Longtime Norton editor James L. Mairs, 77, died July 26 of heart failure, while also battling leukemia and Parkinson’s disease. Mairs first joined Norton as a traveling college sales representative in 1963 and rose through the ranks, promoted to vice president in 1970 and a company director in 1973. Mairs officially retired from Norton in 2002 but continued working at the same office both as editor of additional Norton books, including Jung’s The Red Book in 2009, and as founder and head of his own, one-man publishing house, Quantuck Lane Press, distributed by Norton.
Norton president and chairman Drake McFeely said in the announcement: “Jim Mairs was a jack-of-alltrades as an editor, who pursued his passions. Two of his books won Pulitzer Prizes—William Taubman’s Khrushchev and William McFeely’s Grant. He signed George Tindall’s America: A Narrative History, still one of the best-selling American history textbooks in that competitive market. His many books of photographs were among the best-produced books of their kind.” A memorial service will be announced for the autumn.
Barnes & Noble director Ann-Marie Campbell, who joined the board last year, announced that “she has decided not to stand for re-election” at this year’s annual shareholders meeting. The company says “Campbell’s decision not to stand for re-election does not arise or result from any disagreement with the company or any matters relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.” In her place, they have nominated accountant Al Ferrara. About to retire from BDO USA, where he is national director of retail & consumer products, Ferrara has worked with many retailers, including BN as a client.
At MIRA, Kathy Sagan has been promoted to senior acquisitions editor.
Lauren Spieller has joined TriadaUS as an assistant literary agent. Most recently she was a children’s scout at Mary Anne Thompson Associate.
Wren Hanks has joined The Experiment as associate publicist. Most recently Wren was associate editor at Sundress Publications.
Jen Adams has joined Sounds True as a freelance editor at large. Previously she was an editor at Gibbs Smith and Quark Books.