Richard Baron

Publisher at Dial Press who took on An American Dream; the "stranger" Mailer chose over his regular publisher to absorb the risk of the serialized novel.

Richard Baron of Dial Press published An American Dream. Mailer explained that he gave the risky serialized novel to Dial rather than to his regular publisher Putnam’s so that “a stranger” rather than “a pal” would “take a bath” if it failed (see 65.5). Baron is thanked in the novel’s acknowledgments.