John Oakes

co-founder OR Books

John Oakes is an editor and publisher, and co-founder of OR Books. He started his career as a reporter for the Associated Press in New Orleans. Shortly thereafter, he joined Grove Press. In 1987, he cofounded an independent publishing company, Four Walls Eight Windows. He was publisher there from 1995 until its sale in 2004, when he became publisher of Thunder’s Mouth Press and co-publisher of Nation Books. Subsequently, he helped James Atlas start Atlas & Co., before starting OR Books. He is the editor of the anthology In the Realms of the Unreal: Writings of the "Insane". He is a trustee of PEN American Center and on the U.S. board of Alfanar, an Arab-run foundation promoting democratic values in the Middle East.

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Events in past editions