Established in 2021 to address the need for a broader range of next-generation voices in publishing, the Amor Towles Editorial Fellowship offers young professionals new to the industry the opportunity for hands-on experience under the guidance of Library of America’s editorial and production team. The fellowship was made possible by a generous endowment from award-winning novelist and former LOA trustee Amor Towles.

Amor Towles (David Levenson / Getty Images)

For Towles, it is important to invest in the future of publishing: “Gaining relevant experience is one of the biggest challenges for young people hoping to enter the world of American letters. My hope is that the Towles Fellowship provides an opportunity for aspirants from every corner of American life to learn from and contribute to the essential work at LOA.”

The full-time, two-year position offers fellows the opportunity to dive deeply into LOA’s work, contributing significantly to the bookmaking process from development to final copyedited manuscript. Francisco Márquez, the current Towles fellow, has spent time sourcing first-edition texts, checking proofs, and working closely with managing editor Trish Hoard to prepare books for publication. He has also done early-stage research for forthcoming volumes and crafted book proposals of his own.

During my time, LOA emphasized that the writers important to American literature, poetry, theater, and culture were more than just the assumed list.

His favorite experiences have included researching a forthcoming volume of Eleanor Roosevelt’s writings at the New York Public Library and fact-checking and assembling the manuscript for Helen Vendler’s Inhabit the Poem. Márquez says, “My time here has been deeply educational and formative. I’ve honed my editing skills and gotten to know everything that goes into publishing a book, from the fun early stages down to the very business-minded decisions that go into approving a project. I feel more well-read as a literary citizen and more knowledgeable as an editor, and this fellowship has allowed that to happen through difficult and fulfilling work.”

LOA editorial fellow Francisco Márquez and managing editor Trish Hoard pore over a manuscript.

Former fellow Jed Munson agrees: “The fellowship helped me develop a better sense of balance between an urgent desire to be a part of the literary conversation and the patience it requires to be a part of the collaborative process that is publishing. The fellowship provided me with the mentorship, dialogue, and practical opportunities to pursue intellectual inquiries while actively participating in the publishing community and industry.”

Ariana Pettis, LOA’s first Towles fellow, describes the most meaningful part of her experience as “grappling with the question of the American canon. LOA represents the American canon as living and amendable. With the induction of Maxine Hong Kingston and Adrienne Kennedy during my time, LOA emphasized that the writers important to American literature, poetry, theater, and culture were more than just the assumed list.” Márquez also sees this as an important part of the fellows’ role: to offer fresh ideas and perspectives on LOA’s cultural mission.

“Everyone who cares about American writing owes Amor Towles a great debt,” says Max Rudin, LOA President and Publisher. “The Towles Fellowship is helping to shape editors and publishers who will write the next chapter in the story of America’s literary heritage. Thanks to Amor’s generosity and vision, they will not only learn the skills they need but also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the multi-vocal, democratic spirit of great American writing.”

As for life after the Towles fellowship, Munson has taught composition and creative writing at CUNY and recently entered the PhD program in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Pettis works in production at National Geographic. Márquez will remain with LOA for another year—but not before a residency in October at the prestigious MacDowell Colony. We’re extremely proud of our fellows and look forward to keeping you updated on their work.

A version of this article originally appeared in Library of America’s Fall 2025 newsletter.