Have you ever been curious about who makes the handbound books BatCat Press produces? As we go through the second half of our 2015 – 2016 year at BatCat Press, we’ll introduce you to all twelve of the staff members that work year-round on creating our beautiful journals and publications! We hope you enjoy!
Ken is our second featured staff member. She’s a senior, and she’s been with BatCat Press for three years, the longest of any student currently on staff!
NAME: Kendal
AGE: 18
FAVORITE BOOK: The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Robert Louis Stevenson
FAVORITE GENRE TO READ: Creative non-fiction and fiction
FAVORITE GENRE TO WRITE: Poetry, creative non-fiction, fantasy
OTHER INTERESTS: Drawing, astronomy, “the idea of other people’s teeth”
“I love just about everything about BatCat,” Kendal said. “I love the opportunities it provides, and I love being able to work with my hands and what that does for me. Getting the experience of being on a staff — not just ‘ah yeah this is a group project,’ but an actual staff, is something that will help me in the future, too.”
“It’s never boring!” she added. “Ever! Because there’s always a new stitch to learn or a new piece to read.”
The “new pieces” she referenced are all the manuscript submissions we get every year. Ken said she really enjoys the process, from the initial readings to the later discussions. “I always think the conversation about what to pick is really interesting, because everyone gets so passionate about their opinions and what we should publish. It’s really rad, because it’s interesting to see the conflict and how everybody comes to a resolution at some point or another.” She added, “I love the trust the authors give us with their work.”
When asked what she’ll miss about BatCat next year, when she’s off at college, Ken screamed in distress. “Literally everything!” she said. “I’ll miss being able to meet up with everyone three times a week, being able to learn new stitches [binding techniques], and having the convenience to learn more. I’ll miss being a part of our staff’s family!”
Keep checking the blog every Tuesday to meet more staff members!
Olivia C, BatCat Staff Member
BatCat Press 