2 top executives retiring from Library of America

NEW YORK – At age 35, the Library of America is in transition.

Longtime president Cheryl Hurley and longtime editor-in-chief Geoffrey O’Brien are retiring at the end of the year, the publisher told The Associated Press on Thursday. Hurley will be succeeded by Library of America publisher Max Rudin. A replacement is being sought for O’Brien.

The Library of America, which began publishing in 1982, releases hardcover editions of classic American writing. While initially focused on such late authors as Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, the library has focused more on living writers in recent years. Volumes this fall will feature Philip Roth, Ursula K. Le Guin and John Ashbery. The publisher also has an online column, “The Moviegoer,” dedicated to criticism of film adaptations of literary works.