Barthold Fles Dutch-American literary agent, author, translator, editor and publisher Date of Birth: 07.02.1902 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Literary Pursuits and Immigration
3. Literary Agent and Advocate
4. Personal Life and Relationships
5. Reputation and Controversies
6. Publications and Translations
7. Legacy and Death

Early Life and Education

Barthold "Bart" Flees was born into an assimilated Jewish family in Amsterdam on February 7, 1902. His father, Louis Flees, was a successful businessman and vocal atheist. Relations between father and son grew tense when Barthold's avid reading habits clashed with his father's expectations for him to join the family business.

Literary Pursuits and Immigration

Despite his father's disapproval, Barthold devoured books in Dutch, German, English, and French at an astonishing pace and at all hours of the day. He eventually attended trade school to appease his father, but he soon found employment at the "De Lange" publishing house. In 1923, Flees immigrated to the United States.

Literary Agent and Advocate

Settling in New York City, Flees worked as a violinist, painter, vacuum cleaner salesman, and publishing clerk before opening his own literary agency in Manhattan in 1933. His initial clients were German refugees and other foreign-born authors. Flees organized New York City readings for his writers to introduce them to the American book market. By 1940, however, the majority of the agency's clients were American writers.

Personal Life and Relationships

In 1936, Flees married Ruth Grunwald, a Metropolitan Opera dancer who had recently immigrated to the United States. Grunwald assisted in the growth of Flees' agency, but their marriage eventually ended in divorce. Flees played a significant role in the lives of many of his clients, maintaining close contact, urging them to focus on their writing, and even providing them with grants and scholarships.

Reputation and Controversies

Despite his dedication to his clients, several departed for larger agencies or to become freelance writers. Anaïs Nin notably left Flees, citing "disorganization" as the reason, but later hinted in her memoir that Flees' rejection of her boyfriend, Henry Miller, may have contributed to the split. Miller himself was critical of Flees, accusing him of corruption and complicity in the blacklisting of authors.

Publications and Translations

In addition to his work as an agent, Flees authored two children's books: "Slavonic Rhapsody: The Life of Antonín Dvořák" (1948) and "East Germany" (1973), published under the pseudonym Jan van Straaten. He also wrote numerous prefaces and articles, and translated several German-language works into English, including Felix Salten's "Bambi's Children."

Legacy and Death

In 1986, Flees closed his agency and returned to his native Netherlands, where he spent his final three years in the "Rosa Spier Huis," a retirement home for former artists in Laren. While there, he authorized the publication of his correspondence with clients Joseph Roth and Heinrich Mann, along with commentary and biographical notes. Suffering from diabetes, Barthold Flees died on December 19, 1989, at the age of 88.