What James Truman's Up To These Days

James Truman is back in magazine publishing, although not in a full-time way. The former Condé Nast editorial director has been pursuing other interests, as they say, since parting ways with Canadian philanthropist Louise Blouin MacBain and her art publishing house, LTB Media, two and a half years ago. That, in turn, came only after he'd left Condé Nast, complaining the company where he'd worked for 11 years had become "unsustainable," "conventional" and "business-driven" rather than creative.

But now Truman is returning to the business with a year-long gig as a consultant to custom publisher McMurry Inc. His job, he says, will be "to help them reposition the Ritz-Carlton magazine, web site and in-room media." It's the second job he's started this year; he has also, since January, served as the co-creative head of Francis Ford Coppola's food, wine and travel companies. (Coppola himself is the other co-head; Truman has sat on his board for the past two years.)

And in case all that sounds a bit, well, conventional and business-driven, there's Truman's true passion, the venture that has been described in press reports as "a Cirque de Soleil-like performance series." Says Truman,

I am also very dedicated to my own company, Big Night In Tent LLC, which puts on secret events around themes of knowledge, community and magic. We did three last year, culminating in an all-weekend event upstate just before Thanksgiving, which, though I say so myself, was amazing. This project has everything but a plausible business plan, so I'm funding it myself, and funding myself through these and other professional ventures.