WSU Press Changes
Come Full Circle

Interim director resigns; a former director 
returns; dismissed top leaders now rehired.

SHARI COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jews in the D

I

n less than two weeks, four top man-
agers left Wayne State University Press, 
its organizational position within the 
university structure was changed and a 
previous interim director was returned to 
her post. Now, almost everyone has their 
job back. 
The organizational upheaval began when 
Annie Martin, editor-in-chief, and two 
other top managers — Kristen Harpster 
and Emily Nowak — were dismissed Feb. 
7 without public explanation. Their firing 
sparked intense opposition from Press 
authors, scholars and other supporters, as 
well as its Editorial Board, an appointed 
WSU faculty group that provides editorial 
guidance for the Press. 
In response to the backlash, WSU 
President M. Roy Wilson took on direct 
responsibility for the University Press 
through his chief of staff, Michael Wright. 
He is vice president of marketing and com-
munications and supervises WDET, the 
university-affiliated public radio station. 
The Press previously reported to Jon 
Cawthorne, Ph.D., dean of the University 
Library System and School of Information 
Sciences. The Press has longtime connec-
tions to the Jewish community through its 
early donors and its wide catalog of books 
on Jewish topics. 
On Feb. 19, Kathryn Wildfong, interim 
editor of the Press until last year when 
she retired, was re-appointed to that post 
by Wright, replacing Tara Reeser, interim 
director, who resigned earlier that week.
Two days later, Wildfong hired back the 
three dismissed managers. 
The 17-member University Press 
Editorial Board issued a statement of sup-

port after Wildfong’
s return and the report-
ing changes.
“We appreciate President Wilson’
s sup-
port of the Press and his decision to place 
it in the Office of the President under the 
supervision of Michael Wright,
” the state-
ment reads. “Michael has assured us that he 
is working to restore trust. To that end, we 
welcome Kathryn Wildfong back as interim 
director and look forward to the hiring of a 
permanent director. We are hopeful about 
the future of the Press. Members of the 
Board will remain vigilant as we advocate for 
authors, staff and the community served by 
the Press.
”
The new wrinkle in the personnel shifts 
came Feb. 21, when Wright announced 
that “Wayne State’
s University Press, under 
the leadership of Interim Director Kathryn 
Wildfong, has reinstated Kristin Harpster, 
Annie Martin and Emily Nowak to their 
former positions.
“We are confident that the reinstatement 
of these critical employees will best serve 
the University Press’
s important mission, 
and we are resolved to refocus and re-ener-
gize the Press team toward this purpose.”
The trio resumed their positions Feb. 25. 
Matthew Lockwood, WSU’
s director of 
communication, said Wright “is meeting 
with people and getting up to speed ... There 
is a lot of hope there.
”
Lockwood said WSU officials can’
t discuss 
personnel matters, including the three dis-
missals or Reeser’
s resignation. He said Press 
authors have been contacted by members of 
its Editorial Board about the changes.
Harvey Ovshinsky of Ann Arbor, an 
award-winning producer, director and 
author who attended Wayne State and 

taught there, said he was ini-
tially very concerned about 
the dismissals of the top three 
managers because he has a 
book in production at the 
Press. He had met with Martin 
and Nowak the day before they 
were initially dismissed from 
the organization. 
“They were the heart and soul of Wayne 
State University Press, and that’
s why I went 
there,” he said.
Ovshinsky was the founder of The Fifth 
Estate, Detroit’
s first counter-culture news-
paper. 
He describes his book as a memoir cover-
ing his “55 years of multimedia storytelling 
since age 17 and teaching others how to tell 
stories. It will be a manual for people on 
creativity and how to make a living telling 
stories.
” Ovshinsky researched multiple uni-
versity presses before choosing the Press to 
publish his book.
“Wayne State University Press has a rep-
utation among authors and creative people 
and those interested in books about African 
Americans, Jewish studies, Michigan culture 
and Detroit culture. It’
s a great fit,
” he said. 
His book is now in the copyediting phase.
Ovshinsky said he was heartened that 
President Wilson took over administrative 
responsibility for the Press and “relieved” 
that Wildfong, whom he trusts, has returned 
to her former position.
Wayne State University Press publishes 35 
to 40 titles annually, including both general 
interest and more specialized topics, along 
with 11 journals. Five of its books were 
recently named “2020 Michigan Notable 
Books” by the Library of Michigan. 

24 | FEBRUARY 27 • 2020 

 EDDA PACIFICO

Harvey 
Ovshinsky

WSU

University Press building

