The Oxford American named Roger D. Hodge its new top editor on Monday, the second to lead the magazine in its 20-year history.
Hodge, a former editor at Harper's Magazine, replaces the magazine's founding editor Marc Smirnoff, who was fired in July amid allegations that he sexually harassed female interns.
"[Hodge] brings impeccable literary credentials, as well as a rigorous experience editing Harper's Magazine," Warwick Sabin, the American's publisher, said in a statement. "Roger is a son of the South, having been born in Texas and educated at Sewanee. Roger has an intuitive understanding of the unique spirit and character of the Oxford American, and he is the perfect person to shepherd it in a rapidly evolving publishing landscape."
Hodge began his career in journalism in 1989, freelancing in North Carolina. He was hired by Harper's in 1996 as a fact-checker. He joined the magazine's "Readings" section a year later and became the section editor from 1999-2003.
He later launched the "Weekly Review" satire section, oversaw the redesign of Harpers.org and began writing a monthly print column for the magazine.
Hodge was named deputy editor in November 2004 and editor in April 2006.
After leaving Harper's in 2010, Hodge focused on his writing — submitting work to Texas Monthly, Men's Journal, the London Review of Books and others. He is currently penning a book about life in the West Texas borderlands, where his family has been ranching since the 1850s.
"This is an exciting moment for magazines, and for literary journalism in particular," Hodge said in a statement. "People have grown weary of the 24-hour news cycle. They're hungry for good stories, for vital narratives that help them make sense of a disorienting world."
