Nick Lyons
Born
Nick Lyons

1932 (1932)
Brooklyn, New York
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania, Bard College, University of Michigan (Ph.D. in English, 1963)
Occupation(s)Professor, publisher, writer, and fly-fisherman
Known forLyons Press

Nick Lyons (born 1932) is a fly-fisherman and angler who wrote for several magazines, published several books, and began a publishing company called Lyons Press.

Early life

Nick Lyons was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1932. He began fishing at the age of 6 at his grandfather's hotel, the Laurel House, in the Catskill Mountains.[1] He graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and then served in the United States Army. At the age of 21, he began fly fishing, a passion that would last for the rest of his life.[2] In 1963, he earned a doctorate in English from the University of Michigan.[1]

Teaching career

Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Lyons began working at the University of Michigan[3] as an English professor.[4] He then accepted a position at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) as an English literature professor in 1961.[5] At the same time, he worked as an editor at Crown Publishers.[1] He worked at CUNY from 1961 to 1988 and served as the executive editor of Crown Publishers from 1964 to 1974.[6]

Publishing and writing career

Lyons wrote from the age of 26 to 36, when he was first published in Field & Stream magazine. He continued a successful writing career, composing many articles for a variety of publications and eleven books over the course of his time as a writer.[1] In particular, he wrote a last-page column called the “Seasonable Angler”[6] for Fly Fisherman magazine for over twenty years.[2]

In 1977, Lyons acquired the rights to Art Flick's Streamside Guide,[2] which inspired him to eventually create his first publishing company as a subsidiary of Benn Brothers, Ltd. In 1984, he bought out the subsidiary rights, and Nick Lyons Books became an independent incorporated company called Nick Lyons Books, Inc.[3] The company initially focused on publishing books on fly fishing, but the list eventually expanded to include works on natural history, adventure, and a wide variety of outdoor activities.[7] In 1981, Nick Lyons partnered with Peter Burford, and the publishing house became Lyons & Burford, Publishers.[1] Lyons served as the president of the company for several years.[8] In 1997, Peter Burford left the company, and its name changed again to the Lyons Press.[3] In 1997, Lyons’ son Tony took over the company as the president and publisher.[7] Nick remained as the chairman of the board.[3] In 2001, Globe Pequot Press of Guilford, Connecticut acquired Lyons Press.[7]

Personal life

In 1957, Lyons married artist Mari Blumenau. The two had four children: Paul (1958 - 2018), Charles, Jennifer, and Anthony (nicknamed Tony).[3] Mari, who died in 2016, illustrated many of her husband's books[9] and was a prolific artist.(www.marilyonsstudio.com)

Later years

Lyons now lives in New York City.[4]

Publications

  • Lyons, Nick. The Sony Vision. New York: Crown Publishers, 1976.
  • Lyons, Nick. Confessions of a Fly Fishing Addict. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
  • Lyons, Nick. Bright Rivers. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1977.
  • Lyons, Nick. The Seasonable Angler. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999.
  • Lyons, Nick. My Secret Fishing Life. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999.
  • Lyons, Nick. A Flyfisher's World. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1996.
  • Lyons, Nick. Spring Creek. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1992.
  • Lyons, Nick. 'Fire in the Straw: A Memoir.' New York, NY: Arcade Publishing, 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lawson, Carol. “He Fishes. She Paints. The Twain Meet.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 1, 1997.
  2. 1 2 3 MacAllister, Patricio. “Interview with Nick Lyons.” Fly Dreamers, June 12, 2013. https://www.flydreamers.com/en/articles/interview-with-nick-lyons-a100.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Scott, Kim Allen. “Historical Note.” Nick Lyons Ephemera Collection, 1932-2005. Montana State University, Special Collections and Archival Informatics, 2011.
  4. 1 2 “Nick Lyons.” Simon & Schuster. Accessed February 1, 2021. https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Nick-Lyons/154175715.
  5. ↑ Smart, Paul. “Legendary Angler Lyons Remembers Opening Days.” Hudson Valley One, March 29, 2013. https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2013/03/29/legendary-angler-lyons-remembers-opening-days/.
  6. 1 2 “Nick Lyons.” FineReads. Accessed February 1, 2021. https://www.finereads.com/author/nick-lyons.
  7. 1 2 3 Barnes, Jim. “The Lyons Press: Fishing for Great Literature - and Niche Marketing Success.” Independent Publisher - feature. Accessed February 1, 2021. http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=419.
  8. ↑ “A Flyfisher's World.” Kirkus Reviews. Atlantic Monthly, June 1, 1996. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nick-lyons/a-flyfishers-world/. “Nick Lyons.” FineReads. Accessed February 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Mari Lyons". American Museum Of Fly Fishing. 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
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