CRP's Blog

Labor Day has come and gone and school is back in session, which means we had to say goodbye to our summer intern, Francesca Kritikos.

Before she left, we asked her to complete one final project: share her thoughts on spending the summer at CRP and answer some requisite bookish questions

How did Chicago Review Press appear on your radar?

I wanted to gain experience in publishing, so I Google-searched all the publishing companies in Chicago, and Chicago Review Press stuck out as one I definitely wanted to look into.

What would your book jacket author bio be?

Francesca Kritikos grew up in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago until moving to Norwich, England, in 2014 to study English literature with creative writing (concentrated in poetry) at the University of East Anglia. Her poetry has been published in several online and print magazines, and she will have a chapbook coming out from Sad Spell Press in 2017. Francesa is also an editor for the UEA undergraduate creative writing anthology and the secretary of the UEA Publishers Society. Her internship at Chicago Review Press was the first time she got hands-on experience in the publishing industry.

What was the coolest thing you did while at CRP?

I loved working on the terms list for a 500-page book on the history of rock ’n’ roll. Although compiling a list of every song, band, album, person, and place in the manuscript got a little tedious at times, I learned so much about a topic I knew almost nothing about before.

What is your “book of the summer”?

I can never pick just one book. I loved Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, a coming-of-age story about a girl who moves to New York City and works in a restaurant. There aren’t enough coming-of-age stories for women, and it’s beautifully written. I’m also enjoying Salem-Village Witchcraft: A Documentary Record of Local Conflict in Colonial New England compiled by Paul S. Boyer. I’m working on a poetry dissertation about witchcraft and feminism, so the court transcripts from the Salem Witch Trials provide great material for my writing.

Who is your literary crush/idol/dream best friend?

Anne Sexton. I’d love to drink cocktails and workshop poems with her in a bar in Boston in the 1960s.

What are your nonliterary hobbies?

I like taking photos on disposable cameras, drinking lattes, and going to art museums (the Art Institute and the Tate Britain are my favorites).

What’s next for you?

I have one year of university left. I’m hoping to travel around Europe, and I’m also applying to some MFA programs. I’ll see where life takes me, but because of this internship I’m confident that I want to work in publishing.

Any advice for future interns?

I was really nervous about asking people questions at first, but everyone is so nice and eager to help. So ask questions–you can really learn a lot.

And then, just for fun. Speed Round.

Sorry, Aslan. Harry Potter wins this round.

Physical book or e-book?

Physical! I love the smell.

Hardcover or paperback?

Paperback–they weigh less in my bag.

Fiction or nonfiction?

Fiction.

Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia?

Harry Potter, definitely.

Classics or contemporary fiction?

Classics, but classics as in Ancient Greek classics. I love Sappho.

Series or standalone?

Standalone.

If only the newspaper were a paperback book of Sappho’s poetry!

Star Wars or Star Trek?

I’m not really into sci-fi, but Star Wars because of Natalie Portman.

Summer or Winter?

Winter–I love burying myself in sweaters and blankets.

Marvel or DC?

Marvel because they have Tom Hiddleston. Enough said.

Dog or cat?

I have a dog, but I love cats too. Both!

Book you’d like to read again for the first time?

Beloved by Toni Morrison. It took my breath away.

What is your go-to book recommendation?

Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger. Franny Glass is so relatable.

If you’re interested in an internship with CRP’s distributor, Independent Publishers Group, more information can be found here.