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Jerome Pohlen
Jerome Pohlen acquires adult nonfiction, including US history, LGBTQ, nature, popular science, and DIY titles, as well as children’s nonfiction and activity books. His recent acquisitions include Never Silent, Giovanni’s Ring, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, Ellis Island and Immigration for Kids, Tied Up in Knotts and Hilde on the Record. He has been with Chicago Review Press since 2001. Prior to joining CRP, Jerome was the editorial director for Learning Resources, an educational toy company; taught fourth and seventh grade in the Chicago Public Schools; worked as an engineer for Martin Marietta; and served in the US Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in mechanical engineering and received his master’s in elementary education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has written 12 award-winning science kits; 23 books for adults and children including Oddball Illinois (and nine other Oddball titles), The Apollo Missions for Kids, Chicago Baby, Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids and Gay & Lesbian History for Kids; and articles and op-eds for the Los Angeles Times, The Advocate, Stars and Stripes and the Chicago Reader.
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Kara Rota(e-mail)
As Executive Editor, Kara Rota has been acquiring and editing for Chicago Review Press since 2019, focusing on music, film, pop culture, and true crime titles as well as other nonfiction. Previously from 2014 Kara worked at Macmillan, acquiring and editing cookbooks, business books and other nonfiction for multiple Macmillan imprints including Flatiron and St. Martin's Press. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she also served as director of recipe website and Macmillan portfolio company Cookstr.com and host of the Clever Cookstr podcast. Thrilled to be back in her hometown, Kara is a third-generation Evanstonian and her first job (besides babysitting) was at Chicago’s Green City Farmer’s Market.
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(e-mail)
Alicia Sparrow has been in the book industry since 2013. Her interest is in diverse stories and authors across cultures. As an acquisitions editor for Lawrence Hill Books, Council Oak Books, and Amberjack Publishing, she is looking for nonfiction by and for BIPOC voices. She is also interested in heartfelt, pulse-pounding YA, and children’s books for Chicago Review Press that are sweet, appropriate, and narratively rich. Some sci-fi/fantasy stories are welcome, as are graphic novels that go off the beaten path, and women-focused fiction for Amberjack.
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Michelle Williams(e-mail)
Michelle Williams has been with Chicago Review Press since 2006. She focuses on refreshing backlist titles with new editions to keep perennial titles in front of new audiences, as well as bringing new imprint acquisitions to the forefront. She acquires new for the Parenting Press imprint, seeking expert advice that speaks to today’s parenting experiences.
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