San Diego Magicians Club as a teenager. At sixteen, alongside his friend Buddy Ryan, he formed "The Ryan Brothers," touring the Sierras and Lake Tahoe with their magic acts one memorable summer.
Sid broke family tradition by becoming the first male Fleischman to graduate high school, soon joining the Francisco Spook and Magic Show for a tour across the Midwest. At nineteen, he penned a book, Between Cocktails, exploring the art of magic tricks, which was published in 1939 and remains in circulation to this day.
January 1940 marked Fleischman’s reluctant departure from the magical roadshow as he enrolled at San Francisco State College, pursuing an interest in writing. However, he discovered that "Writing fiction wasn't taught," leading him once more to scour library shelves for wisdom on crafting stories, yet finding the resources lacking.
A captivating read of Prescott’s The Conquest of Mexico inspired a journey to Mexico, where he climbed Aztec pyramids and met his future wife, Betty Taylor,...
(This entire section contains 1281 words.)
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a fellow student majoring in Spanish. Two days following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Fleischman, then a Naval Reserve member, was summoned to duty. Skipping boot camp due to his typing skills, he married Betty on January 25, 1942, in Yuma, Arizona, before settling in New York, where he worked at the U.S. Naval Recruiting Station. During this period, he sold a story toLiberty Magazine for $250, though it was his last sale until the war concluded.
By early 1944, with the monotony of enlistment papers wearing thin, Fleischman was transferred to Norfolk. Betty found employment there while he awaited his ship, delayed at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. Eventually, they made their way north to board the USS Albert T. Harris. A shakedown cruise led them to Bermuda by Christmas 1944. The vessel saw action in the Pacific, participating in invasions at Bora Bora and Borneo. The sea enchanted Fleischman, even as he longed for his wife. Following Japan’s surrender, the ship headed to Shanghai, China, a city that he claimed "turned me into a novelist" and spurred him to write five suspense novels set in the Far East.
Upon returning to San Diego post-Navy, Fleischman embarked on a freelance writing career instead of completing his degree at San Diego State College. However, after managing to earn only $470 in eighteen months, he opted to return to college on the GI Bill, proudly graduating at twenty-nine.
Starting his career as a humble copy boy for the San Diego Daily Journal, he climbed the ranks diligently, eventually becoming a seasoned reporter. His tenure continued until the paper ceased publication. Alongside some fellow journalists, he launched a weekly newspaper titled The Point. However, despite their journalistic prowess, they lacked the business acumen to turn the venture into a profitable enterprise.
In the bustling era of the 1950s through the early 1960s, Sid Fleischman immersed himself in the world of detective and mystery novels, crafting tales for renowned paperback publishers such as Gold Medal and Ace. One notable work, Blood Alley, captured the attention of John Wayne's production company, Batjac. This led to Fleischman being entrusted with the screenplay by the esteemed director, William "Wild Bill" Wellman. Collaborating with Wellman was, according to Fleischman, akin to a masterclass in fiction writing. Ultimately, Blood Alley made its way onto the silver screen as a major motion picture.
During his years as a screenwriter, Fleischman embarked on a new creative path with his initial foray into humorous children's literature, penning Mr. Mysterious and Company. Released in 1962, this playful narrative was crafted to entertain his own children, Jane, Paul, and Anne. In his Newbery Medal acceptance speech, he expressed, "I had wandered into the field of children's books," likening the discovery to finding oneself after being unknowingly lost. Fleischman relishes both the act of writing and the enthusiastic feedback from his youthful readers. Unlike their adult counterparts, young readers unabashedly reach out to authors. To foster these connections, Fleischman dedicates part of each year to visiting high schools, viewing his writing as yet another form of performing magic tricks.
From the very start, Fleischman's wit-infused tales have garnered him widespread critical praise. His sophisticated yet accessible writing style resonates with his audience, earning him accolades. Mr. Mysterious and Company achieved the New York Herald Tribune Spring Book Award in 1962. His subsequent work, By the Great Horn Spoon!, secured the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award, and the Boys' Clubs of America Award, all in 1964. The Commonwealth Club of California honored him with the Juvenile Book Award in 1966 for Chancy and the Grand Rascal. McBroom Tells the Truth earned the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1969, while McBroom the Rainmaker was recognized as a Society of Children's Book Writers Golden Kite Award honor book in 1974. Humbug Mountain was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1979 and also received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. His dedication to The Whipping Boy, a project he nurtured over nearly a decade, culminated in winning the prestigious John Newbery Medal in 1987.
