The Atlantic hires Boris Kachka as Senior Editor for Books; Gal Beckerman Moves to Staff Writer

The Atlantic is sharing news about the hire of Boris Kachka, most recently at the Los Angeles Times, as a senior editor for Books, and the move of senior editor Gal Beckerman to a staff-writer position. More details on the new roles for the two are below, as announced by deputy editor Jane Yong Kim.

From Jane Yong Kim:

“Boris is an elegant, experienced editor with deep knowledge of the literary landscape, a reporter’s instinct, and a curiosity for the big ideas that are preoccupying readers. Boris joins us at a time when our Books ambitions are growing immensely, and I can’t wait to see what he does here. Boris was most recently the Books editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he assigned and edited across a wide range of topics. Before that, he was a longtime writer and editor at New York magazine; during his time there, he expanded books coverage and wrote memorable stories about literary figures, cultural institutions, and much more. He is also the author of three books, including a cultural history of the publisher FSG.

“Gal is a force—a wonderful colleague who approaches everything he works on with a voracious curiosity and keen intellect. Since joining us in 2022, he has shaped our daily Books coverage in myriad ways, bringing in writers such as Cynthia Ozick and Stephen King, editing thought-provoking literary essays, and relaunching our Books Briefing newsletter. He has always found the time to write compelling stories: about the identity crisis at PEN America, the lasting allure of Frantz Fanon, the historical excavations of Jenny Erpenbeck. In his new role, which he begins this month, Gal will write on an array of subjects—including books, of course.”

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