New Here

I’m new here. “Here” as in Beaufort Books/Spencer Hill Press/Midpoint Trade Books, but also “here” as in New York City. Aside from a term abroad in London, I have never lived in a big city—I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, attended college in Upstate New York, and now have landed myself in one of the biggest cities in the world, with only Google Maps and my phone’s battery life standing between myself and the tangled maze of subway lines and subterranean architecture that is my commute.

As you can probably understand, I found the subway system to be very overwhelming. The sounds, the smells, the rush hour crowding, and the awkward eye contact with and uncomfortably close proximity to large businessmen did nothing to calm my small-town nerves. On one of my worst days, I lost my balance on the 5 train and fell into the laps of a very surprised and less-than-pleased older couple. In my short time commuting I have also: taken the A train in the wrong direction for several stops, apologized to a garbage bag for stepping on it, and sat in mystery subway juice. Delicious.

Despite my rocky start, I have slowly been settling in to the public transportation life. My advice to fellow newcomers: arm yourself with a pair of headphones and carry at least one good book with you at all times. I’ve been able to find oases in subway seats, reading poetry and listening to my favorite songs. I’ve also found the courage to journal in public, though I usually reserve that for when I don’t feel like I have a car full of people looking over my shoulder.

Although I do want to untangle my mental map of the city and leave my nerves behind, I hope that I retain my small-town sense of wonder as I make the transition from baby Brooklynite to savvy city slicker. One of my friends told me that I’m “cute, but so not a New Yorker” because I got genuinely excited when a group of street performers started dancing in our train car. That’s okay by me—being cute seems like it’s more fun, anyway.

—Mallory 
*This blog post is being shared on both Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press.

In Which the Author Emerges as a Tech Person

In my LBB (Life Before Beaufort), I had always assumed that book people and tech people lived in slightly different worlds. I believed that tech people lived in dark basements, hacking or coding or something. Book people lived in libraries and cafés and generally well lit, respectable places. I considered myself a book person. I study English at college and frequent cafés, so how could I be anything else? Imagine my surprise when, by the second month of my Beaufort internship, I found myself downloading elusive software and furiously typing editing commands. I was producing video tutorials for Beaufort and Midpoint, and I had become a tech person.

Looking back, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I read voraciously as a child, but then again, I also spent three days filming and editing a music video to a Fiona Apple song. It culminated in a frenzied lip-synching scene which involved jumping on my couch. I enjoyed the cutting and pasting in iMovie as much as I did the lip-synching. By the time I was in high school, I was making post-rock music videos to impress my boyfriend (he was in a band).

(Still from Don’t Miss a Day: Music Video for post-rock boyfriend)

When I got to college, I had the equipment and funds of a well-endowed school to further my habit, and I spent a winter making the short film “Purity Ring and the Pretty Gang”. It told the story of a repressed suburban housewife and the crew of delinquents who upend her world; it came out to rave student reviews and only one complaint from a faculty member.

(Promotional Poster for Purity Ring and the Pretty Gang)

My videos had always been a side project, a slightly eccentric way to entertain myself. But after producing over fifteen videos for Midpoint with riveting titles such as “How to Use the Financial Tab”, I’ve found a marketable outlet for my skills. I take pleasure it writing out scripts and manipulating footage. I even told a man on the train the other week that I was interested in “producing freelance video microconent for independent brands”. I have no idea what I meant, but it felt good when I said it.

(My new calling: online video tutorials)

As I fly away from Beaufort and Midpoint, I’m ready to spread my iMovie wings. I can stride confidently into life’s cafés and basements, and embody all the intersections of my interests. I emerge with my love of books intact and my love of tech ignited, and firm in the belief that, as always, I contain multitudes.

-Gillian, Intern and Burgeoning Tech God

Manuscripts

Reading an unpublished work is kind of like going backstage after a show. Backstage lacks the polish of the finished product. You can see the mechanics of the magic, and yet somehow it doesn’t take any of the magic away. The ropes and pulleys, the props and cast-off costumes betray the hours of hard work that the show concealed so well.

Manuscripts have the same essence as what lies behind the stage door. They are not perfect, but with a little work they have the potential to be just as beautiful and heart-wrenchingly good as any Broadway production.

About a week into my internship, I was asked to read some of the manuscripts in our submissions portal. I was thrilled. This, I thought, is what publishing is all about. My excitement died down a little bit as I began sifting through the entries and didn’t immediately find the next Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I was reading unpublished material, and it fulfilled every dream I’d had of interning at a publishing company in New York City.

I’ve been honored to be able to work with a few manuscripts over the course of the summer. As an intern, I’m not making big changes or drastically shaping the future of the American novel à la Maxwell Perkins—don’t worry. Most of the time I’m just an extra pair of eyes to look over the edits and make sure they were made correctly. But even in such a small capacity, I’m still incredibly excited every time I’m asked to help with one of the books. For one thing, I love reading more than anything, so it could never be boring. For another, even though I’m providing only the smallest help I still feel important. I’m saving the world one Oxford comma at a time. Most of all, it is a privilege to see an artistic process take shape as the manuscript becomes a book. I imagine a stage manager or a producer feels the same way, watching their play go from script to stage. For publishers, it all begins with a manuscript.

–Caroline, Intern

*This is a joint post between Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill

It Runs in the Family

Do you remember how you got interested in reading books? I do. My brother got me hooked.

I have distinct memories of going to the library with my siblings and following my brother around to see what he would pick up. It had to have a good cover, of course. He’s an artist and it motivated his choices, even as a child. The books usually had some fantastical or otherworldly element. Those were the best stories – the ones that sent you exploring a new world. If he took a book home that he really enjoyed, he would hand it to me when he was done. Books like The Anybodies by N. E. Bodie, I Left My Sneakers on Dimension X by Bruce Coville, The Door in the Lake by Nancy Butts, or The Boxes by William Sleator. Because of his habit of handing books to me, (also because of my dad, who had me watch Star Trek: Enterprise and The X-Files) my childhood was filled of stories about aliens and magical realism. I wish everyone had this type of childhood. My imagination flourished in this atmosphere.

My interests have definitely expanded way beyond the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre, but there’s still a heartbeat for exploring things unlike our world through stories. My brother still recommends things to me: books, movies, tattoo artists. His opinions and interests still play a large role in my life. We nerd out about pretty book covers and beautifully crafted words. When I took English classes in college, I would text him about the books I was reading. As I continue to take steps forward in the writing industry, I feel like I have my brother to thank for cultivating the love I have for literature and for giving me an endless To-Be-Read pile.
My whole family loves to read (thanks Mom and Dad!), but it’s my brother in particular who helped me form a passion for books from a young age.

– Rebecca, Intern

Garth Williams: The Unsung Hero of my Childhood

On June 3rd, The New Yorker published an article on Beaufort’s new biography of Garth Williams, the largely unknown hand behind the illustrations of many children’s classics. You might not know Williams’ name (I didn’t) but you undoubtedly know the stories he helped give us, including Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and Little House on the Prairie. In Garth Williams, American Illustrator: A Life, Elizabeth K Wallace and James D. Wallace tackle what Williams himself struggled to do: to write the story of a life that spanned seven countries, four marriages, and several professions, but has remained undiscovered by the public.

The New Yorker article highlights the depth of Williams’ commitment to the integrity and nuance of the stories he illustrated, and his desire to convey a sense of truth. In his rendering of Stuart Little, the article remarks, “Stuart was both mouselike and dapper, anthropomorphized in a way that expressed the dignity and absurdity of the human condition and the animal condition alike”. What more can we ask for from a glimpse of truth than dignity and absurdity?

With animal characters serving as human analogues, Williams gave them life in a way that was never reductive; these characters felt real sorrow, real joy, and allowed us as readers to do the same. Even as children, we have keen eyes for cheap shots, and no young reader is going to be moved by some dopey, grinning caricature. “No way José,” they would think, “that mouse is nothing like me! He’s not real, he’s a dumb rodent meant to teach me to behave.” But in Williams’ subtle hands, the likes of Wilbur, Stuart, Charlotte, and countless others are transformed into complicated, achingly real characters that seem more like friends.

Williams’ drawings elicit a nostalgia that spans generations—his art passed down from its original young audience to their eventual children, preserved in that special medium of the bedtime story. I found myself shockingly moved by the drawings presented in Garth Williams, American Illustrator: A Life; they catapulted me back to memories I hadn’t touched in years. “Oh man, he really was terrific,” I thought, wiping my eyes discreetly as I poured over the book’s images of Wilbur. I watched as my past sprung up to meet me, I saw history wink and skip, and found myself grateful to a man I had never known I cared for, grateful to a talent to whom I never knew I owed so much.

–Some Intern

Dear web bloggers…

Hello good people of the World Wide Web!

My name is Tati and I’m one of Beaufort’s newest interns. I was asked to write a blog post for our website and upon hearing that I thought, oh no, not one of those!! I’ve run my own creative writing based blog in the past and I’ll admit, having a blog can be tough when people don’t read anything longer than 150 characters! So to avoid falling into the pits of bad-blogger-hell, let’s tackle what makes a blog post clickable with five easy steps.

#1 IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS

Our first example is the Huffington Post. All you have to do is keep your shoulders relaxed, back straight and slowly type in the URL. Oh what’s this we see?

As you see, anything involving a little bit of blood and some missing teeth makes the front page. Remember folks, blood is news worthy.

(Via the Huffington Post)

#2 ALWAYS LEAD WITH POLITICS

Example number two shows us that nothing garners up more attention than politics. No, really just say ‘Trump’ in your next blog post and watch the masses flow in with clicks. Instant click bate!!!

(Via Buzzfeed)

I mean c’mon, 2016 is the year of the monkey and clearly this election is chock full of folks monkey-ing around. And kudos to you for the rhyme scheme!

#3 SHIRTLESS CELEBRITIES

Okay folks, another way to stay afloat is to give the people what they want: EYE CANDY. I mean look at the success of both Magic Mike XXL! If you could translate some of that into a blog post, it’d be pure gold.

(Via TMZ)

Who wouldn’t want to catch a glimpse of a shirtless, glistening (teen? tween?) celebrity?

#4 SCANDAL

Ever wonder why people continue to keep up with those Kardashians?? The people of the web love a good scandal and if it garners up a cat fight: the internet will be watching. I mean how else do you explain this?

(Via Perezhilton.com)

You get bonus points for having two scandals on the same page. Look at you, you over achiever you!

#5 IF ALL ELSE FAILS, USE CUTE ANIMAL PICTURES

Who doesn’t love to look at fuzzy animals and tweet worthy gifs? You know the saying, sex sells, well I submit to you: FUZZY ANIMALS SELL. It’s the one sure fire way to get your views through the roof!

(Via USA Today)

As you can see, there are tons of ways to keep attention on your blog and still maintain your following. This is the age of social media and now’s the time more than ever to jump on that band wagon and climb the ranks of bloggerly success. Here’s some great examples of a click-worthy blog post:

(Via Yahoo News)

The horror! Can you all imagine a Yeezy world with poor grammar and the Supreme Overlord Trump in the White House err…the Trump House?

(Via imgflip.com)

Welp, that’s all folks!

-Tati

A book to escape

Hi everyone!

I’m Giulia, one of the new interns at Beaufort Books. I’m from Italy, therefore it is even more exciting to me to be here in New York City, interning at a publishing house, and to have the chance to share with you some thoughts and ideas about everything that could be related to the world of books.
I was asked to write a post about books and, since I couldn’t make up my mind about which one to choose, I opted for writing a blog about my personal relationship with reading.
Reading has always been one of my biggest passions. Even when I was a child, walking in a bookstore or in a library meant having the extraordinary chance to choose the destination of my next imaginary trip. In time, this has helped me create my own world, made of dreams, little things and big emotions. People have often defined me as an “unusual girl” for this reason, since I often isolate myself from the real world just to read a book, watch a movie, play the guitar, or write a new song. But in fact I’m no misanthrope, nor cold fish, nor introvert. It’s just that sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong century or in the wrong side of the universe.
The world we live in is a world where what counts is not the feeling behind a picture we’ve taken, but the number of “likes” that that picture gets on Instagram. We live in a world where meeting new people doesn’t mean having the opportunity to start to build new friendships, but having more friends to add on Facebook. We live in a world where, while out with friends, people spend most of that time updating their Snapchat stories.
So, you want to know why I prefer to read instead of going to parties on Friday nights? The answer is actually very simple. I read because reading is my way to immerse myself in a brand new world, where people are still capable of deep feelings and dreams are still the fuel that spins the world. I read because books like The Last Song (Nicholas Sparks) help me see clearly which are the things that really count in life. I read because a book like Romeo & Juliet (William Shakespeare) makes me wanna believe that true love—that kind of love in which a person would do whatever it takes to be with the one they love—still exists. I read because books like The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) make me wanna become my best self, and push me to live every single day at my best without taking it for granted. I read because books like The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) encourage me to keep on following my dreams and give me the chills when I’m afraid of failing.
I read because books like The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) are still capable of teaching me how to appreciate the simplicity of ordinary things, and remind me to always look beyond the appearance, well aware that “you can only see things clearly with your heart.” I read because books like Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell) make me feel less alone.
I read because, in this world of pretenses, books are one of those things that can still make me feel something real.

Giulia

Sassenach Tales and BEAUtiful Beginnings

Greetings everyone!

I’m Nadine, one of the newest interns at Beaufort Books. Keeping with the Beau name tradition, I’ll be going by the pseudonym, fittingly enough, Claire Beauchamp for the remainder of my time here.

                       Also known as H.S.I.C. (Head Sassenach In Charge.)

As you can probably tell, choosing the name was a no-brainer. Beau is coincidentally enough already a part of my leading lady’s name and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is one of my favorites. There’s so much I can say about the book series, about Claire, but we’d be here forever.

                                         (Cue random break into song.)

If you haven’t read it or even heard of it, I highly recommend changing that (or at least checking out the show.) Gabaldon wrote the first novel of the series in 1991, and recently the books have been adapted by Starz into a hit television show (that to date has remained pretty faithful to the books I might add.)

For my fellow reader that’s into historical fiction sprinkled with a heavy dose of time travel, this series is for you. Add in the beloved Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and you’ve got yourself an adventure that will leave you reeling (too often) after each book.

Well that’s enough gushing and fangirling for now, so until next time,

-Claire BEAUchamp

Toto, We’re Not in “Texas” Anymore!

Hi Beaufort Fans! I’m pretty new to the Beaufort Books family, so I’ll begin with an introduction. My name is Riley. I’m originally from a tiny town in Texas. My hometown is basically the Anti-NYC, but we do have a Wal-Mart and a Whataburger. And if you knew what either of those things were, you’d be really jealous. I moved to the Big Apple for school. I’m currently working on a Master’s in Publishing at Pace University. Feel free to call me Master Lauderdale.

My blog is about something New Yorkers have probably never struggled with: boredom. Growing up in a small town, most of the time there is absolutely nothing to do. And with boredom, comes disaster. Once I was bored and I ended up with 24 stitches on my face. There’s more to that story, it includes football and teeth, but the moral is that boredom is a national safety hazard. So, how do small town kids combat the negative effects of boredom? We read. Well that’s not true. I probably shouldn’t speak for all small town citizens. Let’s just say, I read.

During school semesters, my days started to feel a lot like Groundhog Day – the Bill Murray movie, not the actual holiday where we think it’s acceptable to annoy a magical groundhog for our own personal gain. Every day is the same: wake up at noon, leave the castle, arrive at school, return to the castle, force butlers to finish homework, eat a nutritious snack of chicken wings and cupcakes, and finally hang out with Emma Watson.
Life in a small town is tough people.

If only!

My life was a constant cycle of school, athletics (because everyone in Texas is sporty), home, homework, and sleep. Repeat! School, athletics, home, homework, sleep. It doesn’t take long for this to become dreadfully monotonous. The only way I was able to reach beyond this lackluster loop was by reading.

When I was reading I didn’t have to be small town Riley that had algebra homework due and no movie theatre for miles. I didn’t have to be 16, surrounded by adult rules, and drowning in high school politics. I could be anywhere and anyone. Heck, I didn’t even have to be human. I went through a pretty serious fairy book phase in high school.

But I’ve realized that just because I’m “technically” an adult and have moved to the greatest city on the planet, I can still feel stuck in my situation. Now, instead of reading books about grand adventures, I look for Midwestern settings, small town characters, and mentions of Texas. Books have the never-ending power to transport you to wherever you want to be.

Thanks for reading!

Maybe next time I’ll tell you more about my stitches.

Riley,

Happy Banned Books Week!

Hello everyone! I’m the newest intern at Spencer Hill Press, hailing all the way from Philadelphia! The timing of this blog couldn’t be more perfect for me, as I’m finishing up my graduate thesis on Censorship in Children’s Literature. How lucky for me that my first blog post gets to be about Banned Books Week!

I remember the days when I was so blissfully ignorant to the fact that books were still so widely challenged. Once I found out the truth, I made it my mission to read as many of these “banned” books as I possibly could. For the most part, I’ve found that the reasons for the challenges are silly. In other cases, I’m not that surprised. One thing always remains the same, though: books should never be banned. Besides the fact that it’s strictly against the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, anyone?), it’s unfair. Sure, it’s necessary for some parents to monitor what their children have access to. But, that by no means, means they should tell everyone else what they can and can’t read. There are always alternate reading assignments given for summer reading lists, or books read in schools if a parent feels a particular way about the subject matter. Taking it away from everyone is simply not fair.

When considering a work of fiction, it’s important to consider the work as a whole. Banning a book because you don’t like the paragraph that talks about teenagers having sex is ignoring the rest of the wonderful qualities of the book. Take Judy Blume’s Forever… for example. That book has been challenged since it was published decades ago. And after reading it, I understand why. But, disagreeing with the sexual relationship between the teenagers in the book is not a good enough reason to remove it from circulation. Because, it also has great information about birth control. The main character in the book is responsible and smart. That’s what we should be focusing on when we read books like that. What can it teach our society’s children?

Don’t like a book with homosexual themes? Don’t read it. But, you should let your kid read it. I promise you, it won’t turn them gay. Because that’s impossible. They either are or they aren’t. What it will do is teach them tolerance and acceptance. As human beings, it’s our nature to disagree with certain things – even to judge certain behavior. But, it’s also our responsibility to take care of each other. Just because we disagree with someone’s lifestyle does not give us the authority to bring them down because of it. Telling kids they can’t read books on certain subjects is telling them that those subjects are not okay. Teaching kids that it’s not okay for someone to be gay only perpetuates the horrible cycle we’ve fallen into of intolerance.

Sheltering kids doesn’t help. Educating them does. We’re failing the next generation and we have to stop it.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll tune in for the next one!

-Spencer PHilly

An Interview With Author Anne Gross

How much emphasis do you put on strong voice/character?

A plot-driven story is fun to read and to write because it’s easy to lose yourself in the rhythm. However, if the characters involved aren’t well developed, I tend to roll my eyes with the more dramatic plot twists. My ability to suspend disbelief is damaged by a character that feels flat. So I place a lot of emphasis, or at least try to, on voice.

Here’s my favorite writing spot in my house. My own teensy forest grove in the city.

When my characters are developed enough, I can anticipate what they might do in each nutty situation I throw at them. I know if they will react on instinct or pause to think while digging the dirt out of their ears, throw a punch or run. And if they run, I know if they’re the type to sneak back to loosen the saddle straps or wet down the gunpowder. That being said, Elise and Adelaide still surprise me all the time. I’m pretty gullible like that.

• What is one message you want your readers to take away from reading The Quiet Woman?

People don’t usually think about the limitations of the past, and I think that’s too bad because in all social classes, women struggled. In the lower classes, women often faltered. Any time I read historical fiction, I feel a bit nostalgic for the past—the clothes, the conversations, the endless knitting and needlework. I imagine long walks on expansive estate lawns with my hand on a gentleman’s elbow, rooms lit with candles and a warm fireplace, dinners that last long into the night, maybe a ballroom with a string quintet in the corner. I get caught up in the romance, and that annoys me, later, when I pop back from the book into real life and consider how those women must have smelled.

Instead of a picturesque Austen landscape, I wrote my heroine into a tavern with no running water, no closet full of gowns, and a front lawn that’s nothing more than a wet, reeking, manure filled alley. My message is to enjoy the present, because nostalgia places unrealistic veils of gold over the past.

I tend to write in a variety of spaces. I took this photo in a cafe in San Francisco where I wrote a lot of The Quiet Woman.

Despite the grim landscape I created (or maybe because of it) I laughed a lot while I was writing. I hope my reader is as entertained reading The Quiet Woman as I was writing it.

• Is there any advice you want to impart to aspiring authors?

Advice is something I look for too. I always keep Stephen King’s book On Writing and Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life within reach at all times. I also read blogs that dole out tips for writers.

Here’s my bookshelf. I’ll spare you the photograph of the books piled next to my bed with all the wine glasses, dirty dishes and unmentionables.

One thing I’ve read in a couple of different places is the caution not to tell anyone about your novel in progress. It’s a conversation killer at a party, they say. You’ll be as dull as someone who starts a conversation with, “I had this weird dream last night…” Furthermore, people will have their own ideas about the path of your novel and will veer you off course. Don’t tell anyone because you’ll end up writing a book by committee and will lose your own voice.

I think this is bad advice for aspiring authors. Even if you live a dull life, as a person who enjoys stringing words together you’re probably a great conversationalist, so it’s doubtful you’d bore people with details about your novel. Also, most artists aren’t easily steered from their vision by Committees with Other Ideas. If they were, they wouldn’t be artists. It’s why artists are interesting (stubborn).

Go ahead and give yourself permission to be obnoxious. Tell everyone. Talk about your novel constantly. Be enthusiastic and excited. Imposter syndrome is real, and when you’re just starting out it can make you want to give up. Talking about your novel undercuts self-doubt because you’re practicing saying the words, “I’m writing.” It’s positive reinforcement.

From a business perspective, the more people you tell, the more anticipation you build for the product you’re developing. Not only are you creating a market, but you’re also networking. You never know if a friend of a friend of a friend has the name of an agent in their address book.

Final Reflections

Hello readers!

Today is my last day as a Beaufort intern. It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight weeks, but something tells me the people who give out visas don’t particularly care about how time “feels”, so back to Canada I go.

These past two months have been really amazing. New York is a fantastic place and I’m so glad I got to spend my time here working at Beaufort. I’ve learned a lot about everything from proofreading to editing to marketing and social media and even a little bit about design. Every day I spend in the office, I am consistently amazed by how many parts a book can have. The sheer number of things that have to happen before publication can happen is mind-blowing – and if even one of them is done improperly, it could compromise the future of the book.

For a reader, books seem to pop into existence fully formed with the express purpose of finding a place on your bookshelf (or in the pile of books on the floor next to your bed that you SWEAR you’ll read soon, you promise, it’s totally fine to buy three more books to add to the pile because you are just about to go on a total reading binge, you really mean it this time). Every book is personal to the reader, of course, but they’re also commodities, each volume one among a huge number. HarperCollins recently printed two million copies of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman. Two million people will receive that book and have ostensibly the same experience in reading it. Being on the business side of books makes you look at them in a whole new way.

On one hand, this new understanding of how publishing works depersonalizes the reading process a bit. The book is no longer simply mine. It’s something that was or was not designed properly, was or was not edited properly, did or didn’t make money. On the other, I am now hyperaware of just how much work goes into creating that thing, that impossible, beautiful, miraculous medium beloved by so many for so long. The singular experience of reading a good book happens as a result of the work of a whole pile of people – editors, copyeditors, proofreaders, layout designers, cover designers, sales teams, marketing experts, and accountants (and maybe even an intern or two). Sure, I’ve lost some of the magic, but I make up for it in appreciation for just how much has to fall into place for each and every book at the store to exist. It’s kind of beautiful.

With that, I bid my Beaufort cohorts adieu. I will be forever grateful for my experience here!

Much love,

Violet BEAUdelaire

Book Expos and Baudelaires

Hello Readers!

I’m one of the new interns here at Beaufort and I will be writing under the name Violet BEAUdelaire, after my favourite (note that spelling – yes, I am Canadian and no, I will not be giving up my Canuck roots while I’m here in NYC) character from Lemony Snicket’s  A Series of Unfortunate Events. As a kid, Violet was a huge inspiration to me; in times of hardship, she was strong, smart, and resourceful. The Unfortunate Events books are all about being able to make the best out of a bad situation and the lessons those books taught me have carried through my whole life.

My alter ego in her usual state of distress…

While this is my first week in the Beaufort office, I actually started my internship last Tuesday. That’s right, folks, they threw me right into the raging fire commonly known as Book Expo America. Over the course of 72 hours, I left the small prairie city where I grew up, moved into my residence in New York City, and found myself right in the centre of the biggest publishing event in North America. BEA is amazing and exhilarating, but it’s also overwhelming, confusing, and terrifying – especially if your entire life has just been uprooted. This is where my Violet Baudelaire skillset came into play.

In the books, Violet is represented as a talented and passionate inventor. She takes what is available and makes it into something better, something useful. She sees what looks like nothing and creates something amazing. When I arrived at BEA, I felt like I didn’t belong. I was new to Beaufort and new to the publishing world at large. I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t quite know what my role was at the expo. For the first couple of hours, I wandered aimlessly, unsure if I was allowed to talk to people or check out the piles of free merch.

What I looked like at BEA probably

Finally, I decided to channel Violet; the difference was that instead of making a welding torch out of a fireplace poker or a stapler out of a tap shoe, I invented a new, confident persona for myself. I talked to people. I talked about Beaufort’s books like I had been working here for months instead of just a few hours. Suddenly, I wasn’t out of place at all.

That, I think, is why so many people are captivated by the written word. Reading allows you to reinvent yourself in a way that no other medium really can. When I’m reading, I’m not myself, I’m living in some between space where I can feel the experiences of another person. That sensation is absolutely singular and the amount of passion one sees at events like BEA proves how intensely it can affect people. Whether we’re moving countries, starting a new job, or simply opening a book, to reinvent ourselves is what being human is all about.

I’m still spelling “colour” with a U, though.

Best wishes,

Violet BEAUdelaire

My Farewell

Good Afternoon Readers,

Next week I will be attending the Book Expo of America, or BEA, which I’ve been looking forward to since the first weeks of my internship in January.  BEA is a huge trade show amongst both small and large publishers.  It’s bound to be exciting and I, for one, cannot wait.

But the excitement is bittersweet, for today is my last day in the Beaufort office.  I’ve been here since the first weeks of January, but, cliche as it sounds, I truly feel as if I have just started.  I’ve learned so much about the various processes that must occur before a book can be published, as well as all the publicity needed in order for it to be successful.  I’ve read countless manuscripts and my input has always mattered, I’ve proofread, created press releases, and managed to fit lengthy ideas into 140 character tweets.  I’ve loved interning here at Beaufort where I’ve learned not only about the editorial and publicity sides of publishing, but even a bit bit about distribution.  A small company was really the best introduction into the publishing world because of all the different aspects I was able to learn about.  I also could not have asked for friendlier or kinder people to learn from.

I’m going to miss it here, but I’m looking forward to whatever it is that awaits me next.

So long for now!

BEAUlores Umbridge

Dr. Seuss and Children’s Lit

Good Afternoon Readers,

As a Creative Writing major and a Children’s Studies minor, I am greatly interested in children’s and young adult literature. I’ve also grown up loving Dr. Seuss. My elementary school always celebrated Dr. Seuss Day, March 2nd, with green eggs, ham, and green bagels, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, cartoon version) was one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up.

I also recently read, for the first time, The Lorax. The story is told by the unseen Onceler who, upon moving into a land that is home to Brown Bar-ba-loots, Humming-Fish, Swomee Swans, Truffula trees and the Lorax, decides to begin a business venture. In order to make knitted “thneeds,” the Onceler must cut down Truffula trees, which he does throughout the book, despite the Lorax insisting that the trees are vital to the survival of the other creatures and the land.

In so many of Seuss’s stories, amidst the colorful places, creative characters, and memorable rhymes, there is an important underlying message. In the case of The Lorax, these messages are the necessity of taking care of the environment and the consequences of greed. This ability, to write stories that teach lessons in a way that is not patronizing, is amongst the reasons why Dr. Seuss is still such a celebrated children’s author and why so many people are looking forward to July.

This July, as is already known by most I’m sure, a recently found manuscript of a book Seuss wrote many years ago will be published. What Pet Should I Get? will be released by Random House on July 28, to many readers’ delights.

Since it is only February, though, there are five months until the book’s release. So while you wait, why not pick up a different children’s book? And if you’re at a loss as to what you should read, below is a list of some of my favorite children’s books which, hopefully, you will enjoy too.

1. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. A couple of nasty aunts, some magical beans, and an adventure with some friendly, oversized insects.

2. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who send Meg and her genius little brother through time dimensions to save their scientist father.

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry. The precursor to children’s dystopias and I will say no more.

4. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. A book of Silverstein’s fantastic poems. Like Seuss, Silverstein had a knack for embedding important messages within his colorful, and often humorous, poems.

5. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. A recently deceased multi-millionaire named Sam Westing with a will that leaves his fortune to whichever of his 16 possible heirs can solve his murder.

6. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Bored Milo’s journey through various punny lands as he tries to reconcile the King of Dictionopolis with his brother, the King of Digitopolis by bringing Rhyme and Reason back into the kingdoms.

7. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. A series that I’m currently rereading, starting with the aptly named The Bad Beginning. This series follows the three Baudelaire orphans as they attempt to outwit and escape their dreadful distant cousin and guardian Count Olaf, who is intent on procuring their vast inheritance.

8. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. To leave Dr. Seuss off this list is unthinkable, and while I definitely prefer other Seuss books to this particular story, One Fish, Two Fish features a brother and sister…who will be the main characters in What Pet Should I Get?

So, happy reading and Happy (early) Dr. Seuss Day!

BEAUlores Umbridge

The Unlikable Protagonist

Hello Readers,

I’m one of the new interns at Beaufort and I will be writing under the pen name BEAUlores Umbridge, a nod to my least favorite character in the Harry Potter series.  Why? You might wonder.  Because, despite being one of Harry’s main antagonists, Umbridge is an incredibly fascinating character to read about.  She’s ruthless and power-hungry, but she hides all of her horrible motives under a love for the color pink and kitten plates.  She is the quintessential unlikable antagonist, but think about how dull the stories would be without her.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1637886_1638263_1638844,00.html

Some of my favorite characters in literature also serve as relatable role models.  Hermione Granger (who is easily the antithesis of Umbridge in every possible way) is the brains behind the trio, is exceptionally compassionate, and is constantly seeking equality.  Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice is an independent thinking, voracious reader who turns down two marriage proposals during a time when marriage was pretty much a necessity for women, simply because she refuses to settle.  We often read to find characters we can understand, or as C.S. Lewis says in Shadowlands “We read to know we are not alone.”

And yet…There is something oddly fascinating when reading about the lives of characters we cannot and do not want to relate to.  While she can be interesting to read about, Dolores Umbridge is an antagonist in the book series, and as such, she is expected, at least on some level, to be unlikable. It’s the protagonists in stories who are the ones we usually root for. And this is what I really want to talk about today: the unlikable protagonist.

What happens when the character we’re supposed to root for and relate to is someone we cannot stand?  Enough times we end up closing the book before it’s finished, but there are times when an unlikable protagonist is so interestingly complex that such a character stays in our head long after all of those likable heroes and heroines have faded from memory.  Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert from Lolita, Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, and Amy Dunne from Gone Girl are all characters we would never want to be friends with in real life.  They’re characters who, as we read their stories, only make us angrier and angrier because of the choices they make, and yet we continue to read their stories anyway because they fascinate us.  Because isn’t that the other reason we read?  To learn that not everyone sees the world the way we do.

Classic, goodhearted heroes and heroines will always be well-loved.  They’re the characters who, if real, we’d be best friends with.  But without some unlikable characters, their stories are boring.  And sometimes we need a reminder that not everyone is good and predictable.  And when this happens, the unlikable protagonist finds a spot on our bookshelves.

Until next time,

BEAUlores Umbridge