Internships
Friends Journal accepts applications for internships on an ongoing basis. Internships can be completed at any point in the year, and internships can be customized to meet individual needs. We are sometimes able to accept international students for internships. It is important to note, however, that Friends Journal is not able to offer any stipends or housing arrangements.
In an effort to make the internship a good, quality experience for each intern, our staff works with interns to customize their learning experience and tailor the program to meet their individual interests. While primarily editorial in nature, interns will be exposed to all aspects of publishing a small magazine and can receive work experience in additional departments such as layout or marketing.
In order to apply for an internship, please send a letter or email to Friends Journal with the following information:
- How you learned about Friends Journal and the internship program
- What interests you about Friends Journal
- What your availability for the internship would be (number of hours per week and number of months you are available)
- Any additional information that you would like Friends Journal to know
- Your resume
- Three work-related references (please note that professors can be used as references if they know your work habits.)
If we believe that your skills would be a good match for us, we will contact you and arrange for an interview.
Summer 2009
Allison Butler
Intern, Summer 2009
When I began looking for an internship last year, the only thing I knew was that I wanted to find a place I could get actual experience. I didn't want to have to work in a place where the interns were basically waiters—getting coffee and making copies. I found exactly what I was looking for at Friends Journal.
Here at Friends Journal, I have never been treated like my opinion and input didn't matter. The staff here includes the interns in every aspect of the assembly of the Journal—reading submissions, editing, layout, and design. This summer I have been very involved in helping compile articles for anthologies, and along with another intern, we have finished one anthology: nonviolence and peace testimony. Along with anthology work, I have read over submissions for the Journal for upcoming issues, made comments on each article and poem, and edited numerous articles on both on paper and the computer.
One really beneficial thing I have learned this summer has been how to use a layout program: InDesign. While working on the anthologies, the art department was more than willing to show any of us how to use the program, and answer our numerous questions. Also, I have learned how to just read more closely and with a more observant eye. Editing has now become a natural thing for me to do when reading anything, which in turn has helped my own writing.
I haven't only learned about editing and writing, though; I have learned about Quakers, and people in general. Before coming to Friends Journal, I didn't know too much about Quakerism, but just within my first week here, I learned more than I had learned my whole life about the Quaker way. I have also met some really incredible people here; people whose friendships I will cherish for many, many years to come.
I wouldn't trade my time here at Friends Journal for anything; not even a paycheck. I have learned so much about a profession I will perhaps one day be involved in, as well as about people and myself. It has truly been a summer to remember.
Carl Sigmond
Intern, Summer 2009
If you are raised Quaker, you are bound to pick up and leaf through a FRIENDS JOURNAL. If you go to Friends General Conference Gatherings during high school, you are bound to hear FRIENDS JOURNAL staff talk about the internship program. I fit into both groups, and after I heard the FJ announcement at FGC for the third time, I decided I had to apply. For years, I have been passionate about the Religions Society of Friends and fascinated by the realm of journalism. This would be a wonderful way to combine the two. I also knew that the FJ website needed some work – web development is one of my strengths.
When I came into the office for my interview, I instantly felt the sense of community that is written about in other pieces on this page. The people were so welcoming. I began my internship the first week of July and got right in on the website. I was tasked with the job of updating old pages to newer standards. Since I am good at editing HTML code, this job was easy. I also participated in the editorial process.
I will never forget the weekly staff meetings. FJ staff and interns gather every Wednesday afternoon to discuss the business of the JOURNAL and share about our personal lives. I learned a lot about the publishing process and connected with other people in the office.
Two weeks after I started here, I was asked to write a piece about the 2009 FGC Gathering for the November issue of FJ. After much thought, I decided to write a reflective essay about my experiences attending FGC Gatherings with my father, who passed away unexpectedly in April. Writing the essay helped me grieve for my father and process my loss. I can't say for sure, but I don't think I would have written the piece if I hadn't been in this community here at FJ.
This is my last day at FRIENDS JOURNAL. One week from today, I enter Haverford College as a first year student. I will always remember my time here with fond memories. Thank you to everyone who makes this community what it is.
Constance Grady
Intern, Summer 2009
Coming back to Friends Journal for a second summer internship was an incredibly rich and rewarding experience. Last summer, everything was new to me. I had never done copyediting for a magazine before. I had never considered what kinds of articles a magazine should publish and what kinds they should discard. My knowledge of Friends Journal itself was limited to what I learned from browsing its website for 15 minutes before I applied for the internship. Of course, over the course of the summer, I learned. By the end of the summer, I was able to mark up an article without having to check the style sheet every few minutes, and I was able to come to a decision on whether or not an article was "FJ material" within minutes of reading it. And, crucially, I learned about FJ itself: about the work that it does and the incredible wealth of ideas that it puts forth for its readers every month.
This summer, I was able to hone all of the skills that I had developed last summer and develop some new ones, too. The particular box of tools you need for editorial work, I found, is like any other skill set—it will atrophy with disuse. Coming back to Friends Journal allowed me to relearn all of the little tricks of the trade that I had started to forget, and even to improve on them. It also gave me a chance to learn a new skill set. Last summer I had spent a lot of my time compiling articles from back issues of FJ anthologies. This summer, the interns began to transform the anthologies from binders full of photocopied articles to digital manuscripts. As I scanned articles and reformatted the basic "look" of the anthology, I learned how to use layout software, how to format and reformat and polish the look of a page. I also began to learn what questions to ask myself when laying out an article, and what decisions I would have to make to turn messy columns of typo-ridden text into clean, easy-to-read copy.
This summer, I was able to learn new things, to brush up on old skills, and to do genuinely interesting work—all the while at an organization I honestly respect and admire. As summer internships go, it really doesn't get a whole lot better than that.
Hilary Bisenieks
Intern, Summer 2009
As a Creative Writing major with a minor in English, I have always joked that if my own writing doesn't work out and I don't want to ask, "Do you want fries with that?" for the rest of my postgraduate career, I could always become a professional Quaker, but I had never really considered it that seriously. What Quaker organization would need my set of obscure skills, consisting mainly of making literary references and bad puns?
My internship at Friends Journal was inspired foremost by my need for "a substantial internship in writing," which is required of Creative Writing majors at my college. In a meeting with my advisor, after being given a list of possible internships that I could do on campus, I remembered that a good friend of mine had done an internship at the Journal the previous year. My advisor was enthusiastic, and I began to get really excited about spending part of my summer working with Quakers every day. Finally, I thought, a place where my knowledge of where commas do and do not go will be more than grudgingly appreciated.
To say that working at FRIENDS JOURNAL exceeded my expectations wouldn't be entirely correct, because I didn't know quite what to expect. Copyediting, sure; I knew I would be doing a lot of that. Reading fresh submissions? How else would the staff get through the hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts every year? I always kind of assumed that the manuscripts that Friends Journal eventually prints come in looking very professional. Boy was I wrong! Rare is the manuscript that doesn't see several colors of pen on every page during the editing stage. I even found myself editing an article or two that I actively disliked, my colored pen tearing through misplaced punctuation, malapropisms, extraneous words, and, sometimes, whole paragraphs like a colored pen through a bad simile in a high school English paper.
To say that my experiences at Friends Journal were valuable would be a serious understatement. Foremost, I gained a new appreciation for the work that the staff of the science fiction and fantasy magazines I submit my work to have to go through every day. Never did I feel that I wasn't doing something useful, even when faced with common intern drudgery like stuffing endless stacks of envelopes, and never did it feel like a chore when a staff member asked me if I would be willing to drop what I was doing for a change of pace, even when it was something as simple as changing a light bulb (and before you ask, the answer is two). Getting to know the staff and my fellow interns was wonderful, and I'll miss the fellowship and occasional cake of Wednesday afternoon staff meetings, where I got updates on what was going on elsewhere in the office, and in the lives of my co-workers. I'm not going to give up on my writing, but I can't say it would be too bad to have to find some other way of supporting myself if it means working somewhere as wonderful as Friends Journal.
Josh Kinney
Intern, Summer 2009
Walking into Friends Journal, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had never read the Journal previously and had very little knowledge of Quakerism. In fact, the only thing I knew about it was that William Penn, whose statue has stood atop Philadelphia City Hall all of my life, was a Quaker. After exploring the Journal in great detail from past issues to present, I soon became acquainted with Quakerism and gained a wealth of knowledge I wouldn't have learned anywhere else. After meeting for an interview, I quickly came to realize that he and the staff at Friends Journal were very kind and laid-back people who genuinely enjoyed their work environment and one another.
One thing I did really enjoy about the Journal was that it accepts controversial articles from both sides of an issue, leaving the Forum open for discussion and input. I wish more magazines and papers would do the same. I found this opportunity so unique, not only because I learned about the editorial side of a journal, but also, between staff meetings, anthology research, and various other assignments, I feel I have received a well-rounded perspective on the workings of Friends Journal and what goes into publishing.
The working environment was exceptional and I especially enjoyed our weekly staff meetings. We would go over agenda items and talk about what we have been working on and ideas we would like to bring to the table. These meetings were a unique opportunity to talk with everyone at once and see how everything fit together. They gave us a great chance to get to know the other staff we wouldn't normally work with. from the other departments including sales, advertising, and art. We also would discuss anything in particular happening in our lives that we felt we could share. This openness was something I valued.
Friends Journal was the ideal place to work this summer. Even though it was only for a short period of time, I got so much out of the experience and I hope the staff benefited from my contributions. The internship has given me firsthand experience and prepared me for my future work as an English and Creative Writing major.
Katie Ailes
Intern, Summer 2009
My mother suggested I intern at FRIENDS JOURNAL this summer to fill the requirement of "something to look good on a college app." Sighing, I resigned myself to six weeks in an office. However, I looked up one day from my desk at FJ and realized: this isn't drudgery! This is fantastic!
This internship has given me an incredible amount of experience. Reading the bios of other interns before I started, I thought, "I'll never be able to do half those things in six weeks! Layout software? Ack!" But thanks to some great fellow interns who guided me through InDesign, I was able to learn the program and even write a detailed guide for others (‘Guide to Compiling an Anthology').
At FJ, I
- learned how to copyedit (so that's what STET means!)
- compiled an anthology (Quaker Personalities and History)
- read countless articles for anthologies
- learned how to use a scanner and OCR
- spent three days adding commas to 50 pages worth of addresses
- read and gave feedback on whether certain articles and poems should be published
- fell in love with Reading Terminal Market
- contributed ideas at a layout meeting
- selected pull quotes for article layout
- held an actual blueline in my very own hands!
- was inspired to write several pieces of my own (although I have yet to summon the courage to submit them)
- input corrections to copyedited articles
- folded more letters and sealed more envelopes than you can shake several sticks at
- shared at staff meetings
- met wonderful people
All in six weeks!
In addition, although I was raised in by Quakers and taught about George Fox in Sunday School, I had never been sure of my faith. Although I'm still questioning and testing (as I imagine most teenagers are), reading dozens of FJ articles about what the Quaker faith means to others has helped me build a foundation for my own religious experience.
My internship at FRIENDS JOURNAL was truly a fantastic experience for me, and I'd love to come back for more.
Katie Toran
Intern, Summer 2009
I have to admit, when I first applied for an internship at FRIENDS JOURNAL , I thought it might be a bit of a long shot. Would they even be interested in a religiously disinterested non-Quaker like me? But I quickly discovered that FRIENDS JOURNAL, in the manner of Quakers in general, welcomes diversity.
That was to my benefit, since I've had a great summer here. To talk about how much you learned from a job is something of a cliché, but in this case I feel compelled to say that I learned much more from being an editorial intern at FRIENDS JOURNAL than I have from most jobs. And I didn't just learn about journalism and editing—I also expanded my knowledge about Quakers, a topic that I discovered to be fascinating. Quakerism promotes many ideals and beliefs that I find to be admirable, particularly a commitment to seeing good in everyone.
Contained within FRIENDS JOURNAL are articles that cover a wide range of interesting topics, from Quaker structures to ethical debates to history to politics. I know that I was lucky to have a job that stayed fun and opened my mind to new ideas. What could be better than spending the summer reading interesting pieces of writing?
But what I liked best about working at FRIENDS JOURNAL was the feeling that I was seriously making a contribution to the magazine. It's always nice to feel useful. It was great to be able to look at an issue of Friends Journal, and feel I could recognize the work that I'd done in the final printed version.
At FRIENDS JOURNAL, interns are given real work such as sorting through submissions and editing articles. Such labors are more interesting than the busy work that most inexperienced college students can expect, and they feel much more rewarding. When the other interns and I were given the task of working on creating anthologies, we were left on our own to select articles, arrange them into chapters, and cut them down. I felt empowered; my ideas and opinions actually mattered. And I also think the anthologies are going to turn out brilliantly—look forward to them!
In conclusion, I want to thank everyone at FRIENDS JOURNAL for having me. I hope you were as happy with me as I was with you!
Lily Megaw
Intern, Summer 2009
When I first arrived at Friends Journal, I was surprised at the length of time it takes to prepare each issue, which (at about three months) seemed extraordinarily long compared to the extremely hectic two-week schedule of my university paper. I spent my first day reading through a stack of submissions, correcting mistakes and awkwardly phrased sentences with my newly acquired copyediting shorthand, amid several other interns' comments. I then realized part of the reasoning behind the long process: it not only ensures that articles are thoroughly edited, but also provides enough time for authors to approve revisions and allows everyone to have an input in selecting articles for the next issue.
In line with this thought, everything about FJ was friendly and accommodating—from flexible hours to the ability to choose how to fill your day—unlike those coffee-serving internships we all try to avoid. As an international relations student, I found my niche working on an anthology on peace and the nonviolence testimony. This consisted of reading through past issues, selecting relevant articles, converting them into an electronic format and laying out the pages with Adobe InDesign. FJ gave me the chance to work on a project that interested me, and by completing the project (along with other interns) I felt that I accomplished something while I was there. I also learned about a number of topics by reading submissions, and greatly improved my InDesign skills.
Additionally, Friends Journal was a great place to work due to the friendly staff and interns, not forgetting the close proximity of the Reading Terminal Market at lunchtime!
Spring 2009
Brandon Haze
Intern, Spring 2009
Of course, there were many articles giving personal testimony, but there were many others about issues I didn’t know Quakers were even concerned about, from questions concerning how we worship to possible avenues our country can take in aiding certain developing countries. The articles were full of knowledge and experience from various writers, ranging from young kids to elder peace leaders, so there was just as much flavor in the writing styles as in the articles themselves.
Working with the staff at FRIENDS JOURNAL was a great part of the experience. Unlike some of my friends who had other internships, at no time did I feel that I was just given busy work. I was actively involved in choosing and editing articles for the various issues, giving feedback regarding the developing issue’s aesthetic layout, and developing an anthology to chronicle related issues. It felt good to feel that my opinions mattered even though I had only been interning for a very short time.
I especially loved the work environment. Everyone was very open and friendly, and I feel I got to know everyone involved in the JOURNAL through the weekly meetings in which we shared both personal and professional agendas. I also got to hear about how the JOURNAL works with a lot of different organizations within the Quaker community and how the readers view the JOURNAL with a lot of respect and reverence over its 55 years of development. And after working with FRIENDS JOURNAL for three months, I don’t find it that surprising.
Interning with FRIENDS JOURNAL was a great experience for me. Even though I did spend only a short period of time with them, I got a lot out it. Through working with the staff, not only did I get real industry experience, I got professional and personal insight for my own future. I would definitely go back if the chance presents itself again, but at the same time, I feel that much more ready to move forward on my own career path thanks to FRIENDS JOURNAL .
Dan Coppock
Intern, Spring 2009
Aside from the nuts and bolts of the submission and selection process, editing according to Chicago Manual of Style and Friends Journal’s specific guidelines, basics of page layout and publishing, and the importance of making coffee, I learned about the perseverance it takes to drag your attention through an article you’ve transcribed, edited twice, and keyed in, one more time. I’ve learned about what captivates the attention of Friends Journal readers so much that they put pen to paper to write about it. I’ve learned how difficult it can be to write an article, having contributed one during my internship. Looking through the archives, I’ve learned just how much Quakerism has dealt with its problems, and how much it hasn’t.
It was the office environment that made all these things possible. It’s a small work environment, where conversations are regularly overheard between cubicles, where clutter is artfully, and sometimes very precisely, arranged. I quickly got to know everyone at the office, a process helped by check-ins at staff meeting. It was still surprising to me to see some Friendly principles at work in the office, even though I had grown up with them. Everyone, including the interns, had a voice in staff meetings, with a great amount of the agenda open for comment. Everyone was accessible and quick with advice, thoughts, and answers to silly questions.
Friends Journal is a unique, interesting, and great place to work. I would highly recommend it to anyone, and particularly to young Friends like me who are interested in reading more about Quaker thought and life today.
Fall 2008
Katherine Carlson
Intern, Fall 2008
A year ago, if someone had told me I would be thrilled to go to work four days per week with no pay, I would have called them crazy. But that's just what happened - and I loved every minute of it. My time at the Journal has been, thus far, one of the richest and most varied opportunities I have been lucky enough to have.
Looking back at my six-month internship, I would above all say this is one of those experiences where the end result proves how much you put into the process. Yes, learning proof marks, templates, and style guidelines can feel like acquiring another language, and yes, re-reading an article for the fifth time can be boring, but working at Friends Journal was a gratifying undertaking. If you really invest yourself in the articles and take them in, it is not difficult to understand why FJ readers feel so passionately about their magazine. The daily hope and desire for a world that works together and for betterment of everyone in it was a thought-inspiring experience that truly made me consider my own attitudes and impact on the people and things around me.
As an intern, the best part about Friends Journal is that this was a workplace that really embraces interns and recognizes that everybody has something to bring to the table. In my six months at the magazine, I believe I used the copier no more than three times. This internship is a hands-on experience, and if you want to learn something or start your own project, ask. Someone will teach you, someone will help you, or there will just be someone there to encourage you along the way. The website isn't kidding when it says internships will be customized to fit your individual interests. It was great to work in a place where you feel that the people around you are interested in you and want you to succeed, not only in the workplace but also on a personal level; and that's Quakerism for you - the honesty, the integrity, and the downright kindness.
If you are reading my words and considering interning here, send your resume now. If you think you might want to do something in publishing, you may get an internship at a bigger "name" publication, but I guarantee you won't have nearly the opportunity to put your own hands into a magazine, to flip open the cover of the next issue and say, "I did that."
Lori Hubbell Meeker
Intern, Fall 2008
My experience here over the last nine months—my entire senior year at West Chester University—has been nothing short of extraordinary. Not only did I feel useful here; I felt fully utilized. The hands-on editing experience is challenging and extremely satisfying; reviewing submitted manuscripts and poetry is always interesting, engaging, and entertaining; and correctly formatting and endlessly proofing letters, departments, and articles is surprisingly enjoyable (at last, my habit of constantly checking grammar is considered a good thing). I also had the chance to dabble in layout and design once or twice, and I spent a few days each working in the advertising and circulation departments. A highlight of my time here has been the opportunity to work on creating my own anthology: I chose a topic toward the beginning of my internship, then spent any down time (and there is very little of that here!) pouring over old back issues of the Journal—searching for, reading, and selecting articles that fit the theme of the anthology. From all of this, I have learned more about Quakerism and Quaker values during the last nine months than I would ever have thought possible.
Although I came to the Journal searching for work experience—and I certainly gained a great deal of that—I will leave knowing that the most important aspect of my internship was something far more fulfilling: the friendships I have formed with the rest of the staff, volunteers, and interns. The people who work here are the most helpful, generous, friendly, and patient individuals one could ever hope to meet. They must constantly see interns come and go; yet they welcomed me into their lives without hesitation, making me feel respected and appreciated as an individual as well as a coworker. I will certainly miss actually looking forward to going to work in the morning!
I spent five years in the workforce before deciding to go to school; regardless, I can easily say that this has been the most rewarding work experience of my career.
Summer 2008
Constance Grady
Intern, Summer 2008
Before this summer, I thought that as far as non-Quakers go, I knew a fair amount about Quakerism. I had attended Friends schools from seventh through twelfth grades. During that time I went to meeting for worship and considered queries and worked with Friends on issues of social justice, and this was, I thought, a pretty decent background in Quaker thought.
Then I came to Friends Journal, and I began to learn more than I had ever imagined. As I read through article submissions, I learned of the difference between programmed meetings and unprogrammed meetings (Quakers who don’t worship by sitting in silence? I had no idea). I learned about some of the issues facing Friends today—"So, what exactly is this war tax resistance thing?" I mused as I began to look through back issues. And as I compiled articles for an anthology on nonviolence, I learned about the history of the Peace Testimony and Quaker nonviolence, and on more than one occasion was moved to tears by an article from all the way back in the prehistoric 1950s.
I didn’t only learn about Quakerism, of course. I also learned the basics of copyediting, and what all those squiggly little lines mean, not to mention the definition of "stet," which I have been wondering about since I saw it in a crossword puzzle five years ago. I got reacquainted with my old friend, the Chicago Manual of Style, and I began to learn what to look for in selecting an article to be published. I learned the intense process each article is put through before it appears in its final form in the magazine: the endless rounds of copyediting and proofreading, the layouts, the final proofing. I learned how easy it is to overlook one misplaced comma, even if you’ve been over a page so many times you’re sure you’ll remember it on your deathbed. Most importantly, I learned that I actually enjoy copyediting, that I like watching a piece with brilliant ideas and mediocre writing get transformed into an article that is a pleasure to read as editor after editor goes over it with a red pen.
Friends Journal is the best place that I can imagine to learn all of the things that I did this summer. The staff is incredibly warm and welcoming, and they were happy to answer all of the many, many questions that I asked. They made me feel that it was perfectly all right if I wanted to learn something just by doing it, and it was also perfectly all right if I wanted to ask 50 questions before I got started. Most importantly, they never gave me busy work, but gave me work that let me feel I was actually contributing something to the magazine. Not only was I learning, I was helping—and how often does that happen at the same time?
Melissa Marx
Intern, Summer 2008
There are so many things I'm going to miss about interning at Friends Journal: The joy of exercising my skill at editing, challenging myself to do better each day, being praised instead of rebuked for the kind of feverish attention to grammar most people would label "anal-retentive." There's the vast mental landscape of ideas and opinions I explore while reading submissions, and the adventure of searching my own mind and heart to find out where I am on the map. My views about spirituality, politics, environmental issues, and the Oxford comma have all been re-evaluated. There's the opportunity to develop my own creativity in small but significant ways: finding pull quotes, writing article descriptions for the table of contents, adding my two cents in layout meetings, and even submitting a poem that was accepted for publication. I had always viewed creative writing as a part of me too vital and personal to share, as if in rejecting my work people might reject me with it. Without seeing all the submissions, seeing how many people had the courage to submit multiple items whether or not their previous submissions had been accepted, I wouldn't have gathered the courage to pull my poem out of my mind and place it gently in the FJ e-mail inbox.
I'm going to miss the comment pages that travel in the office with submissions, with each person's opinion in a different color and handwriting. Most often my co-interns and I agreed about whether or not a submission should be accepted, but when we disagreed it was no big deal—it didn't interfere with our personal camaraderie. I'll miss lunch at Reading Terminal Market, chatting about favorite books over French crepes, Thai cuisine, or an incredibly delicious apple dumpling from an Amish vendor.
Perhaps most of all, I'll miss staff meetings on Wednesday afternoons. After discussing any issues concerning the magazine, everyone—interns included—would take turns sharing something that was occurring in his or her life. Sometimes these were happy events; other times they were very sad. In this way, the Friends Journal staff learned about my new pet chinchilla, my brother's Bar Mitzvah, and my first attempt at using a sewing machine. I learned about staff members' families, friends, vacations, and opinions of recent movies. Occasionally, someone would contribute fresh pastries or homegrown produce.
It's quiet in the office this morning, mimicking how I feel: hollow, empty, numb rather than sad. The fact that I have only three more days here is sinking in. I don't want to leave. I feel confident and competent here, more so than in any previous environment. I don't want to go back to my enormous college where I'm one more face in the tightly packed crowd. I've always struggled with concepts like "family" and "community"; I definitely march to the beat of my own marimba. Here, though, I feel like part of a group that supports me and welcomes my support without restricting my individuality. If this is community, maybe I'm okay with it after all.
Though I wish my internship didn't have to end so soon, I can take comfort in the fact that I've experienced something amazing, something that's helped me grow as a writer, an editor, and a person. With any luck, I'll find a way to come back someday.
Jessie Post
Intern, Summer 2008
As an aspiring journalist, I spend hours every year searching for summer internships. Endless stretches of time would pass as I stared into the computer screen, hoping the Internet would reveal some secret opportunity that didn't require me to sell my first-born child. But the same words kept reappearing: highly competitive. "If you're qualified enough," these papers and magazines seemed to say, "we may deign to let you into offices and give you the privilege of copying things all day long." It was clear that the only thing they were offering was a name on a resume, and I wanted more.
Finally, I stumbled across Friends Journal. It was an odd coincidence, because I happened to be a religion major at Haverford, a college with very strong Quaker roots. Friends Journal seemed to be at the center of my intersecting interests. What's more, it seemed like a wonderful place to work.
I knew my instincts were spot on within my first few days at the Journal. I practically fell off my chair when the senior editor asked what I wanted to do and what hours I wanted to work. Wasn't he supposed to tell me what kind of drudgework I was expected to do? And that I had better be in the office everyday before his alarm clock even went off?
This conversation set the tone for the rest of my experience here. I worked hard because I wanted to work hard, not because I needed a good recommendation or didn't want to be scolded. I was given the opportunity to do something new every day, something that I decided I wanted to do. In the past two months I have read submissions, copy edited articles, proofed entire issues, and designed pages from start to finish. I have learned more about publishing, layout, and editing than any other internship could have taught me. And I had fun doing it.
Friends Journal is a forward-thinking, open-minded publication that encourages Quakers to remember the basic tenets of respect and kindness. In the office, these values are almost palpable. Every task is accompanied by both "please" and "thank you," a kindergarten lesson that goes so much farther than some think. The staff was quick to learn my name and make me feel like one of their own.
Throughout my time here, I have felt respected, appreciated, and valued. This internship has given me far more than I put on a resume. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful publication and staff.
MaryKate Sullivan
Intern, Summer 2008
I started looking for summer internships during the fall of my sophomore year at Ursinus College. I love anything that has to do with English: reading, writing, and even editing (is that weird?), so I was happy when Career Services sent me a list of various magazines and newspapers that were looking for editorial interns for the upcoming summer. I wasn't very impressed with a lot of the choices after looking into them, but I repeated the ever-present cliché that you can't judge a book by its cover to myself. With this sentiment in mind, I applied to a few places and waited to hear back from them. Then, I found another e-mail from Career Services in my inbox and I opened it to find a link to the Friends Journal website. After reading about past interns' experiences, I was immediately hooked on the idea of interning here.
My experience at Friends Journal has been one filled with friendship, warmth, and learning. I was directly involved with the production of Friends Journal and that is exactly what I wanted out of this internship. I commented on new submissions, copyedited, entered corrections for articles, and worked on an anthology while I was here, among many other things. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. I have also made many new friends at FJ, and I feel that I have gotten to know these people personally from working with them three days a week, as well as from the staff meetings held every Wednesday. Also, being a stranger to Quakerism, I was able to learn a lot about something that I was very unfamiliar with. Aside from the joy it brings me to read new submissions, copyedit, and interact with people who love to do what I love to do every day, learning about Quakerism was my favorite part about interning at Friends Journal.
I am leaving to study abroad in Florence in just a few weeks and I am sad to leave FJ. Even though I was able to explore options for a career, my internship at Friends Journal was so much more than that. It was a wonderful two-and-a-half months that opened me up to new experiences and new people. Though I do not want to leave so soon, it gives me comfort to know that Elizabeth Markham, another intern here at FJ, has interned here three times over the past six years or so. Maybe I'll follow in her footsteps!
Elizabeth Markham
Intern, Summer 2008
As I hinted I would in my last write-up on the site, I returned again this summer to intern at Friends Journal—for the third time! Like last summer, I came with the intention of developing dissertation ideas, having recently written a rough dissertation proposal as part of one of my Communication classes at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in the spring.
Unfortunately, I did not have as much time this summer to read and copyedit, but I am very happy with my experience. I feel that I reconnected with ideas and issues important to Friends, which is helpful as I try to write about Quaker communication processes. I was also lucky to have Bob read over my rough proposal and give useful and insightful feedback on my topic. I am very grateful to him for all the thought he has put into my project, and I am grateful to everyone at Friends Journal who has always been extremely supportive and encouraging. I really wish that Amherst were closer so that I could spend more time here during the semester.
This fall, along with finishing up my coursework, I will be working on further developing my dissertation proposal based on all of the feedback I have received. Hopefully, the proposal will be ready to defend sometime next summer.
I want to conclude by simply saying thank you for the opportunity to come back again. I really enjoy my time here, and I will be in touch.
Gina Trobiani
Intern, Summer 2008
When I decided to stay on campus the summer after my freshman year, I didn't realize how difficult it would be to find an internship. Two of my friends had also decided to live on campus, but they had easily found jobs doing research and lab work with biology and chemistry professors. Since I prefer English over any of the sciences, I started applying to various magazines and newspapers, and even to some nonprofit organizations that I thought could use a volunteer. No one seemed to have work for a college freshman, except for Friends Journal.
When I came in for my interview, the smiles and encouragement I received quickly calmed my nerves. Bob informed me that all of the other interns for the summer were juniors and seniors, a fact that I found intimidating at first. However, after meeting the staff of Friends Journal and the other interns working here, I felt completely at ease. We were all given important tasks, and no one looked down on us for having less experience.
I love that as interns we were allowed to experience every part of the magazine. My days were full of copyediting articles, commenting on new submissions, entering corrections, and working on layout. There were no stupid questions and nothing that the staff wasn't happy to explain or help with. I was amazed by the number of manuscripts we had to sort through; we were never at a lack for submissions! And most of the articles were very powerful or moving.
My favorite part of being an intern was not only getting to read the articles, but getting to put them together too. When Bob came up to me and asked whether I could take a group of emails, or a set of three articles and combine them into one piece; or when he asked the other interns and me to pick out poetry for a specific issue; I truly felt as though I was contributing to the Journal.
I am so grateful that Friends Journal gave me the opportunity to be an intern. Despite all the times I was laughed at for wearing a sweatshirt in the middle of summer (I get cold easily!), I met some great people and learned skills that I'm sure I will put to use again. This was the best first internship I could have had and I thoroughly enjoyed my time here.
Spring 2008
Bryan Zudick
Intern, Spring 2008
Robin Duncan
Intern, Spring 2008
I have never gotten such a good result out of slacking off before.
I've been around Quakers for most of my life: had them as friends, gone to a Quaker school, even attended a few meetings for worship, so I figured I wouldn't see too much that was new to me editing a Quaker magazine. Reading through some back issues for orientation certainly put the kibosh on that assumption. Throughout my internship, learning new dimensions of the Quaker community, which I had largely taken for granted, has been a joy. It has been even better because my opinion of what I read mattered. I did not simply read essays and personal testimony from across the Quaker spectrum to inform myself, but was asked to say whether each piece spoke to something meaningful well enough for it to be published. It was very meaningful to feel that my opinion carried weight. From day one of my internship, I had a real say in anything I was asked to comment on.
As to technical skills, copyediting proved surprisingly intuitive, and the very little bit of training I received was more than enough for me to feel comfortable editing on my own. The other great thing was that, working in late May/early June, there were several other interns who could help answer questions without having to disturb Bob, who, while quite approachable, I thought should be left to get on with his work.
I loved learning at Friends Journal, both about Quakers and editing skills, but what will remain with me most deeply from my time here is the overpowering sense of welcome and community. Even though my stay here has only been three weeks, I already feel at home here. I chat on my way back to the editorial department in the morning; I crack my own jokes and laugh at others'. I have been consistently thanked just for doing my job. That may seem like a little thing, but it has made me feel that I am truly valued here. In every way possible, my three weeks at Friends Journal exceeded my expectations, and I will take away nothing but good feelings from my time here.
Fall 2007
Rachel Tashjian
Intern, Fall 2007
Unlike many of the other interns you will read about here, I did not just complete my internship. In fact, I have not worked at FRIENDS JOURNAL for about a year and a half now, and I am writing this in the fall of 2009. But while my reflections on my experience there may not be as fresh or immediate as others, I believe the distance of time has allowed me to realize some things about the internship program there that were not readily apparent.
I arrived at FRIENDS JOURNAL in the fall of 2007 as an English major who thought she might be interested in editorial work at a magazine. And FJ certainly helped me to see what that was like: I got every kind of experience from copyediting to selecting articles and poems to layout. Examining and editing others’ work improved my own writing skills more than any other experience I have had, helping me to become clearer and more accurate and concise in my writing. Furthermore, knowing that my opinion could be one of the deciding factors in whether or not an article or poem should be published was a tremendously powerful thing as an intern. It is a reflection of how the tasks that make up an internship at FJ often differ from those at another magazine, and of the importance of interns to the magazine.
But most importantly, FJ played an integral role in helping me to decide what I wanted to do post-graduation. And it was not just an archetypal experience of loving the editorial process and deciding to pursue it as a career. In fact, in the time since my internship, I have decided to pursue something quite different. But my tenure at FJ played a definitive role in helping me to realize how important the quality of my work environment is, something all the more important to me than the specific field I will pursue. The environment at FJ is incredibly unique. It is a place where weekly staff meetings involve checking up on each individual’s life, interests, and well being. Consideration of an article was not an argument about whether or not it was “good,” but rather a thoughtful discussion of why each person was thinking what he or she was. As I have moved on to other internship experiences afterwards and worked at a variety of offices, I have realized that my internship at FRIENDS JOURNAL crystallized for me what was most important in my future as a working person.
Summer 2007
Amanda Gagnon
Intern, Summer 2007
Imagine walking into work on your first day and being told with a smile, "You have things to contribute here. We are happy that you are here. We just know that you will do good work, and there is a lot here that you can learn, too, if you'd like." Everyone who works or interns at Friends Journal is welcomed and absorbed, their uniqueness accepted as beneficent to both staff and publication.
At the beginning the summer, I mostly sat in a giant cushy chair in the back room with a stack of manuscripts to work on. Some of them were new submissions, and I would add my own thoughts to a list of each intern and editor's answer to the question: do we include this article? Some of them needed proofreading; paragraphs shifted, commas added, facts double-checked. I used this time to familiarize myself with Quaker writing and the Chicago Manual of Style. I was happy as a clam in that big squishy chair, relaxed in a place where at any given time, a dozen or so people would be industriously chipping away at the mountain of tasks that, when completed, would comprise one simple, black-and-white, 52-or-so-page JOURNAL.
But pretty soon I learned that the chair, although comfortable and warm in the chill of what I felt to be excessive central air, was not the wisest place to be. It was not so easy, stuck back in that corner, to eavesdrop on phone conversations that offered a front-row peep into the details of publishing. It was not a convenient position to volunteer from when Bob would say, "I have a project here. Would anyone like to work on it?" In the chair, I could only do the bare minimum.
So I started spending more time out of the chair. I input corrections that others marked on articles. I spent several afternoons folding paper boxes to create a diagram and a set of instructions for a Crafts department in the August issue. I had my name published next to a photo I took. I grabbed a notebook and headed down to Friends Center to interview a project coordinator for an article on how the building is "going green" that the interns were writing together. One day, I walked in to find every manuscript for the mammoth October special issue laid out on a long table. "We have a 6,000-word problem," said Bob. "Let's go through all of these and see what we can cut." Eight hours of passing papers back and forth, slashing, restoring, and revising solved the problem. It was a lesson in teamwork and diplomacy. It felt good.
In addition to practicing my editing skills, learning about Quakers and Chicago Manual of Style style, and getting insight into the publishing world, I learned that while the staff at Friends Journal was ready to accept me as I was and even appreciate me, cushy chair and all, they also expected me to learn and grow. With this internship, I did.
Breja Gunnison
Intern, Summer 2007
I'm taking a break from laying out the pages of Friends Journal to write this, but I don't want to. It's not that I mind writing about my fantastic internship here, it's that I would rather not stop working and learning. Every day it's something new: "Hey Breja, would you mind writing some acceptance letters to the authors?" "Would you mind reading these new submissions and telling us what you think?" "Do you have some input on how the art in our next issue should look?" "Can you do a final close read before we send this off to the printer?"
Sure thing. Consider it done. And that's just a sampling.
I sat at the table during four interviews for positions within the Friends Journal team. I helped compile an anthology of published articles surrounding a topic of my choosing. I researched for a feature article that all the interns collaborated on. I began a lifelong career of making dorky inside jokes. Inside jokes! That means I'm inside!
The day I looked forward to every week was Wednesday: staff meeting day. Everyone from all departments gets together, the interns talk about what they've been doing, general communication occurs, and almost invariably someone has had a birthday or knows someone whose birthday it is, and we all eat cake. Okay, that's an exaggeration: one time it was sticky buns. Then we go around in a circle and talk about ourselves, hold hands, and get back to work. It's serious work, too, but when I had questions, I never felt afraid of asking anyone, or that I should already know the answer.
If I had these last three months to do all over again, I'd only change one thing: I'd stay longer.
Elizabeth Markham
Intern, Summer 2007
As a returning intern (I was here in the summer of 2002), I decided to read over my previous write-up of my internship experience at Friends Journal before deciding what to write for this one. In scrolling down through all of the blurbs written by other interns that have spent time here since then, I was impressed by the many different backgrounds and experiences that led others to participate in this internship. I also noted all of the similarities between our experiences, in particular our enjoyment of staff meetings and our tendency to spend too much money at the Reading Terminal Market.
Since my summer here five years ago, there have been several changes in my life. I graduated from Haverford College in 2003, spent eight months in France teaching English to elementary school students, completed a two-year master's program in Intercultural Communication at University of Pennsylvania, and started a PhD program in Communication at University of Massachusetts in Amherst. This past fall, during a lecture for a communication course at UMass for which I was the TA, the professor mentioned the unique way in which Quakers use silence. His discussion brought back memories of my time at Friends Journal. As I mentioned in my last write-up, although I came my first summer with the intention of learning more about publishing and copyediting, what influenced me the most was what I learned, as a non-Quaker, about Friends beliefs and values; and that is what brought me back. This summer I returned with the encouragement of my UMass advisor to learn more about Quakerism, and, in particular, distinctive Quaker communication practices such as the use of silence and the Quaker decision making process during business meetings.
During the summer, along with copyediting and helping out with other tasks in the office, I visited Friends Center, attended meeting for worship at Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, attended a meeting for business of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Interim Meeting, and participated in a workshop at Pendle Hill. I also read some academic works on Quakerism such as Richard Bauman's Let Your Words Be Few: Symbolism of Speaking and Silence Among 17th-Century Quakers and Michael Sheeran's Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends. In looking back, I am very pleased with how much I have learned. I now feel more in touch with both Quaker concerns and practices and also somewhat more comfortable understanding "Quakerese." There is still so much to read, learn, and experience, but I feel encouraged by my pre-dissertation research here to continue to explore the unique Friends worldview as embodied in their communication practices.
I want to say thank you to everyone at Friends Journal for making me feel so welcome. I think this office is a unique and encouraging workplace. In particular, I owe many thanks to Bob, who gave me much helpful advice on where to find more information, and who was also a great resource for any questions that I had. I enjoyed my quiet time reading in the back office, and I found my time here renewing as well as productive. And I don't promise I won't be back...
Erica Bradley
Intern, Summer 2007
I had the unique opportunity this summer to do two internships simultaneously, one at Friends Journal and the other at a publishing house. From this experience I can honestly tell you that the internship at Friends Journal is not a typical internship program. On the first day I was given an orientation exercise of choosing a few articles to read and comment on, but instead, I ended up reading most of the articles from the past year. This enabled me to become better acquainted with the JOURNAL and was a great way to start off the internship.
Before I started I remember that I was stunned that the JOURNAL relies completely on submissions from people for their content. After reading through the past issues I was amazed at the quality of the articles. The exercises also asked us to critique the magazine and website, and share our thoughts with Bob. Right away I knew that this would be a different internship because we were being asked for our opinions. We discussed all of our exercises with Bob who was very open to everything we said.
During my ten weeks at FJ I laid out and edited manuscripts and the Forum, commented on new submissions, helped to write rejection letters, fact checked some articles, compiled a list of possible poems for the September issue, proofread the blueline, indexed past issues, researched Green environmental movements, and wrote an article with the other interns on Friends Center's Green Roof. I also attended weekly staff meetings and I was able to sit in on two final interviews for a staff position. For the July 2007 special issue another intern and I went to Friends Center to look through hundreds of their pictures for use in the special issue. We chose almost 200 pictures to take back to FJ where we went through them again trying to eliminate as many as we could.
On Fridays I was usually the only intern in. This was very different from the other two days of the week when all of the interns were in the office. I worked closely with Bob, or Becca, on anything they were working on. It certainly kept me busy, but I learned a great deal more from it.
Because of the people I worked with—the other interns as well as the staff—and the work we were given, my internship at FJ has been the most rewarding of the three internships that I have done. Never was I stuck at the copier or coffee pot. Instead I was always "stuck" at the intern table editing. No matter what I was doing I was always learning about a different aspect of the publishing process. I was lucky that FJ was flexible with my scheduling two internships; however, I wish I had been able to devote more time to FJ.
Maximilian Plotnick
Intern, Summer 2007
When I applied, canvassed recommendations, interviewed for, and finally committed to a summer internship at Friends Journal, I had absolutely no expectations. It had seemed prudent that I secure some way—something regular, some obligation, something to get me out of the house—to occupy my time once classes finished for the year, so when I heard about an internship at a Quaker magazine I thought to myself, "I like Quakers, I know many Quakers, [my high school had been Quaker] and they seem the best sort of folk to work with, I can see myself comfortably spending time there. And incidentally, some experience, however small, in publishing might prove useful—eventually." It didn't even occur to me that I might, as I did at my last internship, spend my days filing, photocopying, making coffee, drinking coffee, and filing some more; or, if the thought sometime surfaced, I thought little of it. So when I actually arrived and did not spend my days filing, I wasn't so relieved as perhaps I should have been.
This is not to say, however, that I am ungrateful for my experiences here. The work has been compelling, the articles by turns stimulating and edifying, the professional environment educational, and the people all lovely—so much so, that even if they had just wanted from me coffee and mindless paperwork, I still would have had a nice experience. But of course, there was so much more.
As the previous interns said, the work mostly involved copyediting, becoming acquainted intimately with The Chicago Manual of Style (a charming, warm, and witty acquaintance), offering opinions of new submissions, and logging in revisions, but also at times suggesting poetry, helping with layout, on a few occasions performing drastic revisions (near surgical reconstructions) of articles with a good soul but troubled body, and sundry other tasks that needed doing. And like the other interns I too not merely felt my work appreciated but saw it incorporated into the finished product.
There are two kinds of internships available to students, internships where your help is sincerely needed, and internships where your help simply isn't. The vast majority are of the second type, and Friends Journal is an outstanding member of this majority—outstanding, I say, because the whole staff here (it seems) colludes and conspires and successfully beguiles you into believing it to be of the first sort. The fact that nine months out of the year FJ functions perfectly well with maybe one or two interns sporadically coming and going is completely lost on you. My other internship this summer, the one that paid for train fare into and out of the city, was a genuinely of the first sort. The reason they were willing to pay for it was because they had no one else to do it—that is, because it was mind-numbingly tedious. Internships of this first sort are about the job to be done; internships at FRIENDS JOURNAL are about the interns and their internship. By taking interns, Friends Journal is performing a service to the hapless student, a supererogatory act of good works, a mitzvah, and they are so good at that service, so successfully integrating the intern into the workaday environment, that the intern is apt to forget that he or she is the one being served. As I prepare to leave at summer's end, I am just realizing that this gracious service has been granted to me, and I am grateful for it.
Spring 2007
Howard Pinder
Intern, Spring 2007
knew being an intern at the Friends Journal would be a different experience when I first attended a staff meeting. I’m used to business meetings at work: meetings where everyone has their own agenda and only business is discussed. The Friends Journal was different. First, they took a moment to recognize me, to listen to me and to get to know me. I sat at the table as their equal, not just an intern. When the meeting was over I expected everyone to go back to work like they have at other business meetings I go to. Instead, everyone had the opportunity to share something personal that was happening in his or her life. To close, we all held hands and had a moment of silence together.
I was surprised at first by how organically the staff conducted themselves in a business setting. But I came to find out that this was the norm at the Friends Journal. I jumped in with the editorial team and was quickly copy editing and giving input that was valued as much as anyone’s. The experience has been important not only because of the skills and knowledge I have acquired, but also from gaining confidence and learning the value of my own voice. I shouldn’t be surprised though. The FRIENDS JOURNAL is a place where everyone is valued—just business as usual.
Mike Rivera
Intern, Spring 2007
nterning at Friends Journal has been a much-needed dip into the real world of magazine publishing and editing. It was my first internship in this field, and from what I’ve been reading about other internships it was an unusually exceptional one. I spent most of my time doing things that had a real bearing on how the final product looked and felt. This actually took some getting used to. I thought I was mostly going to watch the big tasks being done. But halfway through my stay here, when I found myself in front of a pile of submissions that had to be assessed and sent to the editor for consideration as real articles, I realized that this was much more than just a learning opportunity—it was a responsibility.
Knowing this is important. If I were to give advice to someone joining Friends Journal as an intern, it would be to expect to make real decisions and give real input. You won’t be overriding the editors anytime soon, but your particular perspective is valued and encouraged. While a degree of humility is a must for any intern, Friends Journal presents an environment that gives you room to be both submissive and bold. In fact, the team ethic requires it, and your future self will thank you for it.
My duties were moderately well varied, and sometimes demanding, though never unimportant: I was part of a group that collectively proofread and copyedited submissions, carefully improving submissions from literally all around the globe; I was given specific submissions in need of heavy editing for me to work on individually (these were always my favorite); I gave input on new submissions of both prose and poetry; I sat in on staff meetings and participated in a layout conference; I watched and listened to what was happening around me, thus getting a sense of the whole. Though I stuck almost completely to editorial stuff, I was welcome to participate in or check out other departments, such as layout and design or advertising, an opportunity for which I regret not having time.
This has been an important experience. As a first dive into a field known for its fast pace and dense competition it was an important step in finding my footing, and better knowing myself as a worker.
Rosemary Hau
Intern, Spring 2007
he day of my graduation was a happy day for me, but it also symbolized something that I dreaded. It was an announcement that it was my time to move forward from school and start figuring out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It would be great to say that I have since answered this question, but that would be a lie. I am still confused and somewhat intimidated with choosing a career. The good news, however, is that throughout these three to four months since my graduation, I have figured out that the career itself isn’t what is important; it is what you learn from it. I owe this realization to my internship at Friends Journal.
My time at FJ was memorable and definitely a learning experience. I started my internship early in March and can still recall how excited I felt by the end of the day. Bob started me off with orientation exercises that allowed me to read through past issues of the JOURNAL. We discussed the articles, and I started to see what kind of magazine I was going to be working for. We then joined the rest of the staff at my very first staff meeting. I was amazed at how the staff talked business but also took the time out to share things that were going on in their personal lives. By the next day, I was already learning. Bob had me start to proofread and copyedit text. This was hard at first because I was not adjusted to the necessary marks, but I felt accomplished once I got the hang of it.
Things didn’t change much from my first two days. Every subsequent day brought something new. I read and commented on submissions for the JOURNAL, copyedited the accepted ones, and entered the changes into the drafts. (There were times when pieces needed to be heavily edited and it was wonderful to see how my input and the other interns’ could really change an article.) I got to work on an anthology project, which consisted of sorting and compiling articles that seemed to fit into a theme. I also got the chance to listen in on graphics meetings about the JOURNAL’s layouts and see the progress in the visuals department. All in all, I was a witness and participant in many of the steps necessary in producing a magazine.
My internship was definitely one of a kind. Out of all my friends, I hardly know anyone who has been as lucky as me. At Friends Journal, I never really felt like I was just an intern who was doing busy work. I always felt like I was a part of the team and that I made a difference. These past three months are something that I will always remember. I started this internship wondering if I wanted to work for a magazine in the future and even though I am still unsure, I do know that I have learned a whole lot in the process.
Susanna Corson-Finnerty
Intern, Spring 2007
Interning with FRIENDS JOURNAL was an incredibly rewarding experience. I know no other institution that would allow its volunteers to have so much hands-on, high-level experience. It would cost a great deal to receive the kind of training you can obtain at the JOURNAL, and for this I am tremendously grateful.
Though it felt wonderful to be entrusted with real, meaningful work, my favorite part of the internship was the spiritual enrichment it provided. Growing up Quaker, I've been aware of the JOURNAL almost my entire life. I always dismissed it as a publication geared toward generations older than myself and didn't think it would feature articles relevant to my life.
I was wonderfully surprised by the material the JOURNAL includes—not only did it speak to my own spirituality, it led me down paths I wouldn't have otherwise followed. It opened my eyes, challenged my faith, and nurtured my spirit. I now owe much of my understanding of and relationship to the Quaker world to my time spent with FRIENDS JOURNAL. I never expected to laugh or cry reading manuscripts, and certainly never thought I would feel so connected to Friends from all backgrounds, from all over the world.
FJ gave me the gift of professional and personal relationships, invaluable experience, and a more deeply founded faith. Many thanks, FRIENDS JOURNAL!
Fall 2006
Emily Taber
Intern, Fall 2006
interned at Friends Journal once a week for the Fall 2006 semester. Working at Friends Journal seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about editorial work and Quakerism, two big interests of mine. The amount that I learned about each surpassed my expectations.
My experience was unique in that, working only once a week, I could see the dramatic changes that are made week-to-week as a manuscript is edited, approved by the author, and typeset. I would usually show up and begin proofreading or copyediting, work on a project for Bob or Becca—entering corrections, sending off tear sheets, or indexing—and then finish the day proofreading or copyediting. I was already familiar with the basics of editing, but at Friends Journal I really honed my skills. I also learned a tremendous amount about grammar, from looking through the Chicago Manual of Style and going over my edits with Bob.
One of the most rewarding experiences of working at FJ was getting to restructure a feature article. The article contained interesting ideas but suffered from poor organization. By rearranging the order of the paragraphs, I was able to bring out the author's voice and get the message across in a clearer manner. That's the power of good editing: an eight-page article can be greatly improved without rewriting more than one or two lines. Everything that the article needed was there in the manuscript; it just needed to be focused.
Aside from editorial work, I spent a day helping Patty and Nicole prepare for the October Board meeting. From them, I learned more about what goes into running the business side of the JOURNAL. I also enjoyed the weekly staff meetings, as they were a time to get to know everyone in the office and understand more about Friends Journal operations. It never ceases to amaze me that the entire JOURNAL is put together by a fairly small staff and a dedicated group of volunteers, some of whom are located across the country. Although the eerie quiet of the back office took some getting used to—I'm one of those people who needs to listen to music to study—the general environment of FJ was incredibly welcoming.
My favorite of the perks of the internship was being able to read back issues of FJ during orientation, while indexing, and compiling articles for an anthology. I was vaguely familiar with the JOURNAL before I began interning, but now I have a much more solid understanding of what FJ brings to the Quaker community. (It was also amazing to read articles written by people I know!) I'm looking forward to reading Friends Journal after my internship is over.
Overall, my internship was a success. What I learned about editing will definitely come in handy in the future. From this experience, I am sure that I want to go into some type of publishing/editorial work after I graduate in the all-too-near future. It was also worthwhile to be able to connect to Quakerism in a way that is separate from attending meeting. I had a great time at Friends Journal and hope that future interns will, too!
Summer 2006
Anna Murphey
Intern, Summer 2006
y path to Friends Journal this summer was somewhat unconventional: a newly minted graduate of Grinnell College, I was planning to move to Philadelphia in July and begin searching for jobs. By mid-June, I realized that finding full-time employment for the summer would be difficult, so I began researching internships on the Internet from my home in Vermont. Thinking I'd try tapping into my spiritual roots, I paid a visit to a web listing of Quaker organizations in the Philadelphia area, which led me in turn to Friends Journal. I was immediately impressed by the breadth and depth of the internship program, and encouraged by the friendly profiles of past interns on Friends Journal's website. In my phone interview with Susan and Bob, I again got the sense that this was no ordinary internship program, that Friends Journal was a place where interns, volunteers, and staff alike are treated with care, respect, and genuine warmth.
My impressions proved correct. Although I began my internship in mid-July, I was welcomed right away by the two other interns, Dana and Joelle, and became acquainted with the rest of the staff as they returned to the office after a hiatus at the Friends General Conference Gathering in Seattle. While staff members experienced their share of ups and downs, and more than a few life-changing events, they were always present, cheerful, and ready to offer their help and support. I especially want to credit Bob for his, at times, superhuman oversight of the internship program in addition to his many other roles as senior editor, and Becca, for her willingness to take us under her wing.
At Friends Journal, I gained a lot of "nuts and bolts" skills, including, of course, copy-editing. I thought I'd never learn all those cryptic symbols in the Chicago Manual of Style, but learn them I did, and I felt triumphant when I was able to mark my corrections (usually in purple pen) on manuscripts alongside those of the other interns. I completed a lengthy computer tutorial on Quark XPress and learned how to enter corrections in articles. And I received a very helpful introduction to the field of nonprofit development work by Margie. During my six weeks at Friends Journal, I learned an enormous amount about editing, publishing, and how a small organization functions day to day.
However, the most valuable parts of the internship for me were the less tangible benefits of working in an intellectually and socially stimulating environment. At first, I thought I would grow tired of reading the same articles over and over as we prepared them for publication. Yet, as a month went by, I began to feel a deep sense of connection to the essays we had nurtured from their early stages. Moreover, I began to be profoundly challenged and inspired by many of the issues raised by our contributing authors. And I'll never forget the fun and camaraderie that would often surface in the office, sitting around a huge chocolate birthday cake at staff meeting, or running out subscription renewals in the back room with Patty and Nicole amid lots of storytelling and laughter. While I'm still searching for a full-time job in the city, I'm grateful to Friends Journal for making the transition much easier.
Dana Henry
Intern, Summer 2006
tress is often associated with college. The stress of producing 20-page research papers and of cramming for exams is familiar to students. Yet, for me, another kind of anxiety shadowed the hours spent in the classroom and library. I wondered where all my hard work was going. The skills I was developing as a literature student seemed confined to the edges of the campus green. Eager for practical application, I began an Internet search that took me to my first "real world" learning opportunity.
Which is just what an internship at Friends Journal proved to be. One of the first lessons was that the hard and fast rules of writing English composition did not apply directly to publishing. That's not to say I had to disregard everything I had learned in the classroom, but I did have to modify that knowledge to effectively aid the individual voices of other writers. With Bob's patient direction, I began molding my abilities into editing skills. I became aware of the painstaking refinement that goes into editing, as I took part in each layer of the process—from reworking raw manuscripts to proofreading the blueline. My efforts culminated in an extensive final project: editing a 14,000 word manuscript down to a publishable article—by far one of the most challenging editing experiences I've encountered.
After considerable time spent reading submissions and features, I have grown to respect the unique community that is Friends Journal. Though individual articles may espouse particular visions or beliefs, the magazine, as a whole, does not hold fast to an agenda, allowing an open forum for writers to express their ideas. This quality extends to the staff. An opinionated person, myself, I never felt that my ideas or suggestions were brushed aside. From orientation, to staff and layout meetings, to one-on-one editing discussions with Bob and other interns, I appreciated the consideration that my own voice received. I was made to feel a valuable member of the staff, far from the gofer-office-filing-lackey stereotype of an intern. And I never felt out of place because I was not Quaker affiliated.
While the focus of my internship was, by choice, largely editorial, it was not limited. I had ample opportunity to learn from other departments and staff members. Marjorie and Patty spent careful time explaining the basics of financial development. Becca gave me specific assignments in the "departments" sections. And Barbara was generous in providing pointers and allowing experimentation with the Quark Express layout software.
At Friends Journal, my internship was exactly what I hoped it would be—a practical experience in applying the skills acquired at college. For me it has been the first step in bridging the gap between the blackboard and that ambiguous "real world." I return to North Carolina to begin my senior year at UNC-Asheville with a basic understanding of where my hard work might lead. Wrapping up my ten-week stay, there is still so much left to learn.
Joelle Jameson
Intern, Summer 2006
hat I'd say to someone considering applying for a Friends Journal internship:
1) Where else are you going to find a boss who encourages you to take time off, and full time means 10:00a.m.to 4:30p.m.? Not that you'll want to take too much time off—I daresay you'll even look forward to work.
2) You're not going to be reading stale material. The articles are, by and large, insightful and thought-provoking. Since Friends Journal is primarily a news magazine, you learn a lot about what's going on in and through Quaker communities around the world. If you're remotely interested in being a human being in the world, you really can't go wrong here.
3) We editorial interns were treated, more or less, like real editors. We copyedited, proofread, gave input, and argued our viewpoints (well, I did.). I was amazed when, at a layout meeting, I gave a suggestion and it was actually acknowledged and executed! What power! We had our own projects and responsibilities (none of which were making coffee). Dana and I were commissioned to jumpstart a whole anthology of past articles, which will eventually be published as a book and sold nationwide. Anna and I took the initiative to teach ourselves how to use Quark Xpress (Friends Journal's layout program) with an online tutorial, with Barbara and Alla nearby to answer our random questions. Eventually, we were both comfortable editing in Quark. Friends Journal gives you opportunities to take charge.
4) I learned how to edit like an editor; no more makeshift marks and long explanatory notes in the margins! I learned, with the help of Bob and the Chicago Manual of Style, the concise editing marks every editor needs to know. I feel like I've been tamed into someone fit to don a red pen.
5) I got to work with my true love—poetry! Granted, Friends Journal is not nearly as focused on poetry as it is with the features (rightly so—it's not a poetry journal, after all), but I enjoyed reading and commenting on submissions. Anna and I organized all accepted poetry and gave our input as to which should be rejected—harder than it sounds! I picked out poems to be considered for matching certain articles, and submitted my own poem.
6) The staff is wonderful! Besides the constant help of the editorial staff, Margie even took time to give us a tutorial on development (read: getting money), which I'm sure will be extremely useful in the future. I always looked forward to staff meetings; I was impressed at the openness and closeness of the staff.
There we are: two months that have given me invaluable experience in a publishing environment, as well as many fond memories. Thank you, friends!
Summer 2005
Cory Young
Intern, Summer 2005
fter switching my major from Management Information Systems to Journalism at Temple University, I was in search of a hands-on experience to jump-start my new career path. I stumbled upon Friends Journal's internship on a search engine and was intrigued by the description given. It wasn't your typical "Get the boss coffee"; the interns seemed to have a proactive role in the processes that went on at the JOURNAL. After completing the summer interning at Friends Journal, I can say it was exactly the experience I was looking for.
I had the opportunity to read and comment on manuscript submissions along with the other interns, as well as editing articles to be published. The editing process using programs like Quark XPress definitely helped improve my ability to proofread, which was one of my weaker points in the past. I also helped enter subscription information into the database using the QuickFill program.
What I enjoyed the most about Friends Journal was the dedication put forth by the staff to give the interns a memorable experience. Whether it was asking for feedback at layout meetings or going to a vegan Chinese restaurant (a first for me), the willingness of the staff to include interns in the daily goings-on of the JOURNAL was great. An internship like this is one of a kind, and my appreciation for the time and energy it takes to produce a monthly publication has grown significantly after these three months.
Gareth McKibben
Intern, Summer 2005
y internship at Friends Journal was wonderful. It really was. Having just completed a BA Honors degree in English Literature in Northern Ireland, I was traveling to the U.S. this summer to stay with some friends. Eager to go into journalism at some point, I wanted to find an internship that would introduce me to the processes involved in producing a magazine or newspaper, and one that would also somehow reflect my own personal fervor for social justice issues.
I had for the past couple of years been sporadically attending Quaker meetings, and have always been impressed with Quaker involvement and take on political issues. And so when I stumbled across Friends Journal's website by chance, and saw that there were internship openings, I contacted the magazine immediately and my internship was set.
Considering my short stay—five weeks, though full-time—I learned and experienced much, much more than expected. I was shown, and applied, new copyediting skills, and was given the opportunity to do some large-scale editing, like cutting articles in half or merging two different drafts of the same article together; I was able to proofread the blueline (final proof) of the magazine; to read through an abundance of manuscripts, giving me insights into different perspectives and issues, and to comment on them; to attend staff meetings, which were always enjoyable—yes, enjoyable! (Staff meetings were often a good opportunity to catch up with and talk to other members of the FJ staff and the other interns). I was even given the chance to write a short piece of my own, reflecting on a priest from Baghdad who had spoken at an event held in Friends Center, a couple of blocks away from Friends Journal's offices.
It really was a wonderful and very worthwhile experience, one that I would recommend to anyone interested in editing, or publishing, or journalism, or anything at all that is somehow connected to those things.
I sincerely wish I could have stayed longer, but my travels after the internship will take me to Washington, D.C. for a month, and then back to Northern Ireland. I was made to feel very welcome, and am very thankful to all the staff and interns at FJ for this.
Leah Babb-Rosenfeld
Intern, Summer 2005
have always been an indecisive person, so when internship search time rolled around, I did not know quite where to begin. I had recently declared my English major, but could never limit my academic interest to just that. Unlike many people my age, I did not have each step of my life planned out. So I decided to try out a small magazine—a setting that certainly deals with words, to satisfy the English major in me, but offers exposure to all elements of the entire publishing process, as well. I wasn't sure these expectations were realistic, but fortunately, Friends Journal proved me wrong.
Now that Bob has chased me down and has me writing this, I am reflecting on the ways in which this experience has surprised me. In between spending too much money at Reading Terminal Market every day for lunch and eating an unhealthy amount of the pumpkin seeds that the office receives in bulk, I have learned a great deal in my time here. Interns really do get the opportunity to help with every aspect of the magazine: I read and commented on article submissions; ran out articles using Quark XPress; transcribed an on-tape lecture into article format; and honed my copyediting skills as I edited articles at all stages—from cutting, rephrasing, and rearranging, to searching for misused "em" and "en" dashes. In addition to working with the articles themselves, I gained insight into what it takes to run a magazine. I became an unofficial writer of acceptance/rejection letters; worked with the magazine's databases using QuickFill and Raiser's Edge; and attended weekly staff meetings.
Because Friends Journal allowed me to see a magazine come together from all different angles, I am leaving with a better understanding of what interests me—in some cases, things I would not have experienced in my normal routine. In the past two-and-a-half months, I have developed a particular satisfaction in taking a problematic piece, and completely rebuilding it. I also get an overall sense of satisfaction from looking through the final product; I can recall commenting on a particular article when it was still under consideration, or finding a sentence that I rephrased, or even knowing that I delete-semicolon-inserted that all-important comma. When I return to Hamilton College this fall, I am sure I can put my new-found interests and skills to good use.
Melissa Minnich
Intern, Summer 2005
am going into my last semester of college. I don't know what I'm doing with the rest of my life. I don't know what I'm doing in January. Heck, I don't even know what I'm doing this weekend.
Such blissful ignorance, as you can no doubt imagine, is a two-sided coin with disappointment and dismay strong on one side and a lot of good luck on the other. While a number of my friends at school often seem to have everything figured out—their classes, their summer jobs, their plans after graduation, their spouses, the ages their children will be at their 20th high school reunions—I'm consistently the one wondering what she should write her 20-page paper on that's due the next day.
When this past May rolled around and the vast majority of my friends were busily making their Christmas travel plans, I figured I should probably look into what I was going to be doing this summer. My quest for a full-time internship eventually led me to the website of Friends Journal and, later, to its office in Center City, as it was one of the only internships I found that fit all three of my prerequisites—relating to journalism, in the greater Philadelphia area, and its due date for application not be past. However, as little choice as it might seem I had at the time, I can now think of very little for which I would exchange it.
When I initially began my stint here, I wondered, as I'm sure many an intern has, exactly how much of my day would be spent making photocopies and filing nondescript papers into nondescript folders in a nondescript backroom. The answer, which was quickly and happily realized, was decidedly little, as the staff of the JOURNAL welcomes interns into all aspects of production. From working with the art director, Barbara, on the construction of an impressive (if I do say so myself) display for Friends General Conference to compiling and laying out material for the JOURNAL's 9/11 Anthology (a new book), I never once felt I was being given an assignment simply because no one else wanted it or that, in the local dialect, "intern" is synonymous with "office slave."
The staff itself has also played a significant role in making this summer enjoyably memorable. Whether in the form of Alla's utter inability to describe how she felt in three words, Bob's protested pie-making skills, or Marianne's leaking-air-conditioner omnipotence, they amazed and amused me every day that I was here.
I'm going into my last semester of college. I don't know what I'm doing with the rest of my life. I don't know what I'm doing in January. Heck, I don't even know what I'm doing this weekend. And you know what? That's A-OK by me.
Molly Woodward
Intern, Summer 2005
came to Friends Journal having no concept of how a publication gets transformed from a jumble of submissions into something coherent that I can hold in my hands. I have always loved to read and write, but I guess like most people I took for granted all the work that goes into such a publication—the selection of fonts, the layout of pages, and especially the absence of copy errors. Now I leaf through a magazine and notice everything from the placement of the "author credit" to the selection of photos and graphics. In other words, two months of interning here has completely changed how I look at newspapers, journals, books, and magazines. I have a behind-the-scenes window into the amount of effort it takes to put something like that together.
Much of my time during the internship was spent reading and editing submissions. I found it refreshing that Friends Journal encourages writers to explore how spirituality and politics play out in their own lives, and I definitely learned from and enjoyed many of the articles I read. In poring over revision after revision of the same piece, I also came to understand the important role that editors have in helping an article become more accessible to readers. I had fun copyediting manuscripts with the other interns, and running out articles on Quark XPress familiarized me with the trials and satisfactions of the layout process.
From all that I've heard about other internships, the Friends Journal experience is truly unique. I very much appreciate that the staff involved us interns in the JOURNAL's production and sought our input with regard to submissions and layout issues. I got to work with a great group of people—from full- and part-time staff to volunteers and interns—all of whom made the office a nice place to spend my days. My experience here has added new dimensions to my reading and writing, and has shown me that religious, spiritual, philosophical, and political issues can be thoughtfully engaged in written dialogue, something hard to come by these days. Friends Journal is an exceptional publication, and I really liked being part of it this summer.
Zack Pinsky
Intern, Summer 2005
hen I think of internships, I usually think of filing documents, coffee runs, and dull office work that no one wants to do. This notion vanished almost immediately. My first day at Friends Journal I was asked to give my honest opinion of the magazine and the articles that were run. After reading the articles, I had a long talk with the senior editor. Already, Friends Journal had passed my expectations. On my second day, I didn't know what to expect; was the first day too good to be true? Would I actually enjoy this internship?
Yes. I had a great time working at Friends Journal. The staff is helpful and friendly, and is willing to answer any question, no matter how dumb it may seem. (Believe me, I had some dumb questions.) I came to Friends Journal with no experience in journalism and with a minimal understanding of the magazine. One of my first questions was, "Is it necessary to have any experience in journalism?" They told me no, but I am not sure if they knew what they were getting into. I was a blank slate, but I was willing to learn. In my time here, I have developed my grammatical editing, and have learned how to use Quark XPress, which was the biggest challenge of the internship. Along with editing, and commenting on manuscripts, I learned to use different database programs such as Raiser's Edge.
When I would come to work at Friends Journal I felt I made a difference at the magazine, and that I was not just milling about. In my first week, we had a staff meeting. This was a time for all of the people involved in the magazine to talk about their week. The meeting starts off with a call for the agenda, and every week interns were on the list. We were asked what we were working on, and what new things were we learning. Every week I had new projects and new reports to give to the staff.
My original thought on internships was totally crushed by Friends Journal. I felt important, helpful, and excited. My work started with the beginnings of the September 2005 issue, and I am very excited to see the final outcome. It feels very good to be part of such a professional team, but at the same time be surrounded by friends.
Spring 2005
Elizabeth Walmsley
Intern, Spring 2005
've spent two fascinating months (March and April 2005) at the JOURNAL; here is a list of all the things I've done during my internship:
Reading past issues of the JOURNAL as part of my orientation.
Copyediting.
Editing, on a large scale, for the Zarembka article, Friends Peacemaking in Burundi.
Reading new submissions and commenting on them.
Proofreading the blueline (which is the final copy of the magazine before it gets printed in large numbers for distribution).
Working on Quark XPress to organize the timeline for the 50th anniversary issue in July.
Writing my own article about Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salaam (the Oasis of Peace).
Attending staff meetings on Wednesdays and graphic layout meetings once a month.
Doing envelope stuffing for mail-outs for circulation.
Typing, formatting, and organizing Forum for May and June.
Giving feedback on the JOURNAL's website, and how to improve it.
Working on the 50th anniversary questionnaire of staff, volunteers, and Board members.
Sitting in on the group interview of two finalists for a staff position at Friends Journal.
My background and the reasons that I became interested in an internship at Friends Journal: I have been a Quaker since the age of five, and was born and raised in northwest Philadelphia. I attended for many years, and then joined, Chestnut Hill (Pa.) Meeting. After this, my family and I went and spent ten-and-a-half years in Perth, Western Australia. I studied European Literature and Anthropology as my double majors during my bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts at the University of Western Australia, and went on to do my master's degree in European Literature, writing a thesis on fairy tales and JRR Tolkien.
I got my Graduate Diploma of Education, also at the University of Western Australia, and received a job placement as a high school English teacher. I spent a year doing this in a small town called Esperance, which is located on the southeast coast of Western Australia. After this very challenging experience, I knew that I didn't want to continue to be a high school English teacher. I decided that I could follow a number of other related career paths that would make good use of my skills and experience as a teacher and literature major, and one of them was editing and journalism. Because of my Quaker background in Philadelphia, Friends Journal seemed like the obvious place to go, once I had finally decided to act on my long-time dream of moving back to Philadelphia.
I am indebted to Senior Editor Bob Dockhorn for so carefully, attentively and thoughtfully creating my internship, making sure that everything I did was a valuable and interesting learning experience for me. He always had plenty of time for me, and encouraged me to interrupt him when I had questions or comments. With the amount of work done by the staff here, and the deadlines under which they do it, it really is an amazing feat to be able to give so much time to an intern!
One of the first things that I did, when I was considering applying for an internship at Friends Journal, was to read the accounts on the FJ website of all the other people who had been interns. I assume, therefore, that other people who may now be considering doing an internship would perhaps be reading my account. Just as the other interns wrote in their pieces, I urge anyone considering an internship here to go for it! It has been an invaluable learning experience, and I feel like a member of the FJ family. Thank you, one and all!!
Melanie Preston
Intern, Spring 2005
y intern experience at the Journal was unique as I worked full-time for a short time. However I was still able to get a flavor for what goes on at a monthly publication (I participated in the special July 2005 issue, stressful for all involved because of its size). My grammar was polished and my typing skills fine-tuned; but what I enjoyed most about the Journal were the people with whom I worked. For the first several days I had to get used to the silence, save the occasional cough, comment, or floor screech. However I learned that the lack of noise is not a silence at all, but an amalgamation of sporadic sound: Alla's mumbled comments, Bob shuffling between his three pairs of glasses, etc.
At Friends Journal every person is treated with equal respect no matter their status on the staff. An example of this is the intern-critique of manuscripts and poetry, something I greatly enjoyed. I was given stacks of submissions and asked to comment on whether or not and why the Journal should consider or not consider the publication of each, keeping in mind the mission of the magazine. Most of the manuscripts end up with numerous intern comments along with those of Bob and Susan, who have the ultimate responsibility.
I had the opportunity to learn Quark XPress and run out the features articles for the August issue. The Journal intern program caters to the interests of the individual and can be tailored in any manner. I contributed to the July issue by compiling 49 profiles for the article, "People of Friends Journal." I stuffed renewal envelopes and had a chance to discuss religion with volunteers Kay Bacon and Ruth Peterson, transcribed Elbert Russell's "Separation after a Century," to be posted on the Journal website, and archived a new donation of every issue of the Journal between January 1960 and December 2002.
Most inspiring, though, is the weekly Wednesday staff meeting. It is a breath of fresh air; a testament to the fact that a F/friendly environment is functional (and generally efficient) in the workplace. I am thankful for my experience over the last month and am confident that my new knowledge of editing will come in handy when I get to Haverford College this fall.
Summer 2004
Carrie Atkinson
Intern, Summer 2004
have never liked those old-fashioned Quaker oats that come in the jumbo can, but the Quakers and rest of the staff at Friends Journal are pretty cool, and they accepted me for the Methodist I am (or they at least pretended to while I was around).
During my stint at Friends Journal, I read through and commented on manuscript submissions. Once articles are selected, we begin the ongoing process of editing and then making corrections on the computer using Quark XPress and Adobe PageMaker software. I completed backorders and entered subscription information into Raiser's Edge database program. Even as interns, we were invited to layout and graphics meetings and lent our opinions. As a side project, we also spent a lot of time perusing 50 years of Friends Journal issues and choosing material we felt worthy to be reprinted for the Friends Journal 50th Anniversary issues.
On my days off, I give piano lessons to cute—for the most part, anyway—little kids in the wonderful state of New Jersey. I'm currently a journalism major and business minor at Rowan University.
Gelena Turkel
Intern, Summer 2004
few months before graduating high school, I was contemplating what my plans were for the summer ahead. Like most high school seniors, I was undecided about my future major. I have always enjoyed my English classes and I love to read and write. I came to the conclusion that I wanted a taste of the publishing/magazine industry (so that I could maybe narrow down my career options) and what better time than the present.
Coming to Friends Journal as an intern, I was expecting my responsibilities to include taking out the trash, getting coffee for the staff, and spending hours behind the copier. To my surprise and delight, I discovered FJ to be the complete opposite. At FJ, the staff, which was extremely kind and helpful, treated me as a member of the team. I felt that my options and suggestions were always respected and considered. When I came home from my first day at FJ, I couldn't wait to tell my parents about the new terms and skills of copyediting that I had learned that day and how I excited I was to return to the pleasant and friendly environment of FJ. At FJ, I reviewed manuscripts, and edited articles that were chosen for publication. Besides copyediting, I was exposed to various software such as Quark XPress and Adobe PageMaker. Also, I learned about the art department's various responsibilities from attending the layout meetings.
As my internship comes to an end, I feel that I have gained a good understanding of the inner workings of a magazine as well as the friendships of the other six interns. I would definitely encourage anyone with an interest in publishing, editing, and/or writing to intern at FJ for the experience is truly educational as well as memorable.
Joanna Vaughan
Intern, Summer 2004
y internship here at Friends Journal has made this one of the more enjoyable summers in memory. I was drawn to the opportunity to explore copyediting in a professional setting, which I've envisioned as a possible complement to my teaching career. This experience has proved to be that and much more.
I joined the largest "class" of interns—seven—as the oldest member (by far). With our varying schedules, the composition of our group shifted from day to day. As we read, evaluated, edited, and constantly fine-tuned articles, we shared and joked and debated countless comma placements and word choices. I found this a terrifically satisfying exercise, particularly given the team I was working with and the help and resources at hand. It was humbling to see how many edits, by how many pairs of eyes, it took to ferret out every typo, and how many different ways we each might want to tweak the same phrase. With patience and good humor, Bob, the senior editor, would referee—when asked—and step in with the mot juste. For my part, I just made an effort not to make the same mistake twice.
A valuable facet of this opportunity has been the material itself. Submissions to Friends Journal are special in their thoughtfulness and spiritual grounding. Inevitably, this dimension—even where controversy arises—gives an added depth to the task. It has been a particular privilege to assist in the production of the October 2004 special issue on the environment. It has given me both a heightened concern and a determination that with dedicated action we can address the Earth's crisis.
While I can't overstate the value of the learning experience that this has been, it has been easily as much fun as educational. In the face of occasionally immature behavior on the part of youthful (and wannabe, just for the summer), spirited, and noisy interns, the staff members of Friends Journal are funny, friendly, helpful, and tolerant. Among staff as well as interns, I have made friendships here that I hope to sustain well into the future.
Julietta Bekker
Intern, Summer 2004
eflecting back on my experience working for Friends Journal this summer, I am amazed at how much I've learned, and how much I felt involved in the magazine. My work at FJ included: copyediting, commenting on new articles, helping select and edit poetry, participating in a poetry conference call with the editors, and being an active participant in staff and layout meetings. I was touched that the editors catered to my love of poetry by involving me in so much of the poetry selection and discussion processes. That work was exciting, and I feel that experience has pushed me further toward poetry editing as a possible career. What really struck me as special about FJ was the level of involvement we interns had in many aspects of the publication—we were invited to comment during meetings, and felt our editorial comments valued—a wonderful opportunity I hadn't expected. I wish to thank all the staff of Friends Journal, particularly the editors, for involving me in the publication, and treating me and the other interns with such respect.
With six fellow interns, all excited about language and about working for a magazine, I had a wonderful, fun time. I grew so comfortable that after a while I hardly noticed I was the youngest, fresh out of high school at 17. We were all friendly and worked well together (or perhaps worked was sometimes too strong a word). We were the Fellowship of the Endless Editorial Change and Occasionally Overlong Lunch break. We got so close we started an email group. I was always eager to come back the next day, to be welcomed by the kind staff and my group of interns.
The group worked on projects together. One of the most interesting projects we all took part in was a sort of FJ archeological dig. We looked through 50 years worth of the JOURNAL, marking particularly well-written, topical, or just amusing articles, poems, and ads for reprinting in celebration of FJ's 50th year. It was fascinating though draining to search for prize pieces, a process that took us a number of weeks. As a Friend with an interest in history, I was amazed to encounter half a century of world history written by Quakers. Not only were the readings examples of Quaker humanitarian concerns, and testimonies of their incredible activism, but they were evidence of how Quakerism has continued to evolve. It should be interesting to see these reprints in 2005 issues of FJ.
Overall, I had a wonderful learning experience. Highlighted by the humor and friendliness of co-workers, my days were always pleasant. As a Friend, I found the use of Quaker process in FJ staff meetings refreshing—the meetings were clerked, and addressed everyone's concerns, ending with a time for sharing major events of the past week, which to me, seemed uniquely caring and made the meetings more human. Many decisions were made by consensus, which was effective in practice. I recommend volunteering as an intern to anyone who enjoys editing, and seeks a friendly or Friendly environment with bosses who care.
Mary Hoeffel
Intern, Summer 2004
couldn't have asked for a better introduction to editing and publishing than the one I gained at Friends Journal. Two years out of college, with an English degree I still wanted to figure out how to use, I came to the JOURNAL to explore life at a small magazine. I left with more than I had expected to gain—a thorough and thoroughly enjoyable education in editing, a new understanding and appreciation of Quaker life, and friends. I loved walking into the office every Monday morning, greeted by the friendly JOURNAL staff, knowing that I would spend a calm and serene day, learning much and enjoying the company around me. The summer and fall months I spent at Friends Journal were also the height of a political campaign season for me, while I worked on my dad's race for U.S. Senate. My hours at the JOURNAL came to represent a break from a busy and public time, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn so much about editing from such knowledgeable and thoughtful people.
I spent much of my time at the JOURNAL reading through and selecting new manuscripts, copy editing, and learning how to lay pieces out on the computer. I grew to love seeing new arrivals in our piles of submissions, knowing I could look forward to the diverse opinions and thoughts of the JOURNAL's readership. I learned much from the thorough editing process, watching manuscripts transform as each intern and editor read through them. More than once I was amazed to see a manuscript blossom in an editor's hands, through changes so small and nuanced I wouldn't have thought to notice them, changes that strengthened the piece without sacrificing the author's intent or voice. I realized how much I loved this detail-oriented, nit-picky, background work, and how essential is the editor's task.
I thank the staff at the JOURNAL for such an enjoyable experience, and for sharing so much of their knowledge and advice. My fellow interns were excellent company, and I probably learned as much from their perspectives and opinions on word and punctuation choice than as from anyone else. Friends Journal is an incredible organization, for both the quality of their publication and the wisdom and conscientiousness of their staff.
Sarah Baicker
Intern, Summer 2004
s an English major hoping eventually to enter the world of publishing, and as a graduate of George School, I knew immediately that the opportunity to intern at Friends Journal would both reacquaint me with Quakerism, and provide important and valuable experience in magazine publishing as well. Little did I know just how much I would not only learn about publishing, but be included in the process as well. As I added "Intern at Friends Journal" to the list of work experiences on my resume the other day, I felt like I should have written "Editor," instead, because that's really what I—and the six other interns—were.
When manuscripts were submitted, we read and evaluated them. When pieces were chosen to be published, we edited them and then copyedited them (and then copyedited them some more!) before running them out in publishing programs on the computer. We chose and compiled articles for special issues. We learned how to lay out articles and features, how to comply with the rules of the Chicago Manual of Style, and even exactly what an "M-dash" is. All along the way, our opinions and ideas were taken into account just as much as everyone else's. As you can imagine, this was not a "copy, fax, and deliver coffee" kind of internship.
I'm now comfortable working in Quark XPress, Word, PageMaker, and InDesign—skills that will no doubt be extremely valuable down the road—wherever that road ends up leading me. My summer at Friends Journal introduced me to some great people and provided an experience I'm certain I couldn't have found anywhere else. The experience I had this summer is one that everyone who is interested in publishing should have—no matter their religion, year in school, or previous experiences.
Tracy Jordan
Intern, Summer 2004
headed to Friends Journal with an English degree from Earlham College and a love of written language. I hoped to test my literary skills and experience against what the world of journalism had to offer. Friends Journal, it turned out, was the ideal place to do this.
Friends Journal offered hands-on experience with all aspects of publication from reading submissions, to copyediting, to graphics selection, to circulation. I remember feeling delighted on my first day when I realized I could make my own proofreading marks on the manuscripts. By the end of the first day, I already felt part of the process. While I developed a comprehensive understanding of journalism, I also experienced a sense of awe as I watched the metamorphosis of thoughts, ideas, and hopes as they took flight with the completion of each issue.
I loved watching an issue take shape, one article responding to another, poetic prose and poems adding to the flow, photos and drawings helping to fully illustrate the essence of an article, and making me say, "Yes, that is exactly right!" or "Wow, I see the connection!" It is fun to think I might have helped create an issue that speaks to someone else as well.
Summer 2003
Alex Koppelman
Intern, Summer 2003
'm
a procrastinator, as other interns and staff at FRIENDS
JOURNAL could tell you, based on my overly-leisurely
morning arrivals at work. For me this summer, that meant some disappointment
in being shut out of internships with larger magazines as a consequence
of starting my job search late. But it's August, and I've come to
realize that in this case, my procrastination may have been a blessing
in disguise, as it's led me to Friends Journal.
Friends of mine who worked at larger magazines have nearly uniformly
been disappointed, relegated to photocopying, filing, and just general
goferdom--the menial tasks no one wants. Working at FRIENDS
JOURNAL, though, the staff treats you as an
equal: you'll never hear, "I don't want to do this--let's give
it to the intern." Instead, you'll hear, "What projects
do we have that the interns could learn from?"
That attitude on the part of FJ staff has meant that I've been involved in all sorts of projects in my ten weeks here. Most often, I've been copyediting articles through all the stages of publication. I've also honed my computer skills by correcting and doing initial layouts of articles, read and chosen prose and poetry submissions, learned a new design program that no one else on staff has yet learned, written letters of acceptance and rejection to potential writers, and worked on putting together anthologies of material from the first 50 years of the FRIENDS JOURNAL.
After my time at FRIENDS JOURNAL, I've come away believing that everyone who wants a career in journalism should have a time like this. Working for a small magazine, where the staff treats you as an equal--just another member of the team--is an invaluable experience.
Courtney Elko
Intern, Summer 2003
y
time at Friends Journal
was full of new experiences. I learned more about copyediting, layout,
and a little about Photoshop software as well. I also tried to learn
how to work on a Mac computer, which was something I was unsuccessful
with and learned I enjoy a PC much better. I saw the steps and time
it takes to print a publication. During my time at FRIENDS
JOURNAL I did tons of copyediting, which can
be dull at times, but it is the little details that make a publication
great. I gave my opinion on manuscripts and poems, corrected articles
on the computer, and worked on the topic of "Parenting"
for the future anthology project.
Although I did not get very far in the long-term anthology project, I still enjoyed looking through past Friends Journals. I also researched and wrote a few things for the News department. I learned quite a lot about Quakerism, considering I knew next to nothing coming into this internship. Working mainly on the October special issue on diversity, I also expanded my knowledge on different races, ethnicitys, religions, and disabilities. Interning at FRIENDS JOURNAL expanded my sheltered Catholic background and taught me I am able to broaden my horizons.
Sarah Kite Sharpless
Intern, Summer 2003
ummer
2003 began with a bang. While Philadelphia's weather swung from unseasonably
cool to the heat and humidity that we Philadelphians know and love,
I shifted my career choice from psychology-of-some-sort to nebulously-defined
"editing." As a rising senior at University of Pennsylvania
with a Psychology major and English only a minor, leaving my position
as a psychology research assistant to find an internship that would
give me a better grasp of what editing entails was slightly scary;
however, the ease in which I settled into the rhythm of FRIENDS
JOURNAL made me realize I had done the right
thing. After working feverishly to complete the "Orientation
Exercises" on the first day, my nerves quickly subsided into
a feeling of easy normality.
To reiterate what many interns of the past have written, I did a lot of copyediting this summer; however, this experience showed me that I love copyediting. I love being nitpicky, making the tiny changes needed to have the JOURNAL look runway wonderful. It's a very satisfactory feeling, seeing the finished issue and knowing that I had a part in basically every aspect of its production. Truly that's what made interning at Friends Journal so amazing. The staff included me in decisions, large and small; I felt that they trusted my judgment when I made suggestions; and they truly appreciated the work that I did. This personal contact made a huge difference, making even the slowest Mondays more bearable, and making Wednesdays' informal staff meetings events to look forward to.
The JOURNAL
itself I found fascinating to work on--I was pleased to be involved
with the diversity issue, as it is an ever-relevant topic, and particularly
important to me. Raised a Quaker, I am used to seeing FRIENDS
JOURNAL sitting on our coffee table at home
or semi-neatly stacking itself in the growing pile next to the couch,
but rarely did I venture to read the articles within. Now I can confidently
predict that each issue will hold at least one perspective I will
enjoy, or at least delight in debating pleasantly over, as Quakers
are wont to do. I thank everyone at FRIENDS
JOURNAL for making this interning experience
both fruitful and fun.
Summer 2002
Amber Gravette
Intern, Summer 2002
hen
I began my search for an internship in the spring of 2002, I was looking
for an opportunity to learn more about the publishing industry and
to use the editing and writing skills I have gained from three years
as an English major at Haverford College. As soon as I interviewed
for the internship program at Friends Journal,
I knew this was exactly the experience I wanted. I was told that I
would have the chance to be exposed to all aspects of the magazine's
production, giving me an idea of the varied jobs and talents needed
to put together a publication. However, while I expected to gain more
knowledge about the magazine publishing industry, what I did not expect
was to gain a broader knowledge of not only Quakerism, but also important
global issues troubling our world.
From the very first week of my internship at Friends Journal, I felt that my skills and opinions were sought after and seriously taken into consideration. After only a few trial runs at copyediting manuscripts, I was trusted to make corrections and changes to articles currently going through the publication process. The rest of the internship would include quite a bit of copyediting, which I found to be one of my favorite tasks at Friends Journal. It gave me an opportunity to sharpen my own writing skills and brush up on my grammar, and I became familiar with using the Chicago Manual of Style, a resource that I believe will serve me well in years to come.
As an intern, I was also asked to read manuscripts from the JOURNAL's backlog of submissions and to give my honest opinion of them and recommend what the next step should be in the publication process. This task taught me to look analytically at submissions and helped me to see the difficult job the editors have in developing a spiritually-balanced issue for each month. It also helped me to look critically to see an article's potential for change, where its strengths and weaknesses lie, and the value of its overall message and whether or not this message was concurrent with the JOURNAL's mission. The interns' long-term project for the summer—going through back issues of the JOURNAL and choosing articles for possible inclusion in thematic anthologies—offered me the greatest chance to get a sense for the JOURNAL's style and content. Not only did I learn more about Quakerism this way, but the JOURNAL's wide range of topics, such as poverty, war, ecological concerns, abortion, and gay and lesbian rights, broadened my knowledge of the world around me. I saw how in many ways Quaker beliefs coincided with my own, and reading articles advocating nonviolence, spirituality, and mutual respect for others strengthened my own beliefs and inspired me to become a more active participant in the world around me.
As promised during my interview, during the summer I had the chance to experience all aspects of the publication process. From assisting with office duties to learning the computer program used for layout design, I developed a sense of how much work goes into producing a magazine and running a business. I learned not only the production end of the company, but also the business aspects, which included advertising, renewing subscriptions, and keeping the list of subscribers updated. Another aspect of the internship that I found to be particularly beneficial was attending both staff and graphics meetings. I truly enjoyed seeing how the different members of the staff interact and the mutual respect they have for each other and their opinions and ideas. Again, from the very beginning, the interns' presence at these meetings was encouraged and valued, making me feel like a part of the staff from the start. It made me see the value of not only loving the work you do, but also loving where you work and the people with whom you work. As my internship at Friends Journal comes to an end, I take with me not only a greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into producing a magazine, but also a newfound perspective of the world and the kind of role I want to play in it.
Elizabeth Markham
Intern, Summer 2002
hen
I applied for the internship at Friends Journal
last spring, I knew that in working there
I hoped to learn more about Quaker ideals and theology. However, my
main concern was learning more about publishing. Being a Comparative
Literature major at Haverford College, my career path is not yet determined.
Like most other rising seniors, I am worried about my options and
decisions after college, and in pursuing this internship I hoped to
learn more about a potential field. After talking with a friend who
had interned there before, I realized that FRIENDS JOURNAL would be an ideal place for me because,
due to its small size, I would be exposed to all parts of the publishing
process and could therefore discover where my interests lay. I would
also be able to interact personally with people working on different
parts of the production.
As I had hoped, I was able to experience many parts of the publishing process while at Friends Journal. The main focus of the internship was copy-editing, and I became familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style as I worked, along with four other interns, on preparing articles to be published. We were also involved in the process of choosing articles and poems to be published and were encouraged to give our honest opinions on the pieces we read. As a result we saw articles in all stages of the editing and publishing process. We were invited to participate in layout meetings and to express our opinions on the artwork chosen to accompany articles, and we attended the weekly staff meetings where various concerns were discussed. There were a couple other projects, which the interns worked on including reading through the Friends Journal archives to find articles on popular themes for anthologies. We were also given some training in PageMaker and The Raiser's Edge so we were able to enter corrections on articles into the computer and also help with accounting. We helped out with secretarial tasks when other deadlines were not pressing. A couple times a group of interns headed down to Friends Center to attend conferences and write up news reports on them. After one such conference I contacted a psychologist involved with the project that had been discussed in order to learn more about her theories. Her ideas had particularly interested me so I wrote a piece about them for the JOURNAL. I really appreciated being able to practice writing by contributing pieces. We, as interns, were given many opportunities to learn more about publishing and were always made to feel that our input was appreciated.
However, although all of the things that I learned about publishing were important, and I feel will serve me well in my career search, I feel that the invaluable lessons that I learned at FRIENDS JOURNAL did not really involve publishing. One of the volunteers at the JOURNAL made the comment to me that I must be learning a lot this summer because he has learned so much just by coming in to read and help edit once a week. He was right. Although I attend a college with Quaker roots, and I have learned much in my three years there about Quakerism, I had not learned nearly as much as I learned during my summer at FRIENDS JOURNAL. I was concerned at first that not being Quaker would make it difficult for me. Our world is very divided along lines based on religious belief so I was surprised by the openness of Quakers. I feel that in many ways their willingness to accept others makes others very willing to accept them, an important lesson for our times, I think. Friends Journal does not report news or deal with issues the way that the mainstream media does and learning about this new perspective was a real eye-opener for me. I think what impressed me the most was their response to September 11, which in its desire to avoid revenge, to seek justice, and to help all those in need, was so different from the popular response. Their response to violence and crime and their wish to aid and embrace both the victim and the offender as well as their worldwide peacemaking efforts have changed my ideas about the power and importance of nonviolence. Their respect for other people, and even other creatures, no matter who or where has made me more aware of the consequences of my actions and of the sometimes selfish way that I live my life. I also want to mention the trust and faith in others that Quakers show, which I also had always really appreciated at Haverford. A workplace that is based on trust and on a desire to work together rather that on competition or criticism is conducive to hard work and general well-being. I think that one of my favorite parts of the internship was the end of the staff meetings when we would go around the table and staff members would share stories about what was going on in their work and also in their personal lives and how they were feeling. I don't think that this is a traditional part of many staff meetings, and I really appreciated it and enjoyed learning about the lives of the people I was working with. Being a shy person, I did not always participate, but this is something else I would like to mention as being important to me. Throughout my educational career I have found that being a shy person who likes to think awhile before participating in a conversation or debate is difficult because often people think that when someone does not participate, it means that they are not paying attention or that they are not smart enough to contribute. I really appreciated feeling comfortable saying "pass" on the weeks when I could not think of something to share. In conjunction with this idea, I was intrigued by the Quaker emphasis on the importance of silence. I think silence is often misinterpreted, but it is a central aspect of Quaker meeting for worship.
There are many other aspects of Quaker thought, which interested and often surprised me with their truth. Learning about Quakerism was probably the most valuable part of the internship for me. I'm very thankful to the staff members at FRIENDS JOURNAL who were so friendly and so willing to help me learn about the process of publishing. Although I hoped and expected to learn a lot about publishing, I am also surprised by the many other valuable lessons they shared with me which, although they may or may not help me find a career, they will definitely help me decide what I want to do with my life.
Juliana Rosati
Intern, Summer 2002
'm
very grateful to have had the opportunity to intern at FRIENDS
JOURNAL. Much of my time was spent copyediting
articles, evaluating manuscripts, and searching back issues for articles
on specific topics for possible anthologies. I learned a lot about
Quakerism through reading so many articles, and I found it refreshing
to see current events presented from perspectives with which I had
not had a great deal of contact before, in particular when I was working
on the prisons issue. I have a very different sense of the world and
my place in it now than I did at the beginning of the summer.
As someone with an interest in journalism and creative writing, it was enlightening to see the various stages a manuscript goes through as it is prepared for publication. And since I've always had difficulty restraining myself in the face of a typographical error, be it on a bulletin board or in a book, learning how to copyedit was right up my alley! I also had fun learning how to lay-out the galleys on Adobe PageMaker for the art department.
I found FRIENDS JOURNAL to be a peaceful, respectful working environment, and I received some remarkably honest and straightforward advice about life after college in informal conversations with staff members. My experience was especially positive because of the chance to work with four other interns—I appreciated their thoughtfulness as we collaborated on news briefs and shared comments on manuscripts. I know I'll miss our lunchtime conversations and the hours we spent quietly working together.
Molly Wilson
Intern, Summer 2002
n
English and Music double major at Muhlenberg College, I served as
one of Friends Journal's
interns in the summer of 2002. When not doing that, I played the flute
and the mountain dulcimer (not at the same time), and drank lots of
coffee. This summer has served as another integral part of my search
for a spiritual community. I was interested in integrating spirituality
with work, and love bringing a piece of writing from birth to completion.
When I first imagined working at a publishing office, I pictured an old-fashioned printing press with people running frantically around trying to meet deadlines for a tyrant boss. In fact, that was how I pictured all offices to be run. I found nothing of the sort working as an intern at Friends Journal. Instead of being a cold, impersonal place that stifles creativity, I was met with people who shared intense intellectual discussions with me over lunch. Instead of telling me what to do, my "authority" figure valued and encouraged creativity. The small atmosphere of FRIENDS JOURNAL made staff meetings a time to discuss work-related affairs, but also to share personal stories. In addition, each person had a specific job, but everyone helped each other, which was contrary to my image of an office as a cutthroat place where "every man or woman is for themselves," working only to raise their own paycheck. The summer I spent working with these amazing people was definitely not long enough. I was thrilled with all that I learned about the writing process, and about the people of FRIENDS JOURNAL.
One surprise this summer was being forced to make "right use of resources" after porcupines essentially destroyed my car while I was on a weeklong hiking trip. One month and $2,000 later, I realized I actually enjoyed making use of my feet and the mostly efficient Philadelphia transit system. An earlier chapter of my spiritual search involved spending the fall semester of 2001 at University of Edinburgh in Scotland. While visiting Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Patrick's in Dublin, and the ruins of an old church in the hills of Holyrood Park above Edinburgh, I kept feeling the preciousness of the present moment and an exhilaration in the awareness of a long life of experiences ahead of me. That semester also brought me an appreciation of living without technology. I had no car, no TV, no Internet. I walked, bused and took the train, read a slew of books, and became more observant in that most intriguing nook of the UK.
I wish for continual peace for all of the fascinating people who work to bring the content of FRIENDS JOURNAL to the Light.
Nicole Perry
Intern, Summer 2002
he
summer of 2002 was my first time living on my own in Philadelphia.
For the first few weeks I was sleeping on the floor of a house I shared
with two people; we had no fridge, no phone, and it was a lot hotter
than what I was used to in my home state of Maine. But coming to FRIENDS
JOURNAL on Mondays, Wednesdays and some
Fridays made all the difference in my enjoyment of the summer. Truthfully,
I would have worked every day of the week if I hadn't been committed
to another job at Bryn Mawr College library, where I attend school.
I loved riding my bike across the Spring Garden bridge in the morning, and pedaling to Arch Street with a purpose. The air conditioning felt cool when I got inside and heads lifted to say, "Hello," as I made my way to the back of the building. There were four other interns that summer and on Wednesdays we were all scheduled to work together. Sometimes all five of us squeezed around one table and worked from the same pile of manuscripts, breaking the silence with questions on copyediting or a slight chuckle. We spent most of our hours in quiet concentration, reading; but the silence was never awkward or oppressive. I gained much from reading the articles. Not only did I learn copyediting skills, but the content of the pieces introduced me to Quakerism and led me to contemplate higher truths.
We were not reading all the time, however. Some days we spent time packing boxes with magazines or stuffing subscription renewal notices into envelopes—or, my favorite: staff meetings. At staff meetings we discussed topics pertinent to the magazine, but there was also time for a "go around," in which the staff and interns were invited to share anything they wanted about the events in their lives. I remember the first week (and the second week) complaining about not having a bed to sleep on or a phone to call my mother with. It felt good to share my struggles with such friendly, sympathetic people. It was these "go-arounds" that made me feel part of a family, even though I had left mine back in Maine for the summer. It is one of the things I will remember most fondly about my summer internship at FRIENDS JOURNAL.
Winter 2002
Nara T. Alves
Intern, Winter 2002
he
Brazilian school system requires a 17-year-old student to decide on
an occupation for the rest of one's life—at least the few fortunate
ones who will have the opportunity to attend college. In this phase,
many start a battle against themselves, trying to find out what is worth
living their lives for. Parents spend money on psychologists, and teachers
give workshops and lectures to help students. Still, many fail. When
I had to decide, psychologists and teachers asked me what I would like
to do, and "change the world" was the most honest answer I could give.
All of them came to the same conclusion: I should go to art school because
I did not have my feet on the ground. Opposing all professional advice,
I applied to study journalism, hoping to help improve the society where
I live, the most economically unequal on this planet.
Now, three years after my decision, I am interning at FRIENDS JOURNAL during my summer vacation, and it has been an amazing life and professional experience among Friends in Philadelphia. My internship is coming to an end, and I am getting ready to go back home. Before I leave, however, I would like to share some thoughts.
"Change the world" sounds ridiculous; and it is. It is even more so when coming from a naive 17-year-old who lives in the "Third World"—an unfortunate global cliché that implies inferiority. Such utopian ideals will always be inside the minds of the ones who wish to be like Jesus Christ and save humanity, like me. Brazil is huge (even bigger than the continental United States), but still, in my home, I feel as if I'm on an island, surrounded by the illness of inequality and savage competitiveness, suffocated by people trying to convince me that "every man for himself" is the only way. Those around me, my friends, wish to live in a "First World" country (and I don't blame them for wishing a better quality of life for themselves), and they escape at their first opportunity. Each day I feel more ridiculously idealistic and alone, tempted to give up.
It is not easy to persist. Using the words of U.S. historian Marshall Eakin,"The middle and upper classes form a minority of affluent citizens atop an immense mountain of poor Brazilians." The eighth biggest economy in the world is crowded with miserable people. In large cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, one can easily see entire families ransacking garbage and feeding themselves from it daily. Or at stop signs, begging at the windows of BMWs, asking for any kind of help. Brazil faces all the problems an "underdeveloped" country can have: lack of basic health-care, violence, drugs, illiteracy of over 15 percent, etc. This combination of problems makes Brazilians vulnerable to manipulation by politicians and by the media—Globo, the world's fourth largest network, after ABC, CBS and NBC, routinely entertains 70 percent of all Brazilians with their TVs turned on.
Brazil has a powerful economy with corporations like Petrobras (which holds the world's highest technology on deep-water petroleum exploitation) and Embraer (one of the biggest aircraft manufacturers and exporters). The country also has an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, beaches and ports along its 4,600-mile coastline, rivers like the "river-sea" Amazon, canyons, mountains, and so on. "Brazil is the country of the future," as naive Brazilians say. I dream that one day Brazilians will have the chance to live this future. Is it just another utopia?
In some aspects I consider Brazil the world in miniature. Brazil was colonized and explored by Europeans, inhabited by natives, and has a strong influence of Africans brought as slaves, besides a large Asian migration. Like planet Earth, Brazil shelters all races—though all are mixed in a 3-million-square-mile melting pot, and it presents contrasts as shocking as between Europe and Africa. It shelters both wealthy and miserable people.
To help improve this situation can be a lonely job. More than 70 percent of Brazilians (112 million people) live below the poverty line ($100 per month), and they have to worry about surviving. Less than 20 percent hoard 70 percent of all riches in the country, and they are anxious to get richer. The middle class is squeezed in between the other classes and feels unable to contribute to social change. The only solution I see is through changing the elite's selfish mentality, to see that they have the means to act and raise their own quality of life by promoting the decrease of social and economic inequality. The elite fears violence, but it doesn't see the cause. Agrarian reform, for example, has barely started and is limping. The elite deludes itself by thinking it has nothing to do with others' problems. On a world scale, if one person has two pairs of shoes, another one somewhere in the world has none; and the unshod one will bring and increase violence unavoidably.
The greater part of the world is in a calamitous situation, while in some spots everything is plentiful. One dies of hunger, the other dies of obesity. "Third World" countries borrow money from the International Monetary Fund and become slaves of interest payments. The government sold Brazil's greatest companies to foreign or national private buyers to pay the IMF bill, and now has already paid, in interest, the same amount of money as the total debt—money that should go to healthcare and education. This situation is not going to get any better unless both rich and poor are aware of what is happening outside their homes. A country is exactly the same size as the whole universe for those who don't know what is beyond its frontiers. Astronomers, when studying the universe, are studying 10 or 15 percent of it, only the part that has light and can be seen. What people know is the extent of their universe. The starving people have to know that they deserve justice and happiness; and the wealthy people have to be aware of their power and stop acting in such an egoistic way. That is true in Brazil and in the world.
I will go back home and persist with my "change-the-world" dream, hoping I am not really isolated on a huge island. I am relieved to have met some people here in the U.S. who see what is happening outside their country (and, many times, because of it), and fight for a just U.S. international policy. This summer break I met some people who use their occupations as teachers, therapists, journalists, or artists to make a difference, who share with me the same heavy bale—even though they live on top of the world—the same God, the same "change-the-world" dream. And that makes me keep believing.
It may sound weird that a young person like me has to make a great effort to "keep believing" in dreams. It's sad, I know. But, for most people on Earth, once one realizes what to expect from life, it is not easy to keep on believing. In these past three months I saw many people around me facing the problems of aging: where to live, what to do, medicines, doctors, loneliness, absence of hope. I don't think these people realize how lucky they are not to be facing these problems until there is not much life left, after they have already enjoyed a plentiful and happy life. What can an Iraqi teenager, for example, expect from life? Or what can a Kenyan mother expect from her child's life? I shouldn't assume things about aging, though, since I am only 20 and know nothing about getting old. I still have so much to learn and so much to give, and in "an immense mountain of poor Brazilians," I feel truly blessed to be born there and able to choose what it's worth living my life for.
Nara T. Alves, a Journalism major at Methodist University of Sao Paulo and a Geography major at University of Sao Paulo, served as an intern for Friends Journal from December 2001 through February 2002.
Intern Program
Adrienne Pasta
Photography Intern, Intern Program
he most valuable aspect of any internship is the sense of community on the job. Friends Journal is outstanding in this area. Supervisors and colleagues were friendly, supportive, and encouraging.
A second goal of interning is gaining knowledge and experience. At Friends Journal, I quickly learned how to use Quark to layout photography and other graphics for the magazine, which is a valuable skill. I loved the experience of working at a professional journal, using my training as a photographer and my untrained eye for graphic design and visual layout.
As a Quaker, I felt very much at home in the Friends Journal environment. I also got used to commuting on a work schedule in Philadelphia, and other aspects of normal work life. It was a valuable experience and I appreciated the chance to intern at Friends Journal.
Christina Weber
Intern, Intern Program
t
was a small town on the coast of Ireland that first piqued my interest
in working for a Friends organization. While studying abroad at the
National University of Ireland, Galway, during the spring of 2002, my
roommates and I, in an effort to explore the country we'd been calling
home, took a bus tour up the coast. The tour guide—evidently endowed
with the fabled gift of gab—told endless stories, but one stood
out in my mind. We'd been driving through a rough, barren stretch of
land, which he explained as being one of the areas worst hit by the
19th century potato famine that caused the death or exodus of a third
of the country's population. Suddenly, we came upon a small village
that, somehow, had survived intact. The tour guide told the story of
how, during the famine, many church relief groups had come to this area
of the country in order to "feed" the natives; unfortunately, most of
these groups insisted the consumption of their particular religious
doctrine as a prerequisite to receiving food, leaving many people who
were reluctant to abandon Catholicism unable to benefit from their aid.
This village, the guide explained, had a relief service run by the Quakers.
Because the Quaker relief workers fed everyone, regardless of religious
faith, the villagers were able to survive the famine and prosper in
the years that followed.
Perhaps this is a roundabout way of explaining what drew me to work at a Quaker organization, but that commitment to service both influenced my decision to intern at Friends Journal, and was a large part of my experience at the magazine. In working for a Friends organization, I was exposed to people, ideas, and ways of looking at the world that reflected, above all, a deep commitment to the needs of others. Although my tasks as an intern at FRIENDS JOURNAL were similar to what one might expect at any publication—copyediting, drafting letters to authors regarding their submissions, and taking the burden of small typing chores off of some of the senior staff—the atmosphere of the JOURNAL is what made this internship particularly rewarding for me.
I am, like many of the other interns, an English major, and found that the experience drew on the skills I had acquired in the study of English, as well as cultivating new ones that would be helpful in that field. However, I will be attending law school in the fall. Some may wonder where the connection between the two is—what will I do with my experience in the field of magazine publishing in the future? With the mechanical details of publishing that I picked up, probably very little—though there is no doubt that copyediting teaches levels of patience and concentration that are invaluable as life skills. But the experience, for me, was less about learning a trade than about learning a way of looking at the world. I found myself, as I learned more and more about Friends ways and beliefs, becoming more attentive to others, more respectful, and more reflective. I found my attitude towards unfamiliar opinions, lifestyles, and points of view becoming not only more tolerant, but more appreciative and understanding. My experience at FRIENDS JOURNAL was, because of the opportunity for personal growth it offered, more relevant to my career and to my life as a whole, no matter the path I pursue in the future, than any other I might have chosen.
Sarah Gray
Intern, Intern Program
ack
in February when she called to say how much she liked FRIENDS
JOURNAL, we didn't know how much we
were going to like her in return. Sarah Gray, a young Friend from
upper Bucks County, is a junior at Haverford College. She impressed
us immediately during her interview with her enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
We learned of her organizational and editorial abilities — and
of her wonderful character — through her references.
In June Sarah came to work at the JOURNAL for the summer, appearing every day to read and copyedit manuscripts.
"What did you do while you were here, Sarah?" we asked.
"Copyedited, copyedited, copyedited," she replied. She also learned "all about" the Chicago Manual of Style. ("This was pretty cool, actually," she confessed.) She also read and reviewed a book for us, created a database and developed publisher and book reviewer directories to supplement it, and handled correspondence for the editors.
Sarah's flexibility and good cheer enabled her to be a great pinch-hitter for our office manager when she was on vacation, and an enjoyable addition to the little mailing parties that got out our renewal notices each month.
"It's been a great summer with you here, Sarah," we told her. "Why don't you write up a biographical sketch about yourself that we can share with others on our website."
"Okay," she said. And here it is:
Sarah Gray is a junior at Haverford. She is majoring in English and pursuing her passion for photography in her free time. While on campus, she is involved in numerous activities, including leading a Quaker group, co-chairing the Housing Committee, and coordinating photography for the yearbook. Sarah is a resident of upper Bucks Country, Pennsylvania, yet retains her membership with her childhood meeting in the lower part of the county while attending local meetings. At home she spends time with her family, hangs out with her friends, and takes care of the numerous plants and animals that have taken over her house. Between her four plants, the five she is babysitting for study abroad students, her cat, and her plant-munching bunny, she manages to stay out of trouble. Sarah is an avid reader and traveler. She can be found trekking all over the tri-state area in her car ("Deter") — just look for the girl with a book in the passenger seat!
