Internships

Spring 2008

Bryan Zudick

Intern, Spring 2008

When I began my internship at Friends Journal, working three days a week, it seemed like it was my full-time job, and it felt as if I were going to school only part-time. Then, as I gained experience copyediting, proofreading, and commenting on submissions, Friends Journal started to feel more like a second home than an employer. While I got to know everyone and observed how they interacted with each other, I realized that FJ was, indeed, a family. I have not had any previous internships, but I have worked in a few other offices and they do not compare to the way FJ functions. Other offices lack the unique closeness of FJ, and I have learned that this, to me, is the most important quality of a job. Along with reading submissions, the weekly staff meetings were what I enjoyed most because of the "go-around," which allowed me to get to know the outside lives of the FJ staff—and they, too, got to know me.

At the same time, I was experiencing what it was like to work at an independent magazine: the deadlines, the never-ceasing submissions, and learning about Quakerism. For these past few months, the articles and submissions I have read here have nurtured my soul. In actuality, I probably learned more about myself at FJ than I did about running a magazine. Before I started my internship, pacifism, to me, seemed like a passive method that was rarely effective. But, through reading articles about conscientious objectors, the Peace Testimony, and countless other related subjects, I have realized that pacifism is effective. Pacifism is not a passive way of life. On the contrary, it is assertive and confrontational, for if it were not, peace would not be the outcome. I found that I have been a pacifist my whole life, and learning from FJ, reading the submissions etc., I found out why, and that is because there is no way to peace: peace is the way.

Robin Duncan

Intern, Spring 2008

To be honest, my main reason for coming to Friends Journal was that it seemed like a fairly easy way to fill my senior internship requirement for Friends Select. It was close to school, so my commute wouldn't change; I already knew someone who worked there, so I had a contact already; and it generally seemed like the most tolerable internship I could find without doing too much looking.

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.

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 were 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.

Moorestown Friends School Senior Project

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