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BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARKOWITZ ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF BROOKLYN’S NEW LITERARY COUNCIL

Photograph by Laura Geiser

In photo from left to right (front row): Jay Kaplan, Jennifer Carlson, Kate Travers, Peter Rothberg, Borough President Markowitz, Greg Polvere (back row) Jonathan Galassi, Mary Gannon, Zoe Pagnamenta, Johnny Temple, Theodore Hamm and Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham. Photo by Laura Geiser

Brooklyn Book Lovers Will Soon Enjoy New Literary Events

On December 6, Borough President Marty Markowitz joined Brooklyn authors, publishers, editors and literary agents to announce the formation of the Borough President’s Literary Council and its exciting plans for Brooklyn’s own world class publishing and book fair in 2005. Throughout its history, Brooklyn has been home to famous authors including Walt Whitman, Marianne Moore, Arthur Miller, Maurice Sendak, and W.H Auden. Today, young writers like Jonathan Lethem, Colson Whitehead and Maggie Estep and publishers like Akashic books, Soft Skull Press, and The Brooklyn Rail are adding to Brooklyn’s literary legacy.

“I’m proud to introduce the Borough President’s Literary Council — a stellar group of experts who I know are going to help us write the next chapter in Brooklyn history,” said Borough President Markowitz. “By working together with writers, editors, publishers and literary agents from Brooklyn, we can raise the profile of our established literary community and bring them the national and international recognition they deserve. Equally important in the Council’s mission is recognizing that Brooklyn’s authors are as diverse as Brooklynites themselves. Brooklyn literature has more perspectives than there are books in the Central Branch —while also possessing a spirit that puts us all on the same page.”

Jay Kaplan of the Brooklyn Public Library and Johnny Temple, chair of the Council and editor-in-chief and publisher of Akashic Books, which published Brooklyn Noir, also spoke at the event.

So far members of the Borough President’s Literary Council include Patrik Henry Bass of Essence Magazine, Sarah Burnes of Burnes & Clegg Literary Agency, Jennifer Carlson of Dunow & Carlson Literary Agency, Jonathan Galassi of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Mary Gannon of Poets & Writers Magazine, Theodore Hamm of The Brooklyn Rail, Jay Kaplan of the Brooklyn Public Library, Jeffrey Lependorf, of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, Patricia Mulcahy of Tillie’s Café, Brooklyn Books, Zoe Pagnamenta of PFD New York Literary Agency, Greg Polvere of Global Talent Associates, Peter Rothberg of The Nation, Danny Simmons of Corridor Gallery, Johnny Temple of Akashic Books and Kate Travers of HarperCollins Publishers.