THE CENTER OF THE ACTION

The Center of the Action is essentially the same piece of which Mr. Weidman launched some 27 books ago with I Can Get It For You Wholesale. And while ostensibly about the publishing business (from books to merchandise to other media) it also deals with the geography of upward social mobility from East Fourth Street (a settlement) to 7th Avenue (the rags business) to lower Fourth Avenue (a marginal publishing house) to upper Fifth (success). And also with the tribal infighting between German and Galician Jews, or matzoh balls and kartoffelklosse. Knowing all the angles while cutting the corners is one Ted Leff who goes this particular route after discovering that the bookkeeper of Ralph Mattlin (Mattlin & Merritt--publishers) is siphoning off the cash balance. He insinuates himself into the job and finally into the firm and its ultimate takeover by an old Jew, Mr. Sissenwein, with millions and an old insult to pay off. . . . Weidman tells the story in his usual brash, brisk fashion and he's the one who patented the oy in Portnoy.