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Naked Came the Stranger makes a debut appearance

by Carolyn James

Thirty -five years ago, a discussion over some serious drinking at a local watering hole led to the publication of Naked Came the Stranger, an international best seller by 24 Newsday reporters. The aging, steamy novel is now being republished, and this version includes a preface outlining how the book, conceived of bar room bravado became one of the greatest hoaxes ever pulled off by the publishing industry.

The year was 1966, and Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls had broken onto the literary scene, joining Harold Robbins’ The Adventurers and a host of others that attested to what many called the mediocre nature of the time’s best sellers.

That sentiment was summed up by New York Times literary critic Lewis Nichols who wrote that "Seldom has there been so wretched a collection of titles as appears today."

The books, and Nichols comments, came under the scrutiny of Mike McGrady, a Newsday editor at the time; Harvey Aaronson, a Newsday columnist, and John Cummings, a Newsday reporter, now retired. Cummings, an author and freelance writer who contributes to the Massapequa Post, Amityville Record and Babylon Beacon, concurred with McGrady and Aaronson that the advent of big money books had little to do with good writing. More significant, anybody could write a best-selling novel, they said, provided it had good sex, bad writing and a lackluster plot.

McGrady, Cummings and Aaronson set out to do just that, offering their colleagues at Newsday a challenge.

Drafting a general memo to "the finest writers on Newsday’s staff," and inviting them each to submit a chapter, McGrady added an outline to ensure a sense of direction to the writers, and a continuity to the plot. He added: "True excellence in writing will be quickly blue-penciled into oblivion," the memo added.

The chapters were written and reviewed and fifteen were selected. The plot was smoothed out, and within weeks, the novel by a hand full of hard-nosed reporters took the form of a heroine, Gillian Blake and her numerous sexual encounters in the fictitious Long Island community of Kings Neck was on its way to being born.

McGrady’s sister-in-law assumed the role of the writer, Penelope Ashe and was presented as a "demure Long Island housewife who thought she could write as well as J. Susann."

The book hit the New York Times best-seller list, the newspaper that eventually uncovered the hoax. By then, however, Newsday reporters had hit the mark, proving that if a novel was both very sexy and poorly written it was sure to become a huge hit.

With the secret out, the book became an international bestseller. It has since been made into a film and McGrady went on to write a follow-up to the book titled, Stranger than Naked, which disclosed the story behind the story.

Looking back at the project, and its writers, McGrady said he learned some things along the way.

"Our limits as suburban house husbands forced us to resort to cliches and to read other writers," he said laughing. "But the important thing was to remember that it was a joke, and to keep it in perspective and not to take it too seriously."

That was accomplished—to a point. Once the secret got out, and the book took off and looked like it was going to be a financial success, some of the writers hired lawyers, recalled Cummings. "Everyone seemed to be at everyone else’s throat, and I think it shows what can happen when money becomes involved in an issue; things change."

If the work taught them about each other, it also taught them about the reading public.

"It reinforced my suspicions that they were looking for an escape from their own lives, and that quality of writing had very little to do with it," said McGrady.

With the new release, McGrady said he’s heard from some of the writers (19 of whom survive and who reside throughout the United States) and that the reunion of sorts has prompted discussions about a sequel. "I have gotten such a joy from talking to my co authors and while I am not saying they want to do another book, my inclination would be to do a Hollywood take on it."

Of course, said McGrady, it would mean a book about a middle aged Gillian fighting an age discrimination lawsuit against her employer, he said.

The publisher, Lyle Stuart, who was in on the secret from the outset, is publishing the book again under his new imprint, Barricade Books of Fort Lee, New Jersey. The new edition includes a laugh-out-loud funny introduction by McGrady revealing the incredible story behind the ruse.

For information on how to purchase the book call Barricade Books at 201-944-7600 or go to www.barricadebooks.com.