We sat down with Lauren Jackson – an Assistant Marketing Manager based in our New York office – to quiz her on her favourite words, her favourite books, and her favourite UFC fighter. We are delighted to welcome Lauren to the marketing team and are jealous of what she keeps in her desk drawer… You can find out more about Lauren below.
When did you start working at OUP?
I just started working here in August, and it’s marvelous.
What is the most important lesson you learned during your first month on the job?
There’s a few lessons I learned that all kind of roll together into one sentence: you don’t know as much as you think you know. I find it’s helpful to remind myself of that every day so I can open myself up to ask questions, experience new/strange ideas (and sometimes people), and, most importantly, constantly learn how to be better.
What was your first job in publishing?
My first official job in publishing was working as a publicity assistant over at Penguin Random House (then just the bird without the entropy). Before that I held various internships at magazines and independent presses.
What are you reading right now?
Megan Abbott’s new novel, You Will Know Me, just landed on my desk today and I cannot wait to crack it open.
What’s your favourite book?
I have a dog-eared, well-worn copy of Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion on my bookshelf. I turn to it whenever I find myself in a period of change and uncertainty.
If you didn’t work in publishing, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be a professional MMA fighter… or at least I hope I’d be.
What’s the first thing you do when you get to work in the morning?
Turn on NPR and eat breakfast. Eating is the priority, though, considering I’m about a quarter hobbit. Second breakfast follows shortly after.
If you could change one thing about working for OUP, what would you change and why?
I’d add a gluten-free option to Bagel Fridays.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve found about working at OUP?
Perhaps not surprising so much as humbling: how smart everyone is!
If you could trade places with any one person for a week, who would it be and why?
Probably my favourite UFC fighter, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, to know what it feels like to work out, fight, and train for a living. Or Morrissey (do I need to explain this one?).
What is your favourite word?
Mischievous. Or bananas.
What is in your desk drawer?
Snacks. (See my answer to question 7 for more details).
Featured image credit: Lauren before her first fight. Image used with permission.
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