Jan Nathan: in Memoriam
By Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 6/26/2007 7:51:00 AM
Jan Nathan: in Memoriam
Jan Nathan, executive director of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association since its inception in 1983, died June 17 after a year-long battle with cancer. She was 68.
A number of her former colleagues spoke of her tremendous impact on independent publishing and her lasting effect on the industry. Howard W. Fisher, president of PMA from 1989 to 1990, said Nathan will be remembered for, among other things, giving independent publishers "a voice and support" in a business dominated by the large houses.
Jonathan Kirsch, legal counsel for PMA, called her "among the most crucial and decisive figures in the media revolution that turned independent publishing into the thriving industry that it is today." Don Tubesing, president of PMA from 2002 to 2004, said Nathan was known for her "enthusiasm, warmth and patience," adding, "The current health of independent publishing remains as her legacy."
Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Nathan later moved with her family to Massachusetts before settling in Northern California. After serving as president of a company that published in-flight magazines, Nathan formed her own company to manage trade associations. In her first year, 15 Southern California publishers sent her to the ABA convention (now BookExpo America), and the PMA was born.
