New York’s Book Culture bookstores have reportedly fired 5 of their 30 employees following a vote to unionize earlier this week, the Gothamist reports. The story quotes emails from owner Chris Doeblin they obtained: “It was indicated to me . . . that two people in our mangament [sic] group voted in the union and effectively undermined the interests of the store. The store always being in opposition to the Union. Unfortunately there is no other recourse but to remove these people from our employ effective immediately.” The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union indicates it “has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the Doeblin for his illegal termination of the five workers.”
Margot Schupf has joined Time Home Entertainment in the new position of vp, associate publisher, managing Oxmoor House, with “editorial, strategic and business responsibility for the lifestyle side of our division.” Oxmoor House editorial director Leah McLaughlin will report to Schupf, as will the business development team, under Megan Pearlman. Most recently, the book publishing veteran was at new media start-up Archetypes.
Vice president at MacGregor Literary Sandra Bishop is leaving the agency after more than seven years to work as an independent agent. She says she “may consider invitations from agencies who can offer services to my authors that I can’t on my own, but I’m also exploring the idea of forming an agent co-op. I simply want to attach myself to the absolute best model for serving my clients in this ever-changing publishing landscape.” In a statement president Chip MacGregor said Bishop is “leaving the agency on good terms and is looking forward to continuing the great relationships she cultivated.” Going forward she may be reached at bishopspdx@gmail.com.
At Macmillan Children’s, Stephanie McKinley has been promoted to digital marketing associate.
Leon Husock joins L. Perkins Agency as an associate agent specializing in speculative fiction, as well as young adult and middle grade novels. He was an associate agent at Anderson Literary Management. Rachel Brooks will be joining the agency as a junior agent handling romance, young adult and new adult fiction and select picture books.
Guinevere de la Mare has joined Storybird as community program leader. Previously she was a senior community manager at Chronicle Books.
Paul Kozlowski, 60, died on Wednesday. Most recently associate publisher at Other Press, he worked at Random House from 1996 to 2009 in a variety of positions, after well over a decade as a bookseller.
Poet Allen Grossman, 82, died earlier of complications from Alzheimer’s, his son Lev Grossman tells PW.