Literary Journalism at Esquire – R. J. Vogt
This summer, I worked as one of two print editorial interns for Esquire Magazine. For the September issue, I transcribed the cover interview with Guardians of the Galaxy’s Chris Pratt and researched much of the front of book maintenance, pop culture and style guides. For the October issue, I had a chance to interview inspiring mentors for the Mentor Project, writing three short feature profiles and receiving a credit for reporting; transcription work gave me a unique perspective on the lives of men such as Robert Redford, Carmelo Anthony and Marco Rubio. For the November issue, I received a byline for my interview with The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira in the monthly “Funny Joke from a Beautiful Woman” feature. I also served for a short time as an interim administrative assistant to Esquire’s special projects editor, Lisa Hintelmann.
The experience gave me a chance to meet one on one with such writers as Tom Junod and Tyler Cabot, the men I aspire to emulate someday in my own work. Editor in Chief David Granger , a UT alum, also met with me for lunch on one of my last days, offering his singular insight into the media business. Because Esquire almost exclusively hires former interns for entry-level openings, I have high hopes of returning someday; because people rarely leave a publication such as Esquire, I have low hopes of returning anytime soon.