About Me
I am a poet, writer, and sailor. A recent graduate of UC Berkeley with a BA in Rhetoric, I am now in the New York area and ready to work. I hope to enter the world of publishing because I have always been an enthusiastic reader and want nothing more than to help get books out to the public. From conception to delivery, I cannot wait to be a part of the editorial process. My poetic and journalistic work appear online and in print in places such as Untitled Magazine, Livina Press, and 7th-Circle Pyrite.
Professional Experience
I am currently a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. I direct and advise customers on titles of every genre, highlight newly released and popular books and gather local market insight. I manage and organize inventory of thousands of titles to ensure effective merchandising, accurate shelving, on-time rollout of new releases, and alignment with publisher promotions. I also collaborate with receiving and management teams to process shipments and prepare titles for floor placement. I am learning about the publishing lifecycle from the retail and consumer end, and how to merchandise titles effectively to a local audience while also considering national campaigns.
Last summer, in 2024, I worked as an editorial intern for the Untitled Magazine, an independent publication associated with an interview-focused art gallery in Tribeca that prioritized art, culture, and fashion pieces. Working under the Editor-in-Chief I was assigned a byline and wrote over two articles weekly in addition to copy-editing and proofreading teammates’ pieces. I was responsible for my personal time management, keeping the team on schedule in a fast-paced and unforgiving environment, and was given organizational tasks that helped the magazine run smoothly. Having started in the journalism side of the publishing industry, I look forward to working with books, as this medium better represents my interests and skills.
In the summer of 2023, I interned at Ronstadt & Associates, a PR firm based in San Diego. I worked with clients such as Warner Bros. and Mattel on the product side of their large projects launched that summer. My work allowed me to apply my rhetorical analysis skills and creative passions for those specific media to the business world. Crafting media alerts and press releases enhanced my ability to use rhetoric as a means to impart an impression on the public and cultivate a company image through a variety of publications.
Top Publications
BROOKLYN MUSEUM HONORS ELIZABETH CATLETT WITH A RETROSPECTIVE: INTERVIEW WITH CURATOR CATHERINE MORRIS
Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) was a pivotal Black woman artist of the twentieth century, though her work has not received the mainstream recognition given to many of her male contemporaries. The Brooklyn Museum, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, is addressing this oversight with the exhibition Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies. This comprehensive presentation, in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago, features over 150 works, including well-known sculptures and prints, rare paintings and drawings, and important ephemera. It is the most extensive exhibition of Catlett’s work in the United States and honors Catlett’s revolutionary spirit and radical activism.
KAMALA HARRIS IN CONTEXT: THE COCONUT TREE AND MEMES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Kamala Harris announced her intention to run for president this election cycle and has quickly gathered the necessary support from other democrats to secure her nomination at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. No other politicians have stepped up to challenge her, and on the first day of her campaign, she raised over 100 million dollars. It’s not just politicians rallying behind her, though. Gen Z and other young democrats are posting edits of Harris’ speeches, Harris dancing, and cutting in her laugh to popular songs. This memeification of Harris is not criticism, but rather support, and Harris has played into the bit ever so slightly. But where is this internet adoration coming from?
JENNY HOLZER AT THE GUGGENHEIM: ‘LIGHT LINE’ AND THE ENDURING POWER OF LANGUAGE
On display now at the Guggenheim in New York is Jenny Holzer: Light Line, a reimagining of Holzer’s 1989 landmark art piece created for the museum. Previously, the spiraling LED sign was the longest in the world. Now, it’s still considered a masterpiece of text-based art, with changing colors, fonts, and special effects—this time the effects are AI-generated.
The Activist
A poem published by the University of California, Berkeley for the Student Learning Center’s Inaugural Creative Writing Festival. This poem was one of 15 poems selected and performed.
Katherine Isabella Olsen 