David Blum

{{Short description|American writer and editor}}

David Blum is an American writer and editor.

Blum was born in Queens, New York, and graduated with a degree in English literature from the University of Chicago in 1977.

He began his career as a reporter in 1979 for The Wall Street Journal.{{cite news | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-08-08/news/new-village-voice-editor-david-blum/http | title= New 'Village Voice' Editor: David Blum | newspaper=The Village Voice | date= August 8, 2006 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }} He has also worked for Esquire (where he became as associate editor in 1983), been a contributing editor at New York Magazine (1985–1992), and a regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine (1995–2000).

A 1985 New York Magazine cover story by Blum is credited for coining the term Brat Pack for a group of young 1980s actors.{{cite journal | url=http://nymag.com/movies/features/49902/ | last=Blum |first=David |author-link=David Blum |date=1985-06-10|title=Hollywood's Brat Pack |journal=New York |pages=40–47}}

In 1992, he published his first book, Flash In The Pan: The Life and Death of an American Restaurant, which was named a notable nonfiction book of the year by The New York Times Book Review.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/06/books/notable-books-of-the-year-1992.html?pagewanted=1 | title= Notable Books of the Year 1992 | newspaper=The New York Times | date= December 6, 1992 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }} He published his second book, Tick...Tick...Tick...: The Long Life & Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes, in 2004.

In 2002, he was named an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Blum was editor-in-chief of The Village Voice from September 2006 through March 2007 (one in a string of editors the publication had in a short period of time),{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/nyregion/03voice.html | title= Village Voice Fires Editor After Six Months | author= Julie Bosman | author-link= Julie Bosman | newspaper=The New York Times | date= March 3, 2007 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }} and editor-in-chief of the New York Press from September 2007 through June 2008.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/media/13blum.html?_r=1 | title= Formerly at Voice, Editor Takes a Job at the Competition | author= Juston Jones | newspaper=The New York Times | date= August 13, 2007 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }}{{cite news | url=http://www.observer.com/2008/media/editorial-shuffle-manhattan-media-new-editors-new-york-press-and-02138 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719180353/http://www.observer.com/2008/media/editorial-shuffle-manhattan-media-new-editors-new-york-press-and-02138 | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 19, 2008 | title= Editorial Shuffle at Manhattan Media; New Editors for New York Press and 02138 | author= Matt Haber | newspaper=The New York Observer | date= July 18, 2008 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }} In the latter half of 2008, he briefly served as editor-in-chief of the short-lived 02138 magazine. He has also served as editorial director of its owner (and the owner of the New York Press), Manhattan Media.{{cite news | url=http://www.observer.com/2008/media/notes-black-friday-maer-s-pot-gold-david-blum-s-demise-foretold | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101084323/http://www.observer.com/2008/media/notes-black-friday-maer-s-pot-gold-david-blum-s-demise-foretold | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 1, 2008 | title= Notes on Black Friday: Maer's Pot of Gold, David Blum's Demise Foretold | author= John Koblin | newspaper=The New York Observer | date= October 28, 2008 | access-date=January 25, 2010 }}

In 2010, Blum joined Amazon.com as the founding editor of Kindle single, the retailer's effort to sell long-form nonfiction for its e-reader device.{{cite journal | url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/47935-kindle-singles-gains-traction.html/ | author=Gabe Habash |date=July 8, 2011 |title=Kindle Singles Gains Traction |journal=Publishers Weekly }} In 2016, Blum moved to Audible Inc. as editor-in-chief of Audible Original Publishing.