Every week at Belladonna is different. But a typical work day at Belladonna would first consist of me doing shipments for the company. I usually look at the orders placed for the books we published, then I search through the office to see if we have copies and then I package and run them through the mail room. I think that is the most expected job of an intern but I’ve also been attached to some big projects. I’ve been helping the company plan their 25th anniversary celebration. This past week I searched for DJs for the event and I’ve been the speaker liaison. The speaker liaison was especially fun because I got to be in direct communication with the poets who are reading at the event. I even got to pick one of the poets who I’ve been such a huge fan of, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs. As the company goes through some structural changes, my role becomes more and more flexible. Recently we’ve been having a lot of meetings regarding what my role in the spring will be. I proposed a podcast in which I would interview the poets we’ve published and they said they loved the idea.

Overall, every week is different at Belladonna. It’s a company in transition and although that may come with a lot of uncertainty, there is something really beautiful about helping to build this company back up. I don’t feel like an intern. I don’t feel overworked at all but I also feel like the work that I do matters. I really have grown to appreciate the space that Belladonna crafted for me and I am ready to continue the great work. These next couple of weeks will be dedicated to the Gala and I’m excited to see how it all comes together.