Welcome to our rebooted “Beacon Behind the Books” series! In these times when readers are responding to our books “more than ever,” when our authors—including Aubrey Gordon, Tanya Katerí Hernández, James Baldwin, Viktor Frankl, Atef Abu Saif, and Percival Everett—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 to Erwin Kamuene, our editorial intern! 

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

I’ve always been interested in storytelling, but it wasn’t until undergrad that I really learned about the labor that goes into publishing and how gratifying the process can be. Beacon has consistently introduced me to authors I’ve ended up loving, such as Gayl Jones and Alicia Kennedy, so when the opportunity to be an editorial intern opened up, I jumped at it and here I am.

What are some of the challenges of being an editorial intern? What do you find most rewarding? 

As an editorial intern, I’m often seeing ideas at their freshest state when they’ve yet to be whittled down into something more particular. It can be hard to exercise foresight at first, but I ultimately find it rewarding that this position constantly challenges me to look at alternative perspectives.

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

The Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones. When it comes to humanistic depictions of Black characters, Jones is the gold standard. There’s a tenderness to her work that doesn’t come off as patronizing and it really treats her characters with the depth they deserve.

What’s your advice to someone interested in entering the publishing field?

I think just acknowledging that it’s very hard to thrive if you isolate yourself from others or don’t make an attempt to put yourself out there.

What are you reading right now?

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. 

In an alternate universe, what career would you have?

I’d be a fisherman—if being a fisherman meant doing nothing but wearing the cute uniform.

What’s the next queued song on your music player?

“Dollar Days” by David Bowie.