Mary Todd (Toddy) Glaser: Editor Extraordinaire
Elegant and erudite, Mary Todd (Toddy) Glaser has retired after 20 years with Bird Observer. Toddy is one of the most competent editors I have known, not only catching spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style sheet errors, but subtly enabling authors to sound their best. She never edited with a heavy hand.
Toddy joined Bird Observer as an associate editor in 2006 and became managing editor in 2008, a position she held until 2014. Wanting to remain involved with Bird Observer with less responsibility, she decided that she and I should change positions. I became the editor in chief, replacing her and Paul Fitzgerald the former feature editor, and she became an associate editor again. She chose to edit all the Where to Go Birding and About Books articles, her two favorite features. As she got older, she limited her editing to Mark Lynch’s book reviews because she enjoyed working with Mark so much. (See Mark Lynch’s “Toddy Glaser, My Editor” below.) They worked together until she retired in December 2025.
It was great fun to work with Toddy. When it was time to update the Bird Observer style sheet—a tedious task—we met alternately at each other’s houses, working all morning, then rewarding ourselves with delicious lunches. Conversations would trend toward art and literature as well as birds. It took us a few months to finish the project.
I do not recall when Toddy became a birder or why she decided to join the Bird Observer staff. She had many interests besides birding and editing, such as playing bridge. With a Master of Arts from the Conservation Center of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, Toddy spent her career as a professional paper conservator and restorer of works of fine art on paper. She was also an artist; after she retired, she spent a couple of weeks annually, in Provence, France, to paint. It was a treat to get a note from Toddy on cards that she had created. She enjoyed the camaraderie of staff meetings and always showed up in a coordinated slacks and sweater set embellished with a dramatic strand of beads or other jewelry.
I and the rest of the Bird Observer editorial staff and board of directors thank Toddy for including the editing of our journal as one of her priorities for close to two decades. We will miss you.
Marsha C. Salett
Toddy Glaser, My Editor
Toddy was my first real editor. People who have never had an editor will not understand what a unique relationship that is. It is like a form of intellectual dating, all done via email. As many new writers do, I chafed at the prospect of someone who I did not know (at the time) having the power to change my words. But Toddy was not only a good editor, she was a kind one. Through Toddy’s edits I learned how to write better. She was always commenting on the book I was reviewing, adding it to her own reading list. Through the years we built up a personal relationship. I came to count on her catching all my spelling and punctuation errors. She would note my missed words or even sentences. (NB: I blame much of this on my word processor which to this day will lift sections of my writing and deposit them somewhere in the body of text above). And question my odd phrasing. There was a lot of that, though hopefully less as the many years have gone by. I actually looked forward to having my pieces reviewed by her, something I could not have imagined when I started.
I interview authors every week and I have discussed with some of them their relationship with an editor. Through these conversations I have realized how important having a good editor is to any writer. They are your writing partners. Toddy was a great editor and she will be deeply missed.
Mark Lynch
Thank You to Judy Marino on Her Retirement from Bird Observer
It takes more than 30 people to produce and support Bird Observer’s print journal and website, from editorial staff and web experts to bird sightings compilers, to managers and administrators. For almost 20 years, Judy Marino has quietly supported the organization working behind the scenes. She compiled all the journal’s indices—At A Glance, Book Reviews, Cover Birds, TOCs, and Where to Find Birds—so that finding what one needs is but a couple of clicks away. As editor, I especially appreciate being able to find past articles so easily.
Judy also served on the Board of Directors for several years, where hers was always a voice of calm, common sense, and practicality. She focused on what needed to be accomplished and helped where she could. Below, Judy sums up her association with Bird Observer.
I joined the Board in 2007, largely through the encouragement of Marj Rines and Carolyn Marsh. I had asked Marj if she could help me find the issue which contained an article about the first women who spoke at the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and that led to a discussion on how helpful it would be if the Table of Contents was online for all. She then encouraged me to join the Board. I hesitated since I was an inexperienced birder unlike the rest of the Board’s expert members, but ultimately, I said yes.
Bird Observer had a major influence on me as I gained knowledge and appreciation for birding and got to know some of the nicest and most knowledgeable people in the birding community. My contributions to Bird Observer proceeded in steps. I added “keywords” to the “Where to Go” entries, and eventually backfilled online the entire Table of Contents. My contribution to the Board was mainly to support the BO’s overall effort to eventually offer all the Bird Observer content online. I also helped arrange a facilitator for the Board to discuss ongoing challenges and next-step goals. At times I helped recruit new members, manned a table at some other birders’ conferences, etc. I retired from the Board when I felt my skills no longer were sufficient to move the web effort forward. Fortunately, shortly after that, Eric Swanzey entered the picture and created the website we all enjoy today.
Bird Observer thanks you, Judy, and wishes you all the best in the future.
Marsha C. Salett