Jonathan Karp

Jonathan Karp
Born 1963/1964 (age 53–54)[1]
Alma mater Brown University
Employer Simon & Schuster

Jonathan Karp is an American book editor, publisher, and writer. Prior to being named publisher of Simon & Schuster in 2010, he was the founder of Twelve, an imprint at the Hachette Book Group, and the editor-in-chief of Random House. In 2016, The New York Times named him as one of twenty people "who are among the most influential in deciding which books get published, which ones break out and what Americans read".[2]

Early life and education

Karp was raised in the Short Hills section of Millburn, New Jersey. His mother worked as a schoolteacher and his father served as chairman and chief executive officer at a bank.[3][4][5] Karp graduated from Brown University in 1986,[6] where he majored in American civilization and served as president and editor of the student publication, The Brown Daily Herald.[3][7][8][9] He wrote his master's thesis on Herman Wouk's novels.[10][11]

Career

Karp wrote for The Washington Post in the mid 1980s,[12][13][14] then worked as a reporter for The Providence Journal and the Miami Herald.[3] He then relocated to New York City to pursue his interests in books and theatre.[3]

Karp joined Random House in 1989 as an editorial assistant, and by 2000 he was serving as vice president and senior editor.[15][16] In July 2000, he was promoted to the role of publisher of '@Random', the company's e-book branch,[17][18] and eventually worked his way up to editor-in-chief of Random House.[1][19] He worked for Random House for sixteen years, with one interruption; in 2000, he left the publisher to head producer Scott Rudin's office in New York (Scott Rudin Productions) as vice president of development.[18] However, he returned to Bertelsmann several weeks later.[18][20][21]

During his tenure, Karp edited Thank You for Smoking (1994) by Christopher Buckley, Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief (1998), Ron Rosenbaum's Explaining Hitler (1998),[22] Faith of My Fathers (1999) by John McCain and Mark Salter, Mario Puzo's The Last Don (1996) and Omertà (2000),[18][23] Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001) by Laura Hillenbrand,[24][25] Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club (2003), Shadow Divers (2004) by Robert Kurson, and two novels by Rupert Holmes.[26][27] He also worked with Henry Alford, Alex Berenson,[28] Po Bronson, Lewis H. Lapham, David Liss (starting with his 2000 debut novel A Conspiracy of Paper),[29] Jon Meacham,[30] Sally Bedell Smith, Kara Swisher,[31] and Donald Trump,[32][33] among others.[18][34] In 2002, he commissioned a sequel to Puzo's novel The Godfather (1969), resulting in Mark Winegardner's The Godfather Returns (2004).[35]

Karp then served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Twelve, an imprint he established within the Hachette Book Group in 2005, which publishes one book per month.[36][37][38] Fifteen of Twelve's first thirty books appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, including: Buckley's Boomsday (2007), Supreme Courtship (2008), and Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir (2009), Dave Cullen's Columbine (2009), God Is Not Great (2007) by Christopher Hitchens, and Eric Weiner's The Geography of Bliss (2008).[39] During his tenure at Twelve, Karp edited and published the memoirs of Ted Kennedy.[40][41] He wrote about his experience editing the memoirs in a 2009 article published by The New York Times Magazine.[42] Kennedy's True Compass (2009), Hitchens' Hitch-22 (2010), and Sebastian Junger's War (2010) also became best sellers.[43][44]

In mid 2010, Karp left Hachette to become Simon & Schuster's publisher,[1][45] and was subsequently named president of the flagship division.[46][47] Authors he has published at Simon & Schuster include Hillary Clinton,[48] John Irving,[49] Walter Isaacson (Steve Jobs, 2011),[50][51] Orlean,[52] Bruce Springsteen,[53] and Wouk.[11][54] In May 2011, Karp made a cameo appearance on the finale of Gossip Girl's fourth season ("The Wrong Goodbye"), in which he negotiates a manuscript deal with one of the show's main characters.[55][56][57] He later appeared on the season five episodes "The Jewel of Denial" (October 10, 2011) and "Father and the Bride" (January 23, 2012).[58][59]

Theatre

Karp met composer Seth Weinstein during their two-year apprenticeship at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, in Manhattan in 1996. The duo wrote The Kugelmass Affair, which is based on a short story by Woody Allen.[3]

In 2000, Karp co-directed Big Kiss: An Evening of Humiliating Audition Stories with Alford, who wrote Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Top. The show featured Alford and other actors performing self-written monologues about their most embarrassing audition experiences.[34]

Karp and Weinstein's second musical, Heart Throb, premiered at the Producers Club in 2001.[3] The duo later collaborated on How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes, with Karp writing the book and lyrics. The Off-Broadway musical comedy, which is about a United Nations tour guide who realizes his ability to read minds after getting hit in the head by a melon, was first presented as I Know What You're Thinking in September 2000 at the New York International Fringe Festival and later ran at the arts complex New World Stages.[7][18][27][60]

In 2004, Karp wrote about musical theatre for The American Scholar.[61]

Works

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bosman, Julie (June 3, 2010). "Head of Boutique Publisher Joins Simon & Schuster". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ Park, Haeyoun; Keller, Josh; Williams, Josh (February 26, 2016). "The Faces of American Power, Nearly as White as the Oscar Nominees: People Who Wield the Most Influence Over Which Books Americans Read". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lee, Felicia R. (August 7, 2004). "Critic's Notebook; Double Life as Editor and Lyricist". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Donald M. Karp, Secretary". Thirteen.org. Tisch WNET: THIRTEEN Media. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Nadler, Paul (September 1, 1998). "Weekly Advisor: Has New Jersey Bank Got Its Fair Share in Community's Comeback?". American Banker. SourceMedia. Retrieved March 7, 2017 – via HighBeam Research. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ Brown University:
  7. 1 2 Schwartzapfel, Beth (January–February 2007). "His True Loves". Brown Alumni Magazine. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ Eugenides, Jeffrey; Moody, Rick; Lowry, Lois; Robinson, Marilynne; Cheever, Susan (May 20, 2014). The Brown Reader: 50 Writers Remember College Hill. Simon & Schuster. p. 107. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ "The Brown Daily Herald" (PDF). Providence, Rhode Island: Brown University. January 23, 1985. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. ↑ Barnes, Brooks (November 12, 2012). "At 97, He Has a Book (or 2) Left". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Boog, Jason (April 9, 2012). "96-Year-Old Novelist Herman Wouk Lands Book Deal". Adweek. Prometheus Global Media. ISSN 0199-2864. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ "How Real Is 'Rambo'?". The Washington Post. July 8, 1985.
  13. ↑ "Brown's Four Famous Freshmen". The Washington Post. August 29, 1985.
  14. ↑ "Reputed Md. Gang Member Gets 32 Years in Murder". The Washington Post. August 30, 1986.
  15. ↑ Reid, Calvin (August 7, 2000). "PW: Random House, Modern Library to Offer E-books". Publishers Weekly. 246 (32). ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  16. ↑ Bronson, Po; Dooling, Richard; Garcia, Eric; Hond, Paul; Krist, Gary (February 20, 2001). Men Seeking Women: Love and Sex On-line. Random House Publishing Group. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  17. ↑ Bing, Jonathan (September 18, 2000). "Booked Solid: Three giants expand their e-publishing horizons". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Goldman, Andrew (February 12, 2001). "Hollywood's Second-Oldest Story: Jon Karp Signs with Rudin, Flees". New York Observer. Observer Media. ISSN 1052-2948. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  19. ↑ Bosman, Julie (September 15, 2010). "Boutique Publisher Names New Chief". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  20. ↑ Kolker, Robert. "Waiting for Godoff". New York: 3. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  21. ↑ Snyder, Gabriel (March 19, 2001). "Another Dot-Com Dream Punctured: Random House Scaling Back E-Books". New York Observer. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  22. ↑ "PW: Ron Rosenbaum: The Quest for Hitler". Publishers Weekly. July 13, 1998. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  23. ↑ Fearon, Peter (June 26, 2000). "'Omerta' Gives Puzo Last Word – Deathbed Novel Caps Mafia Tale". New York Post. News Corp. ISSN 1090-3321. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  24. ↑ Hylton, Wil S. (December 18, 2014). "The Unbreakable Laura Hillenbrand". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  25. ↑ McEvoy, Dermot (October 6, 2003). "The Year of the Sports Bestseller". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  26. ↑ Kelly, Keith J. (July 22, 2005). "Parajos Flies Coop – Latest Snooze Firing Ends Family Era at Troubled Tab". New York Post. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  27. 1 2 "Jonathan Karp: From the Page to the Stage". Broadway.com. Key Brand Entertainment. November 14, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  28. ↑ Dyer, Lucinda (May 19, 2003). "Managing to Stay Afloat". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Money and Murder in Old London Town". Newsweek. February 13, 2000. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  30. ↑ Shearer, John (August 12, 2009). "Book Review: Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson". The Chattanoogan. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  31. ↑ Colford, Paul D. (January 19, 2000). "INK / A Time to Write / The prolific John Grisham does double duty". Newsday. ISSN 0278-5587. OCLC 5371847.
  32. ↑ Baker, John F. (May 7, 2004). "More Trumpery on Wealth". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  33. ↑ Trump, Donald; McIver, Meredith (2004). Trump: How to Get Rich. Random House Publishing Group. p. 274. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  34. 1 2 Tierney, John (April 12, 2000). "The Big City; Now Staging a Revival: Humiliation". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Cutting Through the Noise". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P. August 21, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  36. ↑ Donadio, Rachel (February 3, 2008). "Waiting for It". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  37. ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (June 2, 2010). "Simon & Schuster Shakeup: David Rosenthal Out and Jonathan Karp In". Deadline.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  38. ↑ Kellogg, Carolyn (June 3, 2010). "Simon & Schuster grabs innovative publisher Jonathan Karp". Los Angeles Times. tronc. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  39. ↑ Ferrari-Adler, Jofie (November–December 2009). "Agents & Editors: A Q&A with Editor Jonathan Karp". Poets & Writers. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Ted Kennedy Sells Memoirs for $8 Million". CBS News. November 27, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Arts, Culture, & Lifestyle: 2010–2019". Brown University. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  42. ↑ Karp, Jonathan (December 23, 2009). "Ted Kennedy: Lion in Winter". The New York Times Magazine. ISSN 0028-7822. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Karp Replaces Rosenthal at Simon & Schuster". Publishers Weekly. June 3, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  44. ↑ Italie, Hillel (January 11, 2011). "Head of publisher Twelve forced out after 4 months". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing. ISSN 1063-102X. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  45. ↑ Boog, Jason (June 3, 2010). "Jonathan Karp to Replace David Rosenthal as Simon & Schuster Publisher". Adweek. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  46. ↑ Dilworth, Dianna (February 22, 2016). "Simon & Schuster to Publish Book on Tiger Woods". Adweek. Beringer Capital. ISSN 0199-2864. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  47. ↑ Kinane, Ruth (January 4, 2017). "Carrie Fisher's books rush to reprint after sales were 'wiped out by demand'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. ISSN 1049-0434. OCLC 21114137. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  48. ↑ Savransky, Rebecca (August 3, 2016). "Clinton, Kaine to release book two months before election". The Hill. Washington, D.C.: Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. (News Communications, Inc.). ISSN 1521-1568. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  49. ↑ Boog, Jason (May 17, 2011). "John Irving Will Publish Two Books With Simon & Schuster". Adweek. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  50. ↑ Parr, Ben (April 11, 2011). "Steve Jobs official biography arrives in early 2012". CNN. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  51. ↑ Kellogg, Carolyn (October 6, 2011). "Steve Jobs bio tops Amazon bestseller list". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  52. ↑ Boog, Jason (March 6, 2013). "Susan Orlean to Write About Infamous LAPL Fire". Adweek. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  53. ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (February 11, 2016). "Bruce Springsteen Autobiography 'Born to Run' Set for September". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  54. ↑ Neary, Lynn (January 14, 2016). "Herman Wouk Says He's A 'Happy Gent' at 100". NPR. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  55. ↑ Yin, Maryann (May 17, 2011). "Jonathan Karp Cameo on 'Gossip Girl' TV Show". Adweek. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  56. ↑ Duray, Dan (May 17, 2011). "Jonathan Karp on His Gossip Girl Cameo". New York Observer. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  57. ↑ Pressler, Jessica; Rovzar, Chris (May 17, 2011). "Gossip Girl Recap: Maybe We’re Growing Up After All". Vulture.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  58. ↑ Pressler, Jessica (January 24, 2012). "Gossip Girl Recap: There's a Fine Line Between Surveillance and Stalking". Vulture.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  59. ↑ Greenhouse, Emily (December 21, 2012). "Farewell, "Gossip Girl"". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. ISSN 0028-792X. OCLC 320541675. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  60. ↑ Gates, Anita (November 16, 2006). "Theater Review: 'How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes'; Listening for Love". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  61. ↑ Karp, Jonathan (December 1, 2004). ""I Can't Believe I'm Doing It with Madame Bovary": Learning to write musical comedy". The American Scholar. Phi Beta Kappa Society. ISSN 0003-0937. Retrieved January 25, 2017.

Further reading

External audio
Writer Laura Hillenbrand, Jonathan Karp of Random House: Fresh Air, July 29, 2003, NPR
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