May 16, 2011

Inspired by the retirement of a legend in the publishing world, we examine the concept of editor as curator. And author Chris Bohjalian, live from the BOTNS Retreat.

The announcement that legendary Random House editor Bob Loomis was retiring was met with many a statement like "it's the end of an era." The New York Times ran a lovely tribute to Bob. Loomis is the long-time editor of Maya Angelou, William Styron, and many many others. This inspired us to talk about the role of editor in bringing books to readers. Many people who are not close to publishing think that editors spend their days correcting grammar and spelling. We examine the larger role that the editor plays in the book world, i.e., that of curator. And we want to know: are you interested in learning about the editor of your favorite books? If you knew that some of your favorites were acquired for publication by a single editor, would that make you likely to search out other books that they acquire? It's a topic of debate in publishing circles, and we'd love to know what you, the reader, has to say. (Editors, if you're reading, we'd love to hear your take on it, too!).

This episode also features Chris Bohjalian, recorded live at the Books on the Nightstand retreat in April. Chris' latest book, Secrets of Eden, is recently out in paperback, and Chris tells us some funny stories from his book tour adventures. He also goes into great detail about the research that he's done for his upcoming novel, The Night Strangers, which will be published this fall.