Being an intern at NYU Press is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Not only do our interns play a significant role in every department, but they also have the chance to work in the heart of Manhattan. Most importantly, they get a (very) hands-on introduction to life in academic publishing! As part of our Meet the Interns series, here’s a chance to get to know a few of our members, and what they’re up to at the Press, with a Q&A.
Today: Meet Brittany.
Name and role at the Press: Brittany Spanos, Front Desk Intern/Permissions & Subsidiary Rights Assistant
Education: I’m a rising senior at NYU due to graduate next May! I’m in NYU Gallatin [School of Individualized Study], studying a mix of journalism and pop culture studies that I call ‘Storytelling, or Popular Culture as a Narrative Force.’
Hobbies/interests? I’m obsessed with music. I attend a ton of concerts and festivals and love reading biographies and memoirs about musicians. I also used to collect CDs so I have close to 500 at home!
How did you hear about the internship and why did you decide to intern with NYU Press? I found the internship on Wasserman, NYU’s student career services website. I had been interested for some time in exploring publishing, and I’ve loved quite a few of the books the Press has published that my classes have utilized. It was a perfect fit!
Any previous internships you’d like to note? What’s your dream internship?
I interned at Allure magazine in the fashion closet in the Fall of 2011. September 2012, I started interning at the Village Voice in the listings department and transferred over as a music editorial intern at the publication in January, which is where I’ve continued to intern through the summer! It’s extra cool because I get to write for them every week, so that’s already fulfilling my idea of a dream internship!
Tell us about your experience thus far.
I love how friendly everyone in the office is. They don’t treat the interns like interns but just like fellow employees who offer important contributions to the Press. Plus, everyone has gone out of their way to be welcoming and learn names, which is extremely sweet. While here, I’ve learned how to balance multiple projects efficiently. I’m excited to continue helping with projects I’ve been participating in!
Subject area NYU Press publishes in that most interests you: Cultural and Media Studies! I also love many of the titles related to Gender Studies. Those are usually the subject areas that the classes I take center on and the Press has such a wonderful collection of titles in those areas.
Any books you’re looking forward to getting your hands on? (NYU Press or otherwise): I’ve been meaning to read all of Cruising Utopia by José Esteban Muñoz. We read an excerpt in one of my courses so I’d love to finish it. Mixed Race Hollywood is another title that I’ve been working through and obsessed with. Spectacular Girls is forthcoming from the Press but right up my alley so I’m probably going to eat it up when it comes out.
Outside of titles from NYU Press, I’m determined to read more titles from Milan Kundera outside of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I read in the spring and immediately determined is my favorite book. On the guilty pleasure side, I’ve been dying to find time to finish Mindy Kaling’s book Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns)!
Is this your first summer in the city? Any advice for survival, or must-do recommendations? This has been my first summer in NYC! I’ve been going to so many concerts and festivals. A recommendation is to find out all the free concerts throughout the summer! There are so many fun, free or cheap events around all five boroughs and they’re definitely worth exploring.
What do you love most about working in NYC? Such a cliche to say, but everything is just chaotically busy! It’s such a motivator for me. I come from a small Midwestern suburb, so I feel like I work much harder in NYC just because the pace is so much faster.
