Peter Kaplan, editor who commissioned Sex and the City, dies at 59

Former New York Observer editor was known as cultural arbiter and was credited with cultivating style of influential paperPeter Kaplan, the former editor of The New York Observer who hired a then-unknown Candace Bushnell to write a column called "Sex and the City" has died. He was 59.Kaplan died on Friday of cancer in New York City, said his wife, Lisa Chase. He edited the Observer from 1994 to 2009. The weekly has a reach beyond its circulation of about 50,000 because it is read by the Manhattan-based movers and shakers it covers.Kaplan was credited with honing the paper's snarky tone and with hiring writers who became influential voices of their era. Bushnell's column, about love and dating, inspired the hit HBO series Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and followed by two movie adaptations."The more cancellations we got for her column", Kaplan wrote in New York magazine in 2011, "the more the paper knew we had hit the jackpot". Other writers who worked under Kaplan at the Observer include Joe Conason, who is now editor-in-chief of the political website The National Memo, and Nikki Finke, who founded Deadline.com.After leaving the Observer, Kaplan was hired as the editorial creative director at Conde Nast Traveler. In 2010, he was named editorial director of the Fairchild Fashion Group, now Fairchild Fashion Media, a division of Conde Nast Publications. But Kaplan's role as a cultural arbiter was perhaps best exemplified by the creation of several fake... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Peter Kaplan, editor who commissioned Sex and the City, dies at 59'


We Love This Book editor moves to Sphere

Ed Wood, editor of We Love This Book, is to join Sphere as senior editor for men's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #join sphere #ed wood


Marketers get a refresher: Sex still sells

You've bought rope for that special someone, picked up a few sex toys and read those Fifty Shades of Grey books a time or three. You know who you are. Well, no need to skulk about at naughty shops or the hardware store as Fifty Shades of Consumption makes it further into the mainstream. Stuart... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free events #brooklyn location


Sci-fi author Harry Harrison dies

American science fiction writer Harry Harrison, best known for The Stainless Steel Rat and the book that inspired Charlton Heston's classic film Soylent Green, has died aged 87. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Attention booklovers: Tokyo and Paris are your cities

The World Cities Cultural Report reports that Tokyo has a staggering number of bookstores while Paris made it to number one for the most libraries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #staggering number


Author Maeve Binchy dies aged 72

Best-selling Irish author Maeve Binchy, who sold more than 40 million books worldwide, has died after a short illness. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short illness


'Encyclopedia Brown' author Donald Sobol has died

Donald Sobol, author of the beloved children's book series "Encyclopedia Brown," died Wednesday in Miami. He was 87. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #died wednesday #beloved children #book series


'Fifty Shades' sex trilogy dominates bestsellers, report says

Booksellers, get out your handcuffs: Roughly one in five physical books sold in the U.S. over most of the spring were the ¿Fifty Shades¿ sex trilogy. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fifty shades


Penguin slinks back into ebook lending for New York City libraries, with a possible catch

You might say Penguin has had a rocky relationship with libraries. That looks to be on the tentative mend, as the publisher and 3M have together cut deals with the Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Library to bring Penguin's ebook catalog back as part of a test program. Under the terms... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publisher #ebook lending #rocky relationship #cut deals


Travolta sued by sex book author

A Los Angeles man who wrote a book about his alleged gay encounters with John Travolta filed a libel lawsuit on Thursday against the actor and his attorney. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Media Decoder Blog: From Penguin, a Plan to Make Its E-Books Available in New York City Libraries

The publisher, in conjunction with city libraries and 3M, will make its books available in e-format, though they will not be available immediately after release. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Novelist Barry Unsworth dies

Historical novelist Barry Unsworth, who won the Booker Prize in 1992 for his novel about the 18th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booker prize


Jean Craighead George dies at 92; children's author

Jean Craighead George was a leading writer of novels about nature for young readers. One of her best-known works was the Newbery Medal-winning 'Julie of the Wolves.' After children's author Jean Craighead George revealed that she wanted to write a book about a girl who talks with wolves,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young readers #newbery medal-winning


Media Decoder Blog: Foer Returns to New Republic as Editor

Two months after obtaining a majority stake in the magazine, Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, is bringing back Franklin Foer as part of an ambitious plan to remake the magazine. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #majority stake #chris hughes #ambitious plan


Book review: Peter Beinart's 'The Crisis of Zionism' sounds call

The author wants American Jews to force changes in Israeli policy to protect the democratic legacy of Labor Zionism. He also explains why that's unlikely to happen.Nearly all the considerable attention generated by Peter Beinart's "The Crisis of Zionism" has focused on its final 81/2 pages.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #direct action #west bank


Same Sex, Different Story: PW Talks with Rodger Streitmatter

Just as president Obama comes out in favor of gay marriage, a new book takes a close look at American same sex couples, from Walt Whitman to Greta Garbo to Jasper Johns. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #president obama #gay marriage #book takes #walt whitman


Wild Things author dies

American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, author of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, has died at the age of 83. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #american writer #classic children #wild things


PPA Conference: Stylist editor reveals how free title competes in challenging market

It would be a big surprise if one of the major publishers were to follow Stylist magazine and launch a mainstream free women's title, according to Lisa Smosarski, editor of Stylist, who believes such a move would be a "big step". Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ppa conference #challenging market #big surprise #major publishers #big step


Maurice Sendak dies at 83, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are'

The enduringly popular children's book illustrator and writer radically changed the genre with tales of outsized monsters and frolicsome humor that tapped into the fears of childhood. He also collaborated on numerous operas, films and TV programs.Maurice Sendak, the children's book illustrator... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wild things #book illustrator #tv programs #maurice sendak


Author Maurice Sendak dies at 83

Maurice Sendak, the US author of the best-selling children's book Where the Wild Things Are, dies aged 83. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #maurice sendak #best-selling children #wild things


From the Editor : Know the Reader, Know Thyself

By James Sturdivant My favorite part of a very good keynote address from Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomburg Businessweek, at this year’s Publishing Business Conference & Expo (see full coverage here ) came... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #james sturdivant #josh tyrangiel