Baker & Taylor has announced a “paradigm shift to category buying” to serve customers better “and respond to market changes.” EVP of merchandising and president, retail markets David Cully says: “The Merchandise Buyer function focuses on leveraging category expertise as a sales advantage in the retail and library markets. Likewise, the Merchandise Planner function focuses on data mining and statistical modeling to improve forecasting and reduce friction in the supply chain.. SVP merchandising Jean Srnecz will supervise both the divisional Merchandising directors [Allen Johnson: basics (nonfiction), Sally Neher: fashion (key new releases and Speedstock), Rick Shalayda: children’s and small press, […]
Personnel
Personnel News
In the Dutton and Gotham publicity department, Beth Parker has been promoted to associate publicity director and Amanda Walker has been promoted to publicity manager.
Personnel News
John Rudolph has been promoted to executive editor for Putnam Children’s, where has worked since August, 2001. Katie Henderson, previously at Bloomsbury, is now an associate editor at Doubleday. Ethan Friedman is leaving Collins Business. Lisa Grubka has left the William Morris Agency after six years to join Foundry Literary + Media.
Personnel News
At Goldberg McDuffie Communications, Kathleen Carter has been promoted to senior publicist and Liza Lucas has been promoted to publicist. In the UK, David & Charles has named Stephen Bateman as managing director and publisher, starting in mid-August. He has been working for France, and set up DK’s children’s division there. David & Charles’ UK operation has previously been run out of F+W’s US office.
Thomas Disch, Novelist, Said to Take His Own Life
The “author, poet and critic who twisted the inherently twisted genre of science fiction in new, disturbing directions, including writing his last book in the voice of God, died on Friday in his Manhattan apartment. He was 68. “His friend Alice K. Turner said Mr. Disch shot himself. She and other friends told how his apartment had been devastated by a fire; then his partner of more than 30 years died; then his home in Barryville, N.Y., was flooded; and finally, he faced eviction after he returned to the apartment.” His friend, novelist Norman Rush, tells the NYT: “He was […]
Parry Departs
Agent Emma Parry has left Fletcher Parry “to pursue new challenges” as of July 1. Partner Christy Fletcher will take over Parry’s clients and continue to work non-exclusively with UK agents alongside Melissa Chinchillo, recently promoted to full agent and rights director. “New additions” to the agency’s staff are planned for the fall and Fletcher will retain the name “for the time being.”