American publisher. For seven years (1919-1926), Thomas Seltzer was one of New York City's most influential small publishers. Born in Russia in 1875, he was a proponent of progressive politics and experimental writing, a founding editor of
The Masses, and the first editor in chief of the Modern Library. At Thomas Seltzer Inc. he translated Tolstoy and Gorky, edited Chekhov and Turgenev, and published Henry James and Stefan Zweig. Most important, he championed D. H. Lawrence at a crucial period in his literary development, publishing the first U.S. editions of
The Rainbow,
Women in Love,
Sons and Lovers,
Aaron's Rod--twenty titles in all. Lawrence trusted him, enjoyed his intelligence and can-do spirit, and became warm friends to both him and his wife, Adele, who was very much a partner in Seltzer's business. In 1924 Seltzer was dragged before the courts for publishing the Arthur Schnitzler's sexually candid
Casanova's Homecoming. Defending himself nearly bankrupted him and he caved under legal pressures; his relationship with Lawrence became sadly strained. In the end, Lawrence moved to Knopf ( from
http://www.blacksparrowbooks.com/titles/lawrence.htm).
