FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SIGNATURE BOOKS NAMES NEW COMPANY DIRECTOR
Signature Books, a prominent voice in Western American studies since 1981, will be led by Barbara Jones Brown, out-going executive director of the Mormon History Association. She begins her new role as director this spring. Brown’s appointment follows a nationwide search.
Previously, Brown worked as historical director of Utah’s “Better Days 2000” and was content editor of the award-winning book Massacre at Mountain Meadows (2008). She is currently co-authoring a sequel which focuses on the aftermath of the 1857 tragedy. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism (Brigham Young University) and a master’s degree in American History (University of Utah).
“I’m honored to join Signature Books in carrying on its long tradition of publishing important works in Western American history and literature,” Brown reports. “I’m excited to put my experience in history and publishing to work for Signature and its authors and readers.” Brown intends to focus on titles about women and people of color, whose accounts are essential to understanding the Mormon experience.
Throughout its four decades of publishing, Salt Lake City-based Signature Books has examined Western Americana, Mormon history and biography, and poetry and fiction. Its authors have been acknowledged with prizes from the Utah State Historical Society, Mormon History Association, Association for Mormon Letters, Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, and John Whitmer Historical Association, among other organizations. Signature’s authors include Thomas G. Alexander, Lavina Fielding Anderson, Leonard J. Arrington, Will Bagley, Gary James Bergera, Newell G. Bringhurst,Todd Compton, Martha Bradley-Evans, Rod Decker, Jessie Embry, Jack Harrell, Harvard S. Heath, Stanford J. Layton, E. Leo Lyman, Brigham D. Madsen, Sterling M. McMurrin, David Pace, Grant Palmer, Levi S. Peterson, D. Michael Quinn, Robert A. Rees, John Sillito, Linda Sillitoe, George D. Smith, Vickie Cleverley Speek, Dawn and Morris Thurston, Gary Topping, Richard S. Van Wagoner, Robert Hodgson Van Wagoner, Dan Vogel, and Margaret Blair Young, to name a few.
Brown succeeds Gary James Bergera, who joined Signature Books in late 1984 and is retiring.
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