Collinsworth, Eden 1954(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1954; daughter of E.T. Collinsworth, Jr.; married William Hamilton (a novelist, playwright, and cartoonist), July 26, 1986 (divorced, c. 2001); children: a son. Education: Attended Interlochen Arts Academy and Bennington College.

ADDRESSES:

Home—New York, NY.

CAREER:

Publisher, editor, writer, and business-person. Doubleday & Co., New York, NY, receptionist, 1975; Arbor House Book Publishing Co., New York, NY, beginning 1975, named president, 1983; Buzz, Los Angeles, CA, founder, president, and CEO, 1990-c. 1998; Hearst Corporation, vice president of cross media business development, 1999—. Serves on the board of directors for Literacy Partners.

WRITINGS:

It Might Have Been What He Said: A Novel, Arcade (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

In her first book, It Might Have Been What He Said: A Novel, Eden Collinsworth, herself a former publisher, tells the story of publisher Isabel Simpson, who meets ne'er-do-well bon vivant James Willoughby. Although he occasionally writes an outstanding article or essay for a magazine, James is self-centered, likes to drink, and lives the high life while Isabel is a hard worker who has become head of a publishing firm by the age of twenty-eight. Despite their differences, the two marry. However, James continues with his old ways, content to let his wife do most of the work and take on most of the family responsibilities. During a confrontation, James uses their son as leverage in an argument and Isabel tries to kill her husband during a fit of a rage by pushing him into busy traffic on a Paris street. James survives and leaves the family, eventually settling with a rich heiress who can continue to support him. Joy Humphrey, writing in the Library Journal, noted that the author "writes with originality; her dialog is clever and unexpected." Joanne Wilkinson commented in Booklist: "Collinsworth is a master of the tart put-down, near Austen-like in her keen analysis of the strange ways of the upper crust, and an ace tweaker of the conventions of the romance novel." In a review on the BookLoons Web site, Lisa Respers France wrote: "This is a smart, snappily written story that belies the fact that Collinsworth is a first time novelist."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 1, 2006, Joanne Wilkinson, review of It Might Have Been What He Said: A Novel, p. 18.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2006, review of It Might Have Been What He Said, p. 310.

Library Journal, April 15, 2006, Joy Humphrey, review of It Might Have Been What He Said, p. 65.

New York Times, April 27, 1986, "Miss Collinsworth Publisher, to Wed William Hamilton."

ONLINE

BookLoons,http://www.bookloons.com/ (November 20, 2006), Lisa Respers France, review of It Might Have Been What He Said.

Galleycat,http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/ (July 6, 2006), "The Many Hats of Eden Collinsworth."

Gothic Revue,http://www.gothicrevue.com/ (November 20, 2006), Sue Shackles, review of It Might Have Been What He Said.

Head Butler,http://www.headbutler.com/ (November 20, 2006), Jesse Kornbluth, review of It Might Have Been What He Said.

Hearst Corporation Web site,http://www.hearstcorp.com/news/ (January 11, 1999), "Eden Collinsworth Named Director of Cross Media Business."

Ladies-Room.net,http://ladies-room.net/ (November 20, 2006), Sandra Pianin, review of It Might Have Been What He Said.

Once Upon a Romance.net,http://www.onceuponaromance.net/ (November 20, 2006), Lori Graham, review of It Might Have Been What He Said.

PW,http://publishersweekly.com/ (January 23, 2006), "The Importance of First Impressions."

USA Today Web site,http://www.usatoday.com/ (July 5, 2006), Deidre Donahue, "A Publishing Pro Picks Up a Pen."*