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
21 responses
Congratulations, Isaac!
Sling away man…Congrats on a super scale.
You’re the best, Isaac. Congratulations! The Rumpus is in many good hands, I think… looking forward to your next steps. My very best to you.
Kudos, Isaac! Congratulations, Lisa!
Rock on Isaac. You have done a great job.
Congrats on the new gig. We’ll miss you around here. Hang out with us in book club chats every now and again, why doncha?
Congrats, Isaac! Grateful for your help and encouragement, Suzanne
Congratulations, Isaac! It’s only a matter of time before you’re king of the world.
Hats in the air for YOU! Have fun at McSweeney’s.
Thanks for making Rumpus a jewel of a find.
Congratulations, Isaac! And thanks for all you’ve done to make this place the virtual home it is for so many of us, for making each one of us feel so welcome. McSweeney’s is awful goddamn lucky to have you.
Congratulations and best of luck to you, Isaac!
Isaac, I will love you forever and ever and ever and always. Thank you for making The Rumpus so beautiful. Thank you for being my friend. You are not leaving us. You are only moving forward. Deep blessings on the journey, sweet pea.
Aw man. Best of luck. We’ll miss you.
Isaac, congratulations!!! I will miss working with you, but I am so happy for you, and also so glad you’ll still be a key part of the Rumpus family. How could you not? Meanwhile, congrats to Lisa, too!
not many editors will wake up at 4am to help an artist make sure their drawings look right in a post. you made so many people feel so supported & appreciated. thank you. go get ’em.
May you find yourself in one of the two remaining childhood dreams!
Isaac! You will be missed. Your e-mails signing off “Rock!” set the tone right away. Thank you for helping to make The Rumpus THE place to take good risks in writing.
Issac! You. Rock. Best of luck (I love McSweeney’s & you’ll do great there).
You brought something, many things, good with heart back to the web. Thank you. Maze! tov on the new adventure.
hey, i think lisa is the girl i met at the l.a. times festival o’ books last weekend, managing the rumpus booth there. sweet!
thank you, isaac, for all the emails you answered and for all the author chats you hosted. i already miss everything that isn’t, so this is really just one more thing. best of luck to you – mcsweeney’s will be all the better with you on board, i’m certain.
Thank you so much for all the love, everybody. And a big thanks to Roxane Gay for writing this: http://roxanegay.tumblr.com/post/48695165025/things-you-should-know-about-isaac-fitzgerald
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