Robert Emmett Ginna Jr. (b. 1925) is a retired magazine reporter and editor, a film producer and screenwriter, and a Harvard faculty member. He co-founded People magazine, served as its first editor, and later was Editor-in-Chief of
Little Brown.
Early life
Ginna was born to
Robert Emmett Ginna, a
Rochester Gas and Electric executive, and his wife, the former Margaret McCall, both descended from Irish immigrants.[1][2][3] Ginna and his father were named for
Robert Emmett, an Irish revolutionary who was executed by British authorities in 1803.[3] After an admission to
Harvard College, Ginna enlisted in the Navy at age 17, serving in the Pacific during World War Two.[3] He graduated from the
University of Rochester in 1948,[4] and went on to get a Master's in Art History from
Harvard University.[3]
Career
In his early career, Ginna worked as a reporter and editor for Horizon, Life, and Scientific American.[2] In 1955, Ginna interviewed
Sean O'Casey for NBC television; A decade later, Ginna would produce a film about O'Casey.[5][6] In 1960, Ginna interviewed filmmaker
Stanley Kubrick for Horizon.[7][8]
In February 1962, Ginnna authored "Life in the Afternoon", an essay about meeting
Ernest Hemingway in 1958 Cuba.[9][10]
During the 1960s, Ginna was a screeenwriter and film producer. Ginna worked with famous filmmaker
John Ford on the film Young Cassidy, but Ford had to be replaced mid-shoot.[11][12]
In 1974, Ginna co-founded
People magazine and served as its first Editor-in-Chief.[13]
From 1977 to 1980, Ginna was the Editor-in-Chief of
Little Brown Publishing ; In that role, he was influential in writer
James Salter's switch from screenplays to novels.[14]
From 1988 to 2002, Ginna served on the faculty of Harvard University, teaching writing and filmmaking. In 2003, Ginna authored The Irish Way: A Walk Through Ireland's Past and Present.[15][16]
In 2006, Ginna was profiled for his role in creating an academic press at
New England College.[17]
Selected works
"Our Man from New York Observes Carol Reed Directing 'Our Man in Havana' " Horizon , Nov. 1959
"Life in the afternoon : Ernest Hemingway, some quiet conversations regarding fishing, writing, war, bars, wine, hunting, and so on" (1962) Esquire Magazine[18]
FDR (1963) with Roger Butterfield and Robert D. Graff
"Talking to Sean O’Casey on American Television" (1974)
"In Search of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'" (2002)[19][20]
The Irish Way: A Walk Through Ireland's Past and Present (2003)[16]
Ginna married Margaret Williams; The pair had two children. She died in 2004.[24] In 2017, their son dedicated his book What Editors Do to his parents.[25]
After his wife's death, Ginna was the companion of journalist
Gail Sheehy, who died in 2020 at the age of 83.[26]