Frank Rich is leaving the New York Times for New York magazine.
Rich, who's been with the Times since 1980, and its op-ed columnist since 1994, will join the magazine in June. His last op-ed column will run on March 13.
Also read: Frank Rich on Leaving the Times: ‘I Wasn’t Burnt Out, But Was Incredibly Itchy’
Needless to say, it's a huge coup for New York magazine and its editor, Adam Moss -- who once served as Rich's editor at New York Times magazine -- and a big loss for the Times.
"Frank Rich is a giant -- a powerhouse critic of politics and culture, a rigorous thinker, a glorious stylist, a skeptic and optimist at the same time," Moss said in a statement. "Since the day I came to New York, I have hoped I could persuade him to join us here."
Rich will be an essayist and editor-at-large for New York magazine -- writing monthly about politics and culture -- as well as a commentator on nymag.com. They're even creating a magazine section for him, anchored by his essay.
Here's Rich's statement on his decision to leave the paper:
"There is no greater newspaper than the Times. I leave the paper with deep affection for both the institution and my many brilliant colleagues, and with much gratitude for the opportunity the paper gave me to serve in two dream jobs in journalism. After seventeen years in my second career there, as a columnist, I feel much as I did after nearly fourteen years in my first, as chief drama critic -- both the satisfaction that I’ve given a great job all I had and a serious hunger to move on to fresh and expanded writing challenges after having done the same assignment for so long. I’ve spent much of the past year talking to friends inside and outside the Times about what might be most exciting for me next. It was impossible to top the idea of reuniting with my friend Adam Moss, who has played a crucial role in my writing life since the late 1980s and who, as editor of the Times Magazine, was instrumental in my transition from arts criticism to broader essay writing. The role Adam has created for me at his revitalized New York Magazine will allow me to write with more reflection, variety, and space than is possible within the confines of a weekly newspaper column -- and, for that matter, will allow me to stretch the definition of a magazine column."
The Times announced on Tuesday that business section columnist Joe Nocera will become a twice-weekly columnist for opinion section beginning in April.
Here's the full New York magazine release:
New York, NY, March 1, 2011 -- New York Magazine editor-in-chief Adam Moss announced today that Frank Rich will be joining the magazine, beginning in June. Rich will be an essayist for the magazine, writing monthly on politics and culture, and serve as an editor-at-large, editing a special monthly section anchored by his essay.
