The Inner Sanctum

The Inner Sanctum was a term first used at S&S in 1930 when a certain room at the House became a hang- out for staffers who played Ping Pong, sorted mail, hosted after hours cocktails and exchanged ideas. Soon, The Inner Sanctum became quite famous in publishing circles and the term became identified with the company. Max Schuster and Dick Simon decided to use the name Inner Sanctum in the chatty advertising columns they ran in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times.

The column proceeded to extol the virtues of “Essandess” books. Inner Sanctum ads would admit an occasional flop, or congratulate other publishing houses on their triumphs, and sometimes would even admonish readers for ignoring a book! Occasionally, they mentioned movies and plays Max and Dick had enjoyed. These columns, which projected a distinct “Essandess” personality, appeared regularly from the 1930s to the 1960s.

In The Inner Sanctum blog, we hope to capture the spirit of the original Inner Sanctum by sharing news and ideas in a candid and collegial setting (only no Ping Pong!). We hope to do our predecessors proud as we revive this wonderful “Essandess” tradition in a distinctly 21st Century manner.