Literary agent-turned director of literature at the National Endowment for the Arts, Ira Silverberg, is leaving the job to return to New York City. Silverberg, who left Sterling Lord and moved to Washington, D.C. to fill the government slot in October 2011, will be replaced at the NEA on a temporary basis by Amy Stolls, current literature program officer.
In statement, Silverberg said he found the position "empowering" but that "the demands of family are such that I must return to New York." He added that the move is "bittersweet." Speaking about Silverberg's departure, NEA acting chairman Joan Shigekawa said that he "brought a wealth and variety of expertise that were of great value to the literature office and to the agency" and was "instrumental in expanding the NEA's Big Read program to include four new titles and in maintaining the quality of the literature panel process."
