Robert Phelps

Biographie :

Robert Phelps : editor, author and translator,.
Mr. Phelps did much to introduce the work of the author Colette to Americans. He was also known for his editing of works by Jean Cocteau, the author and film maker.

Mr. Phelps was the editor of the highly praised 1966 work ''Earthly Paradise: Colette's Autobiography Drawn From her Lifetime Writings.''

In 1970, Mr. Phelps compiled ''Professional Secrets: An Autobiography of Jean Cocteau. Drawn From His Lifetime Writings.''

In 1949, Mr. Phelps and John Balcomb founded Grove Press, which in 1950 published ''Selected Writings of the Ingenious Mrs. Aphra Behn,'' edited by Mr. Phelps. In 1951, Mr. Phelps wrote later, he sold the publishing house ''to Barney Rosset and resolved to live by my typewriter.''

Mr. Phelps's 1958 novel, ''Heroes and Orators,'' was praised by Donald Barr in The New York Times Book Review for its ''meticulous observation and fine literary craftsmanship.''

Mr. Phelps was also a co-author of ''The Literary Life: A Scrapbook Almanac of the Anglo-American Literary Scene from 1900 to 1950.''

His more recent work included translating and editing ''Letters from Colette'' (1980). He also edited ''The Collected Stories of Colette'' (1983) and ''Flowers and Fruit'' (1986), a selection of Colette's writing about plants.

Farrar, Straus & Giroux plans to publish ''Following,'' a collection of personal writings by Mr. Phelps. The publishing house also plans to print ''Glenway Wescott's Journals,'' edited by Mr. Phelps, in the fall of 1990.