News

Redesign, New Books Editor at 'Atlantic Monthly'
Calvin Reid -- 10/16/00
143-year-old cultural journal appoints new books editor with plans to increase the number and kinds of books it covers as part of a general redesign



Seeking to broaden its book coverage, the Atlantic Monthly, the 143-year-old cultural journal, has appointed a new books editor and plans to increase the number and kinds of books it covers as part of a general redesign of the magazine scheduled to be completed in February 2001.

Benjamin Schwarz, formerly the executive editor of World Policy Journal, has been named the editor of AM's Books and the Arts section. He is also the winner of this year's National Book Critics Circle Award for excellence in reviewing and is the husband of Christina Schwarz, author of Drowning Ruth, the latest pick for Oprah's Book Club.

Schwarz told PW the Books and the Arts section will be "about 80% focused on books; about twice the previous size of book coverage." AM's coverage, said Schwarz, has usually emphasized "books on current affairs and politics, but we're going in other directions now." Schwarz said the new section will feature "history, biography and a lot more fiction, including literary and genre fiction. We're going to be looking at a wider group of books."