Spy vs. Spy

Jessica Hendra was inspired to lay bare the child abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Father Joe author and former Spy Editor in Chief Tony Hendra by an unlikely ally—an old colleague of her father’s. As Jessica writes in her upcoming memoir, How to Cook Your Daughter (the title of which is a takeoff on a satire Hendra penned for National Lampoon), it was Rudy Maxa, Hendra’s Washington Bureau Chief at the magazine and current NPR contributor, who encouraged her to speak out about her dad’s 2004 bestseller.

After reading a rapturous review of Father Joe by Andrew Sullivan in the New York Times Book Review (“it belongs in the first tier of spiritual memoirs ever written”), Maxa, who was best man at Jessica’s wedding, immediately called her and said, “If you have something to say about the book, let me know. I can get you to the right people.” Jessica, now 40, says she read Father Joe and was infuriated by the way her dad portrayed his supposed path to redemption—while glossing over the fact that he had repeatedly sexually abused her as a child. With Maxa’s guidance, Jessica contacted the Times and cooperated with a July 2004 article published on the cover of the Arts section that outlined and supported her claims. Tony Hendra vehemently denied the allegations and quickly fled to the south of France for an extended vacation. But if the buzz in New York publishing circles is to be believed, perhaps he should consider a return trip—the memoir, due out in October, is said to be devastating. Asked if he had any regrets about helping to expose his former boss, Maxa said simply, “A friend needed help and it was the right thing to do.”

Photo: Regan Books