Employee Spotlight: Kelsey Osgood, Assistant to Peter Mayer

For the past several months we’ve been naming names here at Overlook Press. We’ve dished on our employees from the editorial and publicity departments to sales and subrights in an attempt to answer your burning questions on who and what make up the publishing world.

In this month’s Employee Spotlight we’re paying homage to one of the lesser-known dynamos in the publishing house: the publisher’s assistant. Whether it’s keeping everyone on schedule, parking the boss’s car, picking out the perfect ball point pen, or providing us all with well-timed laughs, our world would not quite function without the intrepid Kelsey Osgood. 

Some of Kelsey’s favorite things outside the walls of Overlook Press are fur coats, abandoned buildings, plot-less trippy foreign films, and polka dots. If she’s not sitting in the office making lists and typing 110 words a minute, you might find her out hunting weird wild animals such as sharks and pythons (see photo). Read on to find out more fun facts: thanks for playing, Kelsey!

OP: Describe your job in 140 characters or less.

KO:   I put out fires, literally and metaphorically.

OP: What are you currently reading?

KO: "I'm straddling Guy Endore's Werewolf of Paris, an early 20th century horror book, and Sheila Heti's How Should a Person Be?

OP: What is your favorite book that Overlook has published?

KO: I have a few, but with a gun to my head, I'd have to say Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent which is pretty hilarious.    

OP: If you didn't work in publishing, what would you be doing?

KO:   I've always wanted to be a sculptor.  

OP: What is your favorite word (Can be in any language—bonus points if there is a funny/interesting story behind it).

KO: "Auspicious."  There is a long story behind it which features a prominent Hindu guru, a meditating two year old, some "special" brownies and a speech about the movie TRANSFORMERS, but it's way too long to get into here.  (Ed. note: Maybe next time!)