Who

Berkower is a literary agent and the president of the midsize agency Writers House, where she represents young adult authors and thriller writers alike.

Backstory

In 1978, Berkower began working as a gofer at Writers House, the boutique agency started in 1974 by Al Zuckerman. She quickly became an agent and built the children/young adult department into a powerhouse, representing a gaggle of preeminent authors including the writers of the immensely popular Choose Your Own Adventure, Sweet Valley High, Babysitter's Club, and Captain Underpants series. (Vampirical, rabbit-loving moviegoers might argue that Berkower's biggest deal was selling the film rights to James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula.) Berkower also reps authors for the more "mature" set: Her list includes romance queen Nora Roberts (whose next ten books Berkower has sold to Little, Brown), mystery king Ken Follett (in fall 2007 Berkower struck a new deal with Penguin for his forthcoming trilogy) and Erica Jong. In 2003, Berkower ascended to the top job at the agency, after her boss Zuckerman vacated the post and became chairman.

Personal

Berkower's husband Daniel Weiss would probably be considered quite a catch by slackers and harried English majors: He's the publisher of Spark Notes. The couple lives near Union Square and owns a house in Sag Harbor.