FRAN KORTEN
Late on Friday, October 7, 2011, I received an e-mail that set me on fire. It was from Steve Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler Publishers. He asked if YES! Magazine would be interested in publishing an "instant book" on Occupy Wall Street.
Since our founding in 1996, YES! Magazine has explored alternatives to corporate domination. We've covered efforts to create food justice, reform health care, build local economies, and solve the climate crisis. Our board chair (my husband), David Korten, has inspired us with deep insights on how to transform our economy. But time and again we've seen powerful interests associated with the 1% stop the needed changes.
So when a small group of activists began camping out in a park just blocks from Wall Street, we took notice. YES! editors Brooke Jarvis and Christa Hillstrom started posting articles on the movement. Steve commented that our coverage was the most thoughtful he had seen.
We were immediately taken with Steve's idea of doing a book-and producing it fast. We found most media reports on the Occupy movement confusing or dismissive. By producing a book now we felt we could help the growing number of people interested in this movement understand its import. Staff at Berrett-Koehler, which has published many books on themes related to the movement, felt the same way.
Sarah van Gelder, executive editor of YES!, quickly assembled articles to 1) feature voices from inside and outside the movement, 2) spotlight changes capable of shifting our society's wealth back to the 99%, and 3) show the power of social movements to bring about change. And then the production marathon began.
We decided to write in a voice that recognized that we, too, are part of the 99%. Staff members were spending time at Occupy Seattle. Susan Gleason and Sara Kirk were shipping copies of the "New Livelihoods" issue of YES! to Occupy groups. Sarah van Gelder was interviewed about the movement on PBS NewsHour. Staff were eager to donate book royalties to the movement. Berrett-Koehler offered five hundred copies of the book to distribute to Occupy sites.
We are grateful to the authors and photographers for their quick responses. At YES! Kelly Shea with help from Tracy Dunn designed the book. James Trimarco (who was on the ground in Zuccotti Park) provided valuable edits. Jessica Lind-Diamond, Christa Hillstrom, Derek Hoshiko, Rebecca Nyamidie, Ayla Harbin, Idil Levitas, Jennifer Kaye, Kate Malongowski, Dee Axelrod, Melinda Monroe, Connie Walton, Julie Katana, and Doug Pibel edited content and assured its accuracy. Samantha Schuller did final proofreading. Sharon Booth produced marketing copy. The YES! Magazine editorial team-Doug Pibel, Madeline Ostrander, Valerie Schloredt, and Tracy Dunn-produced our fifteenth anniversary edition on schedule despite the extra demands of this book. All the while, YES! staff and interns kept our programs running, including Rod Arakaki, Audrey Watson, Gretchen Wolf, Jing Fong, Michael Winter, Paula Murphy, Bridget McCarthy, and Neil Cresswell.
At Berrett-Koehler, Steve Piersanti provided wise guidance and unflagging enthusiasm on a daily basis. His colleagues were a dream to work with. Mike Crowley, Dianne Platner, Rick Wilson, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Kristen Frantz, Katie Sheehan, Cynthia Shannon, Marina Cook, Zoe Mackey, Courtney Schonfeld, David Marshall, Bonnie Kaufman, Johanna Vondeling, and other BK staff supported the design and production work, helped prepare and disseminate marketing materials, and arranged distribution through many different channels.
I am deeply grateful for the millions who are dedicated to transforming our societies to benefit the 99%. And I feel blessed to work with a remarkable team so ready to bring forth a positive vision of the possibilities that lie ahead.
Bainbridge Island, Washington
October 31, 2011
Fran Korten is the publisher of YES! Magazine.
