Beverly Horowitz Adapts Heather McGhee for YA

Quite a few of you have written us that you would be interested in hearing from a book editor, so we went out and find one of the best. Beverly Horowitz, Senior Vice President of Delacorte Press which is a division of Random House, joins us for a fascinating talk about what she does and how she does it. She has been editing for decades and recently has taken to adapting popular and important non fiction books for YA readers, a process that also fascinated us. After talking to Beverly, one of her authors joins us to give an author’s perspective on the process: Heather McGhee, the writer of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. The Sum of Us is not necessarily a “simple” book for YA audiences, it presents complex arguments about how institutional racism hurts our policy making and our economy. How did the two of them work with this book and adapt it to YA audiences? What does Beverly do with an author who won’t take her advice? How does a book go from the author’s printer to the book store shelves? We answer all of that on this week’s episode of The Book Case. Don’t miss it!

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

• Look Homeword, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (Born a Crime by Trevor Noah YA edition)
• My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
• The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer
• Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
• I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

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