I am the Editorial Director for the Publishing Business Group at North American Publishing Company in Philadelphia. In this role, I oversee the publication of two trade industry magazines, Book Business and Publishing Executive, as well as a daily e-newsletter, Publishing Business Today. We also run workshops, webinars, and events, including the annual Publishing Business Conference & Expo in New York. (The next one is September 23–25, 2013, so save the date!)
I joined NAPCO in May of 2012. Prior to that, I was the Director of Graduate Publishing Programs at Rosemont College. I also created and curate a thriving program of adult education book discussion classes, workshops, and events called Open Book. In Open Book, I lead classes on fiction, memoir, classics, and more, including the “Literally Speaking” series of Author House Parties. I also create readings and special events, such as the “Philly Writes!” series, as well as workshops for a variety of corporate and institutional venues. I have taught publishing and writing at Drexel University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
I have spent my career in the publishing industry as an editor, literary agent, book packager, and author. I am the author of Elements of the Table: A Simple Guide for Hosts and Guests (Clarkson Potter/Random House). Journalist A.D. Amorosi of Philadelphia’s City Paper calls me “The First Lady of the Fork” and Publishers Weekly magazine calls me “a more forgiving Miss Manners.” Elements of the Table looks at everything on the table—including silver, china, crystal and decorative items—and describes how to properly use it, along with some fun dining history. Did you know, for example, that napkin rings were invented so you could make sure you got the same napkin at each meal, since no one laundered them in between?
I am also the co-author of The Baby Owner’s Games and Activities Book and The Baby Owner’s Maintenance Log (both from Quirk Books), as well as several gift books and journals. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an Honors degree in English, and hold a Masters in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
