Monica Bloom is chief marketing officer for Kino Lorber Media Group, 
which counts streaming platform MHz Choice among its portfolio. She grew up in Pennsylvania and lived in San Francisco before she and her husband decided to up stakes and relocate to Miami. Just over a year in, they and their two rescue dogs, Cannoli and Jackson, are still discovering what the Magic City has to offer – including Miami Book Fair!
You’re fairly new to Miami – what led to the move?
When my husband decided to leave his job in San Francisco, we didn’t have to live there anymore. So I said, “Well, what do you think about Miami?” It’s kind of like New York at the beach – it’s got the culture, it’s got the art scene, it’s got music, there’s a foodie scene, it’s got diversity, and the people are great. We actually know a lot of people who moved here during the pandemic. And he said, “I kind of really like that idea.” So we bought a house and here we are.
What compelled MHz Choice to partner with Miami Book Fair – how does our work support your company’s community-building and charitable goals?
From a very simple and straightforward standpoint, our audience and Miami Book Fair’s audience seem to very much overlap, mainly because they share a curiosity about the world and they’re interested in a variety of different topics. MHz Choice is the leading U.S. streaming service for international content, and many of those series are based on books, on worldwide hits. Those who love to read mysteries and who are open to international authors, I think are also interested in video content, so it’s a natural fit in terms of how do we reach the right audience? And frankly, after learning Miami Book Fair is the largest and longest-running book festival in the country, partnering with the Fair was a perfect opportunity for us.
That you attract authors from all across the globe to come to Miami every year is a testament to what you’ve built and what you stand for, and I just love it. So of course we want to be associated with the Fair; it’s an alignment of values. There’s power in stories, and we want to make sure that those stories are accessible to everyone.
How does MBF’s work align with your personal thoughts on access to literary culture?
I was a total book nerd as a kid, the kid who stayed up late with a nightlight so I could keep reading. [laughs] I grew up with huge bookshelves full of all kinds of books. My father studied to be a priest, so there were a lot of philosophy books, a lot of religious texts. And there were a lot of titles about politics; I remember picking up Doonesbury before I even knew what was being talked about. That started a lot of conversations with my parents that helped me to understand the world around me.
My aunt in particular was someone I discussed books with a lot; she was my living library, and is a voracious reader who always sets herself a reading challenge every year. She’s read more award-winning books than anyone I know. She introduced me to Margaret Atwood and all of these authors that, as a young woman, weren’t readily available to me. I went to Catholic high school, Catholic middle school, and these books weren’t being handed to me – I had to search for them. And my aunt helped me discover a lot of new voices; I’m grateful to her.
This will be your first Fair – who are you most excited to see?
I’m super excited! And I’m even more excited to be involved in the Next Page Celebration as a part of the event’s advisory committee. I’d love to meet Patti Smith – I love her writing, I love the way she expresses herself. I also love Erik Larson; I’m a big fan. MHz Choice is hosting a couple of programs as part of our sponsorship: Ruth Reichl, and I’m reading her book The Paris Novel right now so I’ll be ready; she’s appearing with Adrienne Brodeur and Ann Hood. And we’re also sponsoring the Joseph Kanon (Shanghai: A Novel) and Jeff Shaara (The Shadow of War: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis) session. I tried to pick panels that are more novels and narratives but also have an international or historical flair, because those are two genres for which we have a lot of content on our site.
You’re reading The Paris Novel – what’s next on your list?
One of my to-reads is the Sandhamn Murders series by Viveca Sten. It’s also a long-running and popular series on MHz Choice.
What if someone were writing a book about you – what would it be called?
Skipping Stones, because I’ve kind of made these fluid jumps from place to place and experience to experience, which at times may seem very luck of the draw, but doing that actually takes skill – and I do have this ability to move to new places, build my community, and make those connections.
Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.
