This spring, Tasha Deen and Murtaza Bugti spent their afternoons in the New England Review office. They organized and hosted an event for our student reading series, read submissions in all genres, and interviewed authors from issue 46.1. Here they interview each other for our “Meet the Interns” series.
Tasha Deen: Well, Murtaza, I think we should start with a highlight reel. Besides sitting in the office with the lights off, what has been one of your favorite aspects of working at NER?
Murtaza Bugti: Reading submissions (in the dark, of course) was one of my favorite activities. We get a wide range of submissions, anything from poetry to nonfiction, and it’s always a joy seeing what writers are up to. Having a chance to critique and rank these submissions has been so enjoyable. And working on a Behind the Byline interview gave me a chance to connect and critically examine works I would normally not have come across.
What did you enjoy most about working in the office while perched on your favorite windowsill?
TD: Learning how to use Submittable was definitely a high and a low for me; I honestly love when we get paper submissions. Opening pieces with handwritten notes is always so nice and it’s fun to learn more about writers through their handwriting. I’ve also really enjoyed the Behind the Byline interview I did connecting with NER poet Maja Lukic was a wonderful experience. But I would have to say my favorite thing to do, while perched in the corner, was conducting research for our international features. I loved getting to learn about varying literary revivals and learning more about literary translation work!
MB: Speaking of translations, do you know any other languages, Tasha?
TD: Well, you know my answer, haha! We met in German 101 during our first semester. It was still COVID times and we had our masks on, attempting to speak German behind them. I still sometimes read and speak German here and there, but I’m actually learning French right now. After reading some French writers in translation for my English literature major, I have set a goal of reading their prose untranslated.
MB: I do recall learning German during COVID. Our professors wore those silly clear masks so that we could see how those tricky German words were produced. I ended up majoring in German and comparative literature. I was drawn to the language for a similar reason—encountering prose and poetry in translation.
TD: It is truly amazing how living in small-town Vermont can expose us to so much, like how wonderful that we are both graduating having learned new languages! But, besides these new linguistic abilities . . . Is there a part of Vermont that you’ll bring with you post-graduation?
MB: I’m not sure If I have one cohesive answer to that question. I truly love being in Vermont and the memories I’ve made here will stay with me for decades to come. I think what’ll truly stick is Vermont’s natural beauty. Every time I hear a robin in the future or smell star magnolia blossoms, I’ll be instantly reminded of my time here in Vermont.
TD: Murtaza, don’t forget about the common grackle! Just kidding. I think I will also really miss the nature that surrounds us. But I’ve also come to really appreciate the community here; I feel so indebted to all of the wonderful students and professors I’ve met while here. Have there been any professors in particular that made a big impact on your time here? I know it’s hard to choose just one.
MB: My advisor, Roman Graf—he’s helped me grow as a person, thinker, and student. I feel deeply grateful for everything he has done for me. I’ve also loved taking classes with James Berg, who teaches early modern literature, my favorite time period. What about you, Tasha?
TD: I love Berg, too. I took a great class with him on literary adventures during my junior fall! I would have to say that Robert Cohen has been truly influential to me. He teaches creative writing workshops, but I’ve actually only taken his literature classes on various genres of the mid-20th century, which is by far my favorite time period. Cohen actually helped connect me with Carolyn Kuebler, our boss at NER!
MB: I see why you’re drawn to French literature then! Let’s move on to how we learned about NER. It seems like Cohen might’ve introduced you to it? I first discovered the journal in high school while I was looking for English translations of the Persian Book of Kings. One of our earlier issues had some truly wonderful translations by Dick Davis. During my time in Germany, I stumbled upon NER again and found out that they were hiring student interns. Of course, I decided to apply.
TD: Cohen didn’t introduce me to NER, but I had a really nice dinner with him and Carolyn after Chris Knapp and Lauren Markham came to campus for a reading. I was so nervous and excited to have dinner with all of them.
I actually learned about NER through a former intern, Emma Johnson! She spoke so highly of working here and suggested I apply, so I did. I feel grateful that Carolyn and Leslie hired me and that I get to work with you (and Mary Heather!). I have one last question for us both: If you could live the life of any writer for one day, who would you choose?
MD: I’m flattered that you enjoy working with me. Your question reminds me of the movie Midnight in Paris. It’s a funny question considering how tortured or repressed many writers can be, but I’d say that I’d like to be Thomas Wyatt for a day. He spent quite some time traveling around Europe as a diplomat in a historically important era. I wouldn’t mind exploring and enjoying myself at Queen Elizabeth’s expense. What about you, Tasha?
TD: Great movie, and even better to know you’d like to be a futile lord for a day. I think I would enjoy being Edna O’Brien. She wrote one of my favorite novels, The Country Girls, and has these beautiful short stories. She passed away last summer, but I’d love to step into an image of her childhood which she fictionally captures in her novel. Honestly, any woman writer from Ireland during the 20th century would be of interest to me.
MB: Well, Tasha, I think that concludes our Meet the Interns interview. It’s genuinely been a pleasure working with you this semester.
TD: I could not agree more. I look forward to grabbing coffee in NYC in the coming year!