Christina Miller is joining the Nancy Yost Literary Agency as administrative coordinator. She was previously at InkWell Management. Tishana Williams has joined Simon & Schuster Children’s in the newly created position of brand manager, novelty & licensed publishing, reporting to Valerie Garfield. She previously held positions in Disney’s Consumer Products Group, and most recently at Authentic Brands Group. Olenka Burgess has been promoted to production manager at Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull. Speculation continues about the backing of the new Pete Micelli-led Hollywood management and production company. The Hollywood Reporter has two sources that say hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen “is believed to have […]
Archives for August 2020
By Small Margin, Romano Remains on NBCC Board After Special Vote
The vote to remove Carlin Romano from the board of the National Book Critics Circle fell 9 votes short of the two-third of ballots required for removal, and he will continue to serve until his term is up in 2022. Only about 28 percent of members voted, and the 104 votes for removal comprised 62 percent of the vote tally. As the organization notes, “Proxy voting was a major factor in the outcome.” People voting at the meeting itself went 72 percent for removal, but collected proxy votes were only 39 percent for removal. The board declared in its report […]
People, Etc.
Kurt Mueller is joining Inkshares as coo. He was previously coo of The Onion for eight years. Cassie Mannes Murray has been promoted to associate agent at Howland Literary. Eugene Winick, 84, longtime president of McIntosh & Otis literary agency — which he acquired in 1985 — died August 21. Gail Sheehy, 82, author of bestselling Passages, died on August 24. Audio Audible has launched a new lower-priced subscription plan: For $7.95 a month, Audible Plus actually offers less. They provide “unlimited” access to what is actually a limited catalog of approximately 11,000 titles. The regular Audible subscription thus becomes […]
People, Etc.
Andy Bird will take over as ceo of Pearson, starting October 19. At that point, current ceo John Fallon will continue in the position until then, when he will step down from the board and remain as an advisor through the end of the year. Bird had been chairman of Walt Disney International most recently, and joined Pearson’s board in May. Board chair Sidney Taurel said, “Andy brings a wealth of international consumer experience, as well as significant expertise in building brands, transformational change and driving digital innovation. He is an inspirational and dynamic leader with an excellent track record […]
Barnes & Noble Education Is Finished Considering A Sale
After a lengthy investigation that started last December following “a number of unsolicited inquiries,” the Barnes & Noble Education board has once again found that it is doing a terrific job and has formally ended any consideration of a sale. “An exhaustive strategic review was undertaken and completed,” the release says. Fortunately, “At the same time, the company also made significant progress towards implementing and executing its digital transformation strategy, which further enhanced the company’s importance and relevance to its customers, particularly given the post-COVID-19 shift to remote learning.” Independent director Vice Admiral John R. Ryan says in the announcement, […]
NBCC to Vote On Romano’s Removal From the Board
Members of the National Book Critics Circle will vote on Carlin Romano’s removal from the board on Monday afternoon. A meeting will be held on Zoom at 5 pm EDT to discuss the situation, followed by a secret ballot. Romano wrote a lengthy open letter to members on Monday morning, giving his side of the controversy, which began in June with the drafting of an anti-racist statement. “I don’t believe I’ve done anything that remotely resembles what non-profit law or courts interpret as the rigorous standard of ’cause,'” Romano writes in an introduction to the letter. “My crime is to […]