University of Minnesota Press, est. 1925, turns 100 this year. Yes, we are twice as old as Saturday Night Live. And just as old as The New Yorker and The Great Gatsby. The Press has had only five directors in its history, and many current staff have been on for more than a few decades.

How about another serendipitous milestone: this podcast, est. 2020, is releasing its 100th episode right here, right now. The past 99 episodes have focused on our authors. Between authorship and publication, a book passes through more than a few hands, and today we are getting into it with people who have dedicated their days, years, and decades in service of books and research. About half of our staff are represented here. Without further adieu, come meet (half of) the Press!


People appearing in this episode include:
Douglas Armato, director of University of Minnesota Press
Susan Doerr, associate director
Emily Hamilton, associate director for book publishing
Laura Westlund, managing editor and development officer
Jason Weidemann, editorial director
Pieter Martin, senior editor
Michael Stoffel, managing editor–scholarly books
Heather Skinner, publicity director and assistant marketing manager
Rachel Moeller, assistant production manager and art director
Erik Anderson, senior acquisitions editor
Maggie Sattler, digital marketing manager
Eric Lundgren, development and outreach manager
Eliza Edwards, production assistant
Emma Saks, editorial assistant
Carina Bolaños Lewen, exhibits and marketing assistant
Anthony Silvestri, journals manager
Zack Stewart, journals production specialist
Alena Rivas, publicity associate


Keep up with our centennial at z.umn.edu/ump100.
Thank you for listening.


Super 100th Spectacular!

Red Gold: The Managed Extinction of the Giant Bluefin Tuna is a book that asks why so many big bluefin tuna have vanished from the Atlantic Ocean. Author Jen Telesca notes that the term “red gold” has emerged out of the exorbitant price her ruby-colored flesh commands on the global market; for reference, in January 2019, a 613-pound Pacific bluefin tuna sold at market in Tokyo for an astounding record of $3.1 million US dollars. To research this book, Telesca gained unparalleled access to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (also known as ICCAT) to show that the institution has faithfully executed the task assigned to it by international law: to fish as hard as possible to grow national economies. This interview between Telesca and editor Jason Weidemann was recorded in May 2020.

More about the book: http://z.umn.edu/redgold

A transcription of this conversation is available: z.umn.edu/t-redgold

Super 100th Spectacular!

University of Minnesota Press

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