Back in 1981 when the U.S. edition of J.J. Sempe’s Displays Of Affection was published, The New Yorker artist, Edward Koren, provided, as you see right there on the cover above, the translation and introduction. The Sempe-Koren connection extended beyond the writing of the intro to the book, as Koren was both friend and link to Sempe’s grand entrance to The New Yorker. I say “grand” because Koren recently told me that upon Sempe’s first visit (in the Fall of 1978) to see then Art Editor Lee Lorenz, he sold three covers. Three! And from there, the number soared to approximately a hundred over the years (several news reports in the past few days erroneously reported that Sempe sold more New Yorker covers than anyone else. The title actually belongs to Arthur Getz, with two hundred and thirteen).
After hearing of Sempe’s passing the other day, I checked in with Edward Koren wanting to reassure myself that he was indeed the person who introduced Sempe to The New Yorker. Koren replied:
“Yes, I did pave the way for Sempe at The New Yorker. Even lent him my office when I was away. And we did hang out, flaneurs in New York–on bike and foot.”
Koren pointed me to his introduction for Sempe’s Displays Of Affection, saying it “says everything of my admiration and awe of his talent.”
With his permission I’m including it here in its entirety:
