Former Putnam vp, executive art director Ann Spinelli died on May 9 at 77. Starting in 1981, she worked at Putnam for 30 years, and designed and art directed covers by Tom Clancy, Amy Tan, Kurt Vonnegut and others. “Ann is remembered as a mentor to the designers whose careers she launched and who are top talents in publishing today. Ann was passionate about design, the authors and artists with whom she worked, and the colleagues with whom she collaborated. Her kindness, generosity, and unique sense of humor left an indelible mark on all,” the publisher said in a statement.