Would-be retail turnaround specialist George Jones is being replaced immediately as ceo of Borders Group after two-and-a-half difficult years of failing to bring to the retailer to profitability. Taking over is Ron Marshall, most recently principal of Wildridge Capital Management, a private equity company he founded. Previously, Marshall was ceo for eight years of food distributor Nash Finch Company and prior to that he was evp and cfo at Pathmark. Earlier in his career he worked at Crown Books and BN College. Board chairman Larry Pollock says in the announcement, “it is imperative that the company more aggressively attack these […]
Personnel
Bookseller Glenn Goldman Dies
The founder and owner of the West Hollywood independent bookstore Book Soup Glen Goldman died on Saturday at 58 of pancreatic cancer. Goldman founded the store in 1975. LAT book editor David Ulin posted a personal remembrance on the book section’s blog. Separately, LA Observed reported right before Goldman’s death that “staffers and friends of Sunset Strip fixture Book Soup are contacting potential buyers.” They add that, “judging by emails circulating in L.A. book circles, the search has become urgent in recent days.” The LAT’s obituary reports that Goldman decided to sell the store on Friday. But Book Soup general […]
People: Barbara to Foundry, and More
After three years as agent and contracts director of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, Stephen Barbara will join Foundry Literary + Media as a full-time agent on Monday, January 5th. Barbara represents authors for both the children’s and adult markets and is bringing his entire list to Foundry. Also in recent days, in the UK, Harper UK ceo Victoria Barnsley and editor, memoirist and novelist (and Costa award nominee) Diana Athill were both awarded OBE’s on the Queen’s annual honors list, as Terry Pratchett was “flabbergasted” to receive a knighthood. On December 31, prolific mystery writer Donald Westlake, 75, died […]
People
At Grand Central, Karen Kosztolnyik (editor of the bestselling DEWEY) has been promoted to executive editor. Celia Johnson, who has worked with both Kosztolnyik and Les Pockell, has been promoted to assistant editor.
People, and More
Picking his top ten works of fiction for the year, reviewer Michael Upchurch tells readers “this will be one of my last columns as Seattle Times book critic. Due to changes at the newspaper, I’m moving to a more general arts beat. I plan still to weigh in on books now and then, but it won’t be with the intensity of the past 10 years. (Make that 22, if you count my freelance efforts.)” At Tuttle Publishing, Christopher Johns has been promoted to sales and marketing director. The Music Sales Group has started using Midpoint Trade Books as their distributor, […]
Kamil to Lead Random Editorial
Random House Publishing Group president and publisher Gina Centrello shares word of a promotion in advance of “present[ing] the organization and management team of the newly expanded” division “early in the new year.” Dial editorial director Susan Kamil will add responsibility as editor-in-chief of the Random House imprint while continuing to run Dial, reporting to Centrello. Current editorial director Jennifer Hershey will “provide complementary management of the day-to-day running of the editorial department” and report to Kamil; Kate Medina and Bob Loomis will continue to report to Centrello. Random House spokesperson Carol Schneider confirms that, per Centrello’s statement, the unit […]