On May 1st I will be stepping away from the position of managing editor at The Rumpus. I will remain a co-owner and, of course, a member of The Rumpus’s ever-growing family of writers and editors.
My four years at The Rumpus have been some of the most fulfilling years of my life. I started working here as a volunteer, then as the site’s first (and, at the time, only) paid employee, and have been privileged to witness The Rumpus grow into what it is today. I am so incredibly proud of everything that we’ve built. When I say “we” I mean every editor I’ve worked with, writer we’ve published, every fan who has come to a Rumpus event, and you, the readers of the site. That adds up to many more people than I could possibly name, but you all know who you are. Thank you for helping build this place of empathy, earnestness, literature, and joy on the Internet. Thank you for being a part of The Rumpus.
One person I would be remiss not to mention, though, is my friend and business partner, Stephen Elliott. When Steve started The Rumpus he was taking a huge risk. The publishing industry itself was questioning whether it’d be around in a year—not exactly the best time to start a website dedicated to books. Yet, here we are, more than four years later, part of a huge, ever-changing community dedicated to writing and reading—a community I am honored to be a part of. The Rumpus has changed me in so many ways, and none of that would have been possible if Steve hadn’t asked me to come onboard. For that, and so many other things, I will always be grateful. Thank you, Steve.
The Rumpus’s editorial assistant, Lisa Dusenbery, will be stepping up to take over the managing editor position. Lisa has been a fantastic asset to the site, ever since she showed exemplary talent as an intern over two years ago. Lisa has earned her new title by displaying a pitch-perfect grasp of The Rumpus mission and an unending love of the written word. I am excited to watch The Rumpus continue to grow and adapt with Managing Editor Lisa Dusenbery at the helm.
As for me, well—as long as I can remember I’ve loved books. Growing up, my family and I spent most of our time in libraries or bookstores. In high school and college I whiled away most classes reading an unassigned book hidden under my desk. What I truly loved most about my time at The Rumpus was getting the chance to work within that world of writing, no longer an outside observer. At The Rumpus I was able to herald great books and work with great writers. To cheerlead for literature. So I am thrilled to announce that my next job will be one that puts me in a position to champion the work of great authors and to build exciting campaigns around books. Starting on May 1st, I will be the new director of publicity at McSweeney’s. I can’t wait to start slinging high-quality writing to readers around the world.
Thank you all, again, so much for these years at The Rumpus. They’ve been incredible. – Isaac
