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Amanda Headshot in Washington Sq Park

Amanda Lorencz, MA

Academic Assistant

Where were you born/where did you grow up?

Valencia, CA home to Six Flags Magic Mountain and CalArts 

Where did you attend undergrad/grad school?

The University of Redlands doing an interdisciplinary degree in Creative Writing Poetry, 18th Century Studies, Women's and Gender Studies and Language for Undergrad and Gallatin for Grad also interdisciplinary focusing on Women Writers (Dickinson, Plath, and Woolf) and how they use time and silence in their work.

What's your go-to snack?

Chocolate, always. Unless I'm in the mood for salty, then cheese, preferably aged cheddar.

What's your favorite book?

This is a trick question; there can be no ultimate favorite book, but here are a few: Franny and Zooey as most beloved and part of me. Mrs. Dalloway, as my comfort read. If not, Winter because Sappho. Anything by Ali Smith, all of it. And of course, Shakespeare, again all of it (yes, even the Problem plays because they are rich with problems).

What's your favorite movie?

Harold and Maude

What's your favorite music?

Genre-wise I'm all over the place as long as it isn't country, but band-wise, The Beatles, Travis, Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman, Queen.

What do you do in your spare time?

Read, explore, explore while reading, go to shows (especially musicals and Shakespeare. Shakespeare!)

Coolest thing you've done/seen in NYC?

I think the coolest thing *about* NYC is that it has allowed me to be present in a way I've not been in many cities. There's so much *to* see and do that it gives me the chance to really experience the city in a way that feels vital. People watching, play watching, wandering, cafe-ing, it's all fascinating and enjoyable.

Favorite spot in NYC?

Restaurant wise: Carroll Place on Bleecker and The Churchill on E. 28th (also RIP to Sweet Revenge on Carmine St. in the Village). Bookstore: Three Lives in the Village. Place wise Prospect Park because I can just relax and find a quiet place to read or people watch.

One piece of advice you'd give to graduate students: 

Remember that this is *your* time. What you choose to pursue and how you choose to pursue it is up to you. And you can always make another choice. Failure, like success, is a choice insofar as you can choose to learn from what didn't go the way you thought and what you want to do about it. Always learn and grow with your experiences; the moment you think you know everything, you have lost your humanity.