There are no words to describe the value of my experience as the graduate assistant at the Bucknell University Press. But like any good English major, I will attempt to find them.
Before I knew about Bucknell University, and before Bucknell University knew about me, I knew about the Bucknell University Press.
I first heard about the Press from my undergraduate advisor, an alum of the Bucknell Lit Studies graduate program and a previous graduate assistant at the Press. He spoke of the incredibly talented and intelligent team of professionals operating a press with a nearly 60-year legacy of publishing invaluable scholarly monographs, making a name for the university even 1,200 miles away in North Dakota.
In February of 2025, I and my two assistant managing editors, under the direction of the same advisor, flew to Pennsylvania for a student literary magazine conference in Selinsgrove. On our first day, we visited the Bucknell University Press, where we met Suzanne Guiod, the fearless director, and Pam Dailey, the skilled managing editor. I had never known a beauty like the Press. During our brief conversation with Suzanne, I took notes like my pen was on fire and held that fire close for the rest of the day.
Later that night, after less than an hour at the Press and seeing and knowing little else of the campus, I completed my entire application to Bucknell University’s Literary Studies graduate program in a single sitting. My acceptance came two months later, and my interview for the grad assistant position at the Press with Suzanne two months after that. It’s a scary thing, moving across the country. But I knew what I wanted, and it was to work at the press. And I did it.
September 3, 2025: my first day as the graduate assistant at the Bucknell University Press. I worked on compiling metadata and familiarizing myself with the Press’ practices, and met a friendly face—the undergraduate intern, Maddy Grieco ‘26. Under the guidance of Suzanne, Pam, and Editorial Assistant Molly Clay, I entered a vein of publishing previously unattainable, and gained invaluable experience relevant to not only publishing but to living, breathing, and thriving in a humanities environment. I managed marketing content for BUP texts across four social media accounts, resulting in a 13% increase in engagement; I interviewed authors and produced blog posts to create more publicity for our scholarly texts; and I read, reread, and re-reread manuscripts, developing a keen eye for detail and a new love for the craft.
I’ve learned that the best editorial eye is supported by several sets of eyes, and that publishing is anything but a solitary act. Editing, when done well, is assumed to have not existed; it all inevitably contributes to the author’s voice and project. But when working with the team at the Bucknell University Press, my work was never invisible—it was valued, encouraged, and trusted. I will take this experience and trust with me into the (often ambitious) projects I begin, not the least of which being my master’s thesis due next year. And when I graduate, it will be the Bucknell University Press that I miss the most. I will miss the work I have done, and mourn the work I will not get to do; I will miss the birdsong of the cardinals outside my office window; I will miss the friends I have made. I will miss working with Suzanne, Pam, Molly, and Maddy more than words could express, so I will instead express my gratitude.
To Maddy: Thank you for your friendship, dedication, and intelligence. You will be unstoppable in all your future endeavors; it is your only possible outcome.
To Molly: Thank you for your kindness, breadth of knowledge, and insight. A good editorial assistant is the backbone of a press; you are a great one.
To Pam: Thank you for always being there to encourage and support me and Maddy as we developed our editorial wings, and for pushing for the best–for us, and for the press.
To Suzanne: Thank you for your guidance and strength. Thank you for your quiet captainship, your wings and anchor. I believe in myself because you believe in me.