Our rebooted “Beacon Behind the Books” series is on a roll! In these times when readers are responding to our books “more than ever,” when our authors—including Colm Tóibín, Tanya Katerí Hernández, Robin D. G. Kelley, Eboo Patel, and Gayl Jones—are appearing in the media, their ideas going viral on social media, their voices being heard on so many platforms, we thought it would be good to take a break to focus on some of the staff who work hard to find, shape, edit, produce, and promote those works. Our blog series introduces to you a staff member and gives you a behind-the-scenes look, department by department, at what goes on at our office. And not only our staff, but our interns, too.

This month, we introduce you Lindsay Wang, our digital and social media intern! 

What drew you to publishing, Lindsay? How did you find your way to Beacon?

Like most other people in the industry, I’m here because I love books! I love words and how they can be combined to reveal a new way of knowing the world. For a while, my dream was to become a writer, but over time, I grew less interested in telling my stories and more interested in helping others tell theirs. I found Beacon through the amazing We Need Diverse Books internship grant and was immediately drawn to its progressive catalog and justice-oriented mission. My friends and family can attest that I was jumping for joy when I received the internship offer!

What is one book on our list that has influenced your thinking on a particular issue?

Angela Chen’s Ace was incredibly influential in terms of how I thought about sexuality, love, and desire. Before reading this book, I could identify aspects of myself with the concept of asexuality, but my understanding of it was so nebulous that I constantly second-guessed myself. Ace gave me the words I needed to fully understand this part of myself that had previously been so uncertain. At the same time, it also challenged my assumptions about what asexuality could look like and provided me with new angles through which to approach this identity I now feel comfortable claiming as my own. In many ways, Ace re-proved to me the importance of books in people’s lives and reaffirmed my dream to help publish other stories that touch readers as intimately as Ace has touched me.

Favorite thing about Boston?

I’m originally from the Bay Area in California, so one great thing about my time at Beacon was exploring Beantown! Even with all the cool things I got to see and do, I think my favorite thing about Boston must be the Charles River. I’ve always loved rivers and bridges: there’s something incredibly calming about moving water, and rivers are almost always accompanied by a cool breeze and shady greenery, both of which are absolutely necessary during a muggy New England summer. Watching the sunset over the Anderson Memorial Bridge will always be a highlight of my summer in Boston.

What are you reading right now?

In preparation for the next school year, I’m currently working through Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory, an absolute classic of Arthurian legend. Somehow, over the past couple of years, I’ve developed an interest in medieval romances, which are often rife with queer subtext. Middle English may seem scary at first, but it isn’t so hard to decipher once you’ve read enough Chaucer.

Favorite song?

I have this problem where I find an amazing song and then play it on a loop until I am sick of hearing it. That being said, one song I haven’t gotten sick of yet is “Good Life” by Sammy Rae & The Friends. I haven’t yet found a song by this band that I haven’t added to my playlist!