Weinberg to Run Public Affairs
Susan Weinberg has been appointed publisher of Public Affairs, succeeding founder Peter Osnos, who remains editor-at-large. Weinberg most recently had served as publisher of the flagship Harper imprint at HarperCollins. She starts at Public Affairs September 6.
Ulin to Head 'LATBR'
Author and literary critic David Ulin has been named editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review. LAT associate features editor Tim Rutten said Ulin "had the right mix of credentials" as a freelance book critic whose work has appeared in the NYTBR and the Atlantic Monthly, as well as in the book review he will now edit. He was also books editor at the weekly L.A. Reader. In addition, he has edited two anthologies of Los Angeles writers, and his nonfiction title The Myth of Solid Ground was published by Viking last year. Beginning in October, Ulin will oversee both the Sunday Book Review and daily reviews.
Kipen to NEA Post
David Kipen, book critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, has been named director of literature at the National Endowment for the Arts. Kipen will begin work September 6. He replaces former NEA literature director Cliff Becker, who died of a heart attack in May. Kipen's responsibilities at the NEA include "leading national leadership initiatives," one of which will certainly be NEA chairman Dana Gioia's Big Read initiative.
Hastings Posts Small Gain
Comparable-store sales of books rose 1.2% at Hastings Entertainment in the second quarter ended July 31. The small increase was attributed largely to the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Sales for the entire multimedia chain inched up 0.3%, to $122.7 million, and earnings rose 6%, to $671,000. With revenue from video rentals continuing to be weaker than expected, Hastings lowered its earnings forecast for the full year.
School Specialty Buys Delta
Supplemental education publisher School Specialty Inc. has agreed to acquire Delta Education from Wicks Learning Group for $272 million. Delta produces science curriculum materials for the elementary school market, and School Specialty said Delta's science properties will complement its Frey Scientific line. As part of the purchase, School Specialty acquired Delta Education's Publishing Service division.
LB Kids Signs Three
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has made three high-profile acquisitions, with all books set to be released in 2007. Books are due from Patrick Carman (The House of Power); Rosemary Wells and Marc Brown (The Gulps Go Green); and Jerry Spinelli (Eggs).
CDS Adds DAP
Perseus Books' distribution unit, CDS, will take over warehousing and fulfillment services for Distributed Art Publishers beginning in September. CDS will also handle collections, while DAP will continue to handle all of its sales and marketing. DAP has more than 200 clients.
Foreign-Language Distribs Merge
Skokie, Ill.—based Midwest European Publications has acquired Schoenhof's Foreign Books in Cambridge, Mass., in a deal between two foreign-language book distributors. The two companies combined do about $5 million. MEP's Distribooks distribution arm caters to the trade and k—12 foreign-language book market, while Schoenhof's stocks titles for the academic and library markets.
