Aaron Sussman (1903–1991), Russian-born US journalist, author, advertising executive, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.
Life
Aaron Sussman studied chemical engineering at The City College of New York and journalism at New York University. He started his writing career as a reporter on the Brooklyn Eagle and the New York Daily News, and contributed to several other newspapers and magazines, including Popular Photography. He worked for publishers such as G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Random House. He had a gift for seeking out provocative books and advertising them, such as the US publication of Ulysses by James Joyce (at a time when it was considered risqué) and Grace Metalious’ Peyton Place. He also worked as a bookseller, a publisher, and as a partner in an advertising agency (Sussman & Sugar), specialising in advertising books. He wrote introductions to several books.[1] [2]
His most successful book, The Amateur Photographer’s Handbook (1948), was reprinted and revised until 1973. Sussman’s and Ruth Goode’s book, The Magic of Walking, was published in 1967 and reissued until 1980.
Connection with Alexander
It would appear that Aaron Sussman and Arthur Busch, a pupil and vocal supporter of Alexander, were friends. It would have been Busch or Aaron Sussman who took studio portraits of Alexander in connection with the publication of UCL and also pictures for Busch’s article ‘Heads Forward – and up!’ for Who – most of these photos still exist.[3]
In a 1940 letter Alexander writes that Macrae (perhaps John Macrae, the president of the publishers E. P. Dutton or one of his sons) considers Sussman ‘the foremost man in his profession of giving advice on manuscripts and the promotion of books, to publishers’.[4]
In the chapter ‘The science and art of walking’ in The Magic of Walking (1967) there is a brief description of F. M. Alexander and his work, which contains the following:
One of his [Alexander’s] most striking observations was that people who walk with their toes turned out also stand with their hands turned out, instead of letting them hang naturally with the thumbs against their sides.[5]
It then goes on to discuss the placement of the feet in walking, gait and balance.
Aaron Sussman *10 December 1903 – †10 August 1991.
See also Arthur Busch.
