Week 3: No Need to Bite, Learning About Constructive Criticism! + Logan visits NYC

"She was murdered while working as an intern in Washington D.C."

So read the first sentence of my morning assignment. This is some sick joke, I thought as I shoved the book aside. My task was to read the manuscript and brainstorm to develop the last five chapters, but I was certain that my coworkers were playing a prank.

During my first day on the job, Frank, our Editor-in-Chief, noticed the can of pepper spray clipped to my key chain and shot me a suspicious glare. I explained that before my freshman year at USC, my Dad had frightened me with tales of Downtown LA's gritty streets. He insisted that I arm myself with pepper spray to ward off pick-pockets and gang members, and warned me against walking alone in the dark. As a result, anytime after dusk I can often be seen sprinting across campus with one arm clutching my purse and the other extended to wield a can of pepper spray.

Now that I am living in New York City, this quirky fear has only increased. On subways I keep a vigilant watch over other passengers to see if any have a razor blade, which they could surely use to slice a hole in the bottom of my bag and sneak off with my iPod. I'm not sure that this has ever happened on a subway, but Dad's word is law and I follow it carefully.

Needless to say, once my coworkers learned of my "watchful eye" they screeched with laughter. So when I read the story of Samantha, a young intern who was robbed and violently murdered in Washington D.C., I assumed it was a bad joke crafted by my coworkers. I never imagined Samantha's story could be real until I met her father, the author of the book.

Samantha's father, who I'll call Darren as I cannot share the author's name until the book is published, has been working on this story for the past seven years. It is surely painful for Darren to be reminded of his daughter's death as he writes, but he is committed to sharing her story. Darren is a pastor, and his goal is to show readers how God can provide strength and healing in the midst of hopelessness.

However, Darren has struggled in developing this story, as he could not find anyone to give him constructive criticism. In an industry where editors pride themselves on being "tough," Darren found that publishers would glance over his work, say the writing was "crap" and send him along. The Devil Wears Prada comes to mind, where Meryl Streep plays a wicked magazine editor who relishes each opportunity to knock a writer down and provide scathing, unproductive criticism. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Darren met editors who shied away for fear of hurting a grieving father's feelings.

So when Darren walked into our office, I took a deep breath and prayed that I would be able to provide feedback that was honest, yet equally sensitive to how much of his heart Darren had put into this book. We told Darren how moved we were by his story, and complimented his ability to reveal raw emotions through characters' conversations. The next part of the meeting would prove more difficult. We asked Darren to cut out a number of chapters in which the story is told from different family members' points-of-view. The perspective was interesting and revealed the family's heartbreak even further, but it distracted from the book's goal of serving as a manual for growth and forgiveness.

When Darren crumpled into his chair and began to cry in the editorial office, I cringed and prepared to pack my bags - convinced that I would be fired after reducing a client to tears. However, I was reassured to learn that Darren's sobs were those of relief.

"I have been fighting to write this book but couldn't find anyone to give me advice," Darren explained through tears and a half smile. "The story had no direction and I wanted to kick myself for doing it wrong. But finally I see there is room for me to improve. Thank you."

This meeting with Darren taught me the importance of constructive criticism. It seems that in order to develop a book to its full potential, critiques must be balanced and given with a purpose in mind. I've learned that there is no need to bite, that there is more value in combining each individual's skills to create powerful results.

It is now Day 25 of my adventure in the city. The first three weeks of my internship at the literary agency have taught me so much about publishing books, and more importantly about the people behind them. I am eager to learn more and to continue exploring New York. On June 24th Logan flew out for his birthday weekend and first-ever visit to the city! We had an amazing time celebrating his 20th birthday in New York, and visited everything from the Statue of Liberty to a Broadway show. Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Day 1: Logan and I in Times Square. On his first night in the city we scurried Uptown to see the bright lights and grab an ice cream cone. It was a great way to kick off the trip!

Lombardi's Pizza! Every year this little hole-in-the-wall is featured on the Food Network and wins a prize as one of the "Top 10 Pizzas in New York." The thin-crusted pizza was HUGE and delicious with plenty of mozzarella. We loved it and pretty much inhaled the entire pie.

Day 2: For Logan's birthday present I gave him tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera! He got me hooked on this show in high school and took me to see it at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, so getting to see it on Broadway was big-time fun :) The music was amazing and we kept singing the songs all weekend.

Day 3: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! The weather was beautiful and even better was the ride on the ferry boat with a view of Manhattan's skyline from the water.

About to get on the ferry to visit the Statue!

Day 4: Central Park! We ate a chocolate cannoli from Ferrara Bakery and enjoyed some shade under the trees at Central Park.

The view of Manhattan from Top of the Rock. We went up 67 stories to see the city from the top of Rockefeller Center, and the view was breathtaking. We could see all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge in the south and could peer from above into Times Square. We had a blast, and it was the perfect way to spend Logan's last night in the city.

Empire State Building behind us at Top of the Rock. Happy Birthday Logan!! It was great to have a familiar face around in this new city, and I had so much fun going on adventures with Log.

The next few weeks will be very exciting! I am spending the 4th of July with Alexis and her family in Long Island, and soon the Clark clan will arrive! I can't wait to do some damage with my brother Scott and my parents by my side, so look out for my stories and photos to come.

Thank you so much for reading and leaving fun comments! It makes my day to receive these words of encouragement, and I'm glad that through the blog my friends and family can join me on this journey. I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend.

- Kels

Week 2: The Workin' Girl, My Internship Begins!

The creature peered up at me with beady eyes before scurrying away into a corner. It had been days since he'd eaten, and nothing could deter him from digging his paws, and teeth, into the cheese that sat atop the kitchen counter. This furry beast has not taken over my apartment. And luckily so, as roommate Elsa and I would be too crippled with fear to return to a rodent-infested home. But I am spending most of my days with this little guy, and he may be one of my best friends in the city. His name his Henry, and this mouse is the hero of the children's book I am editing at work every day.

This summer I am working as an editorial intern at a literary agency. One of my main responsibilities is to work with authors in developing their stories from the initial manuscript to a complete book. Unfortunately, because the book is in the process of being published I can't share any details about my mouse-friend Henry, but as soon as it is in stores I will let you know. I can't wait for you to read it! Suffice it to say that Henry is about the cutest animal I've ever seen, and I hope that the kids who read the book will love him as much as I do. As I edit books I am having so much pitching plot twists, playing with poetic prose and creating characters that readers will root for. For once my obsession with the rules of grammar comes in handy, and I am thrilled to be feeling at home in the book publishing industry.

I am now on Day 17 of living in Manhattan, here are some pictures from my second full week in New York City:

A picture of me on my first day of work. This serves as an official confirmation that I am turning into my mother. My penchant for cheeseball first-day photo shoots was definitely inherited from Lynnie. Thanks Mom!

Proof that even workin' girls take lunch breaks. Out of all the office buildings in New York, my friend Michelle from USC just happens to be working in a cubicle across the street from my own near Madison Square Garden. To celebrate this luck, we got a taste of California fro-yo for lunch at Red Mango.

I feel so blessed that the wonderful Alexis Shaw, who is also an Annenberg student at USC, lives in New York because we have had so much fun exploring the city together! During the week we go on whirlwind lunch dates, and last Saturday she showed me around her beautiful hometown in Long Island. Here we are at the beach. I am so glad to have a good friend like Alexis to spend time with in the city this summer.

Even though we've been in the city for a few weeks, the tacky tourist streak will not die! But I am not ashamed, because it means we get to go on fun adventures like the Sex and the City tour! It was fabulous. We toured Manhattan in a charter bus (can I get an amen for air conditioning?) and gushed over landmarks from the series such as the New York Public Library, where Carrie and Big almost tied the knot. This means next-to-nothing to Logan, who I kept sending text messages in an excited flurry, but the girls and I had a great time feeling like celebrities and reliving some of our favorite TV moments. Here we are in front of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood on the West Side. The rent for this beautiful 3-story brownstone is about $11 million...per month! Oh Carrie, you definitely couldn't have managed this on your journalist's salary, but we enjoy the fantasy so we'll let it slide. I wonder if the current resident needs a roomie?

Thank you so much for reading, and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I would love to read some of your comments, please let me know what you think about the blog! This weekend a special guest is coming to town and we're going to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! Every Thursday I will have a new blog post with stories and pictures so come back often to find out what happens! Thanks for reading.

With Love,

Kelsey "The Intern" Clark

Week 1: Soaking in the City

I may as well have been a labrador retriever. As I hung my head out the window and the humid wind whipped through my hair, I all but drooled as New York City soared by my taxi cab. We pummeled down 5th avenue, and left behind the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. It seemed that after each landmark we passed, one glance was not enough to satisfy my craving for the city. And much to my delight, the stained-glass windows at Saint Patrick's Cathedral still glistened in the taxi's rear-view mirror. The cabby was perplexed by my enthusiasm, and barked at me several times to keep my body in the seat. When I apologized and told him it was my first time in Manhattan, the light that overwhelmed his dark brown eyes revealed his understanding. The ever-widening smile that spread across my face threatened to leave a permanent mark, and as I thanked the driver and gripped my bags, I knew that the city and I would get along just fine.

This feverish excitement has not ceased since I arrived in New York just 8 days ago. I pray that as I learn more about book publishing and as I explore Manhattan with friends, that this desire to soak in the city and to discover what God has planned for me here will not be far from my heart.

Here are some photos and stories from the first 8 days of my adventure:

Here is the view on the street, Broadway, right outside of my NYU apartment in Soho.

Washington Square Park and the Empire State Building as seen from our NYU classroom at the Kimmel Center.

Lindsey, Stephanie and I sitting on the steps at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. On Tuesday night we went to the Museum Mile Festival, where all of the museums alongside Central Park (including The Met and The Guggenheim) were free! The Picasso exhibit was beautiful!

The skyline from Central Park while on my way to the Museum Block Party.

Bagel & schmear on the tacky tourist bus!

Michelle, Alex and I getting caught in the rain near Times Square after lunch at Island Burger in Hell's Kitchen. It was delicious!

Michelle, Stephanie, Alex and I woke up at 4 a.m. to see Rascal Flatts for the Today show's summer concert series! We didn't get to see Matt Lauer, but drinking free coffee and dancing to "Life is a Highway" with friends in the middle of Rockefeller Center certainly made the early morning worth it.

The complete photo albums are up on Facebook, and soon I will be blogging about my experiences as an intern at a literary agency. I started my first day of full-time work today reading manuscripts and editing works of fiction, and I cannot wait to share these stories with you all! Until then, thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement! Please feel free to leave a comment if there's anywhere great in New York that my friends and I should make sure to visit, or if you'd just like to say hi, as I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading, I am glad to have you accompany me on this great adventure.