Arthur Levine '84 knew long before he entered the halls of Brown that he had an interest in writing, editing and publishing. After graduating as a creative writing concentrator, he went on to work for several publishing companies before landing a job with Scholastic Books and becoming a publisher with his own imprint under the company. Shortly thereafter, he bought the rights to bring a British children's book to the United States that millions of children and adults alike have since read. The book: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Though Levine had been aware of his primary interest in the literary arts since the fourth grade, he said that his academic experiences at Brown "allowed for expansion of these interests." But he was not always successful. There were several instances in his career at Brown that forced personal growth.
"I really had to push for my advisor's support to concentrate in creative writing. I learned that just because someone says or thinks you might not be good at something means nothing if you are passionate about what you want to do." He also said his rejection from the Writing Fellows Program was an ironic example of a trying experience in his academic career.
Aside from his academic pursuits, he was also a musical enthusiast. During his time at Brown, he was a Jabberwock, choir member and flautist in the Brown Band.
"I really loved Brown," Levine said. "I had never quite been in an environment of so many smart people who loved to talk before coming to Brown. The atmosphere was invigorating."
After Brown, Levine pursued further education and graduated from the Radcliffe Publishing Course. He landed his first job at the publishing company G.P Putnam's Sons by answering an ad in the New York Times the same year he graduated from Brown. Levine was editor of many books, including two Caldecott Medal winners, one of which was a book by Emily McCully '61, "Mirette On The High Wire."
Working briefly at Dial Books for Young Readers as a senior editor before a second stint at G.P. Putnam's Sons, Levine went to work as editor-in-chief for Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers in 1994, where the works he edited included Jerry Spinelli's "Crash" and Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass." In 1996, he started his Scholastic imprint, Arthur A. Levine Books, in New York City, where he edits more than a dozen books a year. His novelists include Norma Fox Mazer, Roddy Doyle, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Susan Shreve, Kate Constable, Lisa Yee and, of course, J. K. Rowling.
"I love the unpredictability of the publishing world - though the same can also be the most frustrating part of the business," Levine said, describing his inclination to take on unusual projects, such as Jonah Winter's "Frida," a picture book introducing children to the art work of Frida Kahlo. He has been pleasantly surprised with the level of interest that has supported the book, which has been the recipient of many awards, including the ALA Notable Book, the Américas Award Honor Book, and the National Association of Parenting Publications Gold Award, among others.
Levine said challenges lay ahead for the publishing world, particularly the national lack of funding for libraries. He worries about the loss of literary diversity with the death of independent booksellers, such as the College Hill Bookstore, which closed its Thayer Street location last fall. "This prevents my favorite part of the job: finding young, unknown authors," he said.
And finding such authors has proved to be worth his while. Shortly after founding his imprint he attended the International Children's Book Fair in the spring of 1997, where he was scouting the fair with a mission - to find children's books that would "embrace world literature." There he met agents who introduced him to the work of J.K. Rowling, who was relatively unknown in the United States at the time. "I bought the rights to the book immediately after reading it because I really liked the book," Levine said.
Elated by the tremendous success of the series, Levine was also surprised by the intense scrutiny the books have been placed under in the United States. "It is very rewarding as a publisher to see such interest in the books, but weird as an editor," he said.
As to the controversy between slight differences between the American and British editions, Levine made it clear that J.K. Rowling was a part of the decisions. For example, the variations in the title of the first book, the British "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and the American "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Rowling's suggested title for the U.S. version, were purely marketing decisions - making sure that, at first glance, readers would grasp more immediately the sense of magic in the books, especially since Rowling was relatively unknown in the United States prior to the publishing of the first book. He also noted that the French title, "Harry Potter and the School of Magic," is also different from the British title.
Looking beyond the Harry Potter craze, Levine spoke enthusiastically of upcoming publications from his imprint, including Mary Newell DePalma's "A Grand Ole Tree."
