English Grad Returns to Campus to Discuss Editing Career

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Photo by Dan Loh.

Sarah Blumenstock ’12 Offers Talk on "Editor as Fanfiction Collaborator"

by Luka Dubnick 

The English department recently welcomed Sarah Blumenstock ’12 back to campus to present the 2023 Cogan Alumni Fellowship talk. In her presentation, Editor as Fanfiction Collaborator, Blumenstock reflected on how her Dickinson experience prepared her for senior editorship at Berkley, a Penguin Random House imprint.

Blumenstock believes her work at the Norman M. Eberly Multilingual Writing Center prepared her well for her current position. There, she learned to listen to the writer, remarking, “everyone has good intentions. We all want the best for the text ... an ideology that holds true in that work, and my work today.”

At Berkley, Blumenstock primarily works with romance and women’s fiction. She noted that her time at Dickinson taught her that being a strong collaborator requires speaking up, noting that “writers desire [our] input. A good partner doesn’t want you to be silent.”

Assistant Professor of English Sarah Kersh asked how Blumenstock’s time studying abroad in Norwich influences her work today. Blumenstock commented that her knowledge of England, its culture and literature inspires some of her acquisitions, notably Bringing Down the Duke, by Evie Dunmore. Some of her other notable collaborations include Love on the Brain and The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.

Each year, the English Majors Committee selects an alum of the major to showcase the diverse career options available to its graduates. The residency’s name honors Eleanor Cogan (1909-2011), a lifelong learner who took 52 classes at Dickinson, beginning when she was 70. 

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Published March 13, 2023