Friedman Talks to New School Crowd, Demurs on Next Move

Jane Friedman gave her first public interview last night since stepping down as head of HarperCollins this spring. In front of a group of about 75 New School MFA students in New York, Friedman fielded mostly friendly questions from Knopf v-p and associate publisher Victoria Wilson which provided the SRO crowd with a glimpse of Friedman’s long career. "No one has had a better life than I have had in publishing," Friedman told the audience. She talked about how she got started in publishing, learned from the masters and rejuvenated Harper, but was vague when Wilson asked her what’s next.

During their 75-minute conversation, Wilson and Friedman--who referred to themselves as The Dolly Sisters--covered the highlights of Friedman’s career, touching on Friedman's way with author tours and backlist. On how it felt to be a CEO, Friedman remarked, "As a CEO, you have no one to talk to," noting that even publisher Michael Morrison, one of her closest friends, was ultimately a report: "In that office, he works--he worked--for me," Friedman said.

On the future of publishing, Friedman, remained optimistic, and said she hopes Harper continues to be as author-focused as it was under her hand. "You have to get back to basics," she said, noting that "the new CEO of Random House is very, very interested in publishing, and that’s very good." Finally, Wilson asked Friedman what she wants to do next: be CEO of another company, own her own business, or be a free agent? At first, Friedman zipped her lips and made a horizontal motion with her hand, signifying a "pass." But after a moment, she reconsidered, saying, "All of them."