Encounter Books

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Encounter Books is a publisher of conservative books. It describes itself as "an activity of Encounter for Culture and Education, a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation dedicated to strengthening the marketplace of ideas and engaging in educational activities to help preserve democratic culture."[1]

CMD revealed[2] in 2017 that the Bradley Foundation has given $19.47 million in grants to the media firm called “Encounter for Culture and Education” which publishes and houses Encounter Books, which Bradley helped found in 1998. (more below.)

Ties to the Bradley Foundation

CMD's 2017 exposé on the Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation[2] revealed that the foundation has given $19.47 million in grants to the media firm called Encounter for Culture and Education, which publishes and houses Encounter Books. Bradley helped found Encounter in 1998. From the exposé,

A report on Encounter Books in the Bradley documents from July 2015 by former Board Member and Bradley Prize recipient George Will details Bradley’s aim in investing millions in Encounter. The goal is "not only to provide an independent means to support books and authors whose work contributed to the educational mission of the Foundation," but also "to foster an institution whose energies could help promote the values of democratic capitalism, ordered liberty, and individual responsibility" (Report on Encounter Books, July 2015).
"Bradley has been the central force in enabling Encounter to become America’s premier publisher of serious conservative non-fiction," wrote Roger Kimball, current publisher of Encounter, in a letter to the Bradley Foundation in 2016.
[. . .]
Kimball is a strong partner in Bradley’s effort to advance a new, right-wing version of American history and culture. Between 1986 and 2015, Bradley has also given over $5.1 million to the Foundation for Cultural Review specifically to support The New Criterion edited and published by Kimball (FCR, Grant Proposal Record, 7/20/16). The New Criterion touts itself as a monthly review of arts and intellectual life “on the front lines of the battle for culture.”

Roger Kimball One of Three 2019 Bradley Prize Winners

In 2019, Encounter's president and publisher, Roger Kimball, was one of three recipients of that year's Bradley Prize.[3] In a related press release, Bradley Foundation CEO and President Rick Graber wrote, "Roger's commitment to advancing liberty and preserving democratic culture as an author, editor and publisher, is truly exceptional. The Bradley Foundation is proud to honor him fro his remarkable contributions, which have informed important debate on art and intellectual life and have fostered the ideals of a free society."[4]

Bradley Files

In 2017, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of SourceWatch, launched a series of articles on the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, exposing the inner-workings of one of America's largest right-wing foundations. 56,000 previously undisclosed documents laid bare the Bradley Foundation's highly politicized agenda. CMD detailed Bradley's efforts to map and measure right wing infrastructure nationwide, including by dismantling and defunding unions to impact state elections; bankrolling discredited spin doctor Richard Berman and his many front groups; and more.

Find the series here at ExposedbyCMD.org.

Books Published by Encounter

Early 2020 Bestsellers

As of February 2020, Encounter's website contained a list of bestsellers, including:[5]

  • Ryan T. Anderson (Heritage Foundation Senior Fellow), When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment (2019)
  • Bill Gertz (Washington Times national security columnist; The Washington Free Beacon senior editor), Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy (2019)
  • Andrew C. McCarthy (National Review senior editor), Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency (2019)
  • Wildred M. Mcclay, Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story (2019)
  • Oren Cass (Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow), The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America (2018)
  • Joseph Tartakovsky, The Lives of the Constitution: Ten Exceptional Minds that Shaped America's Supreme Law (2018)
  • KC Johnson & Stuart Taylor, Jr., The Campus Rape Frenzy: The Attack on Due Process at America's Universities (2017)
  • Jay Nordlinger (National Review senior editor), Children of Monsters: An Inquiry into the Sons and Daughters of Dictators (2017)
  • Michael Walsh, The Devil's Pleasure Palace: The Cult of Critical Theory and the Subversion of the West (2017)
  • Heather MacDonald, The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe (2016)

Encounter has published books by:

Funding

Encounter for Culture and Education's funders include:

Bradley targeted donations between 2014-2019 as follows:

    • 2019, $1,000,000 for Encounter Books; $50,000 for the Jeane Kirkpatrick/Encounter Awards and events[6]
    • 2018, $1,000,000 for Encounter Books[6]
    • 2017, $1,100,000 for Encounter Books; $20,000 for The Jeane Kirkpatrick Award and dinner[9]
    • 2016, $1,000,000 for Encounter Books[10]
    • 2015, $1,000,000 for Encounter Books[11]
    • 2014, $1,000,000 for Encounter Books; $275,000 for marketing and publicity[12]
  • Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation: $395,000 (2012-2017)

According to IRS Form 990 filings between 2013 and 2017,[13][14][15][16][17] Encounter for Culture and Education's other funders have included:

Personnel

As of February 2020[18]

  • Roger Kimball, Editor and Publisher (replaced Peter Collier in 2005)
  • Nola Tully, Executive Director of Operations
  • Sam Schneider, Director of Marketing
  • Lauren Miklos, Director of Publicity
  • Amanda Dematto, Director of Production
  • Victoria Acevedo, Operations Manager
  • Mary Spencer

Contact Information

Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601
New York, NY 10003

Phone: 212-871-6310
Toll free: 800-786-3839
Fax: 212-871-6311
Email: read AT encounterbooks.com
Web: http://www.encounterbooks.com

Formerly in San Francisco

Former address, when Peter Collier was editor through ~2005 was:

c/o Richard S. Gallagher
665 Third St Ste 330, San Francisco

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch

External resources

External articles

References

  1. ↑ Encounter Books, About, publisher website, accessed February 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 David Armiak, "Bradley Foundation Funds Right Wing Media Machine", Exposed by CMD,May 31, 2017, accessed February 9, 2020.
  3. ↑ Bradley Foundation, [https://www.bradleyfdn.org/roger-kimball-2019-bradley-prize-winner 2019 Bradley Prize Winner], nonprofit website, accessed February 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ Bradley Foundation, Roger Kimball,Prominent Writer, Editor, and Publisher,Selected as a 2019 Bradley Prize Winner", press release, April 1, 2019, accessed February 24, 2020.
  5. ↑ Encounter Books, Bestsellers Archives, publisher website, accessed February 9, 2020.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Recent Grants, foundation website, accessed February 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Archived Grants, foundation website, accessed February 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ Conservative Transparency, 5 results for 'encounter', database website, accessed February 9, 2020.
  9. ↑ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 2017 Annual Report, annual report, accessed February 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 2016 Annual Report, annual report, accessed February 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 2015 Annual Report, annual report, accessed February 9, 2020.
  12. ↑ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 2014 Annual Report, annual report, accessed February 9, 2020.
  13. ↑ Encounter for Culture and Education, 2017 IRS Form 990, organizational tax filing, accessed March 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ Encounter for Culture and Education, 2016 IRS Form 990, organizational tax filing, accessed March 18, 2020.
  15. ↑ Encounter for Culture and Education, 2015 IRS Form 990, organizational tax filing, accessed March 18, 2020.
  16. ↑ Encounter for Culture and Education, 2014 IRS Form 990, organizational tax filing, accessed March 18, 2020.
  17. ↑ Encounter for Culture and Education, 2013 IRS Form 990, organizational tax filing, accessed March 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ Encounter Books, About, publisher website, accessed February 12, 2020.
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