When you get invited onto the big stage, you must perform.
That’s what I think of when I think of writer Emily Gatlin. I met Emily when she worked at Reed’s Gumtree Books in Tupelo. I got to know her better during the (amazing) Mississippi Book Festival. It was her job to herd the authors (like cats). She showed me she has the ability to handle huge projects.
Bob Guccione Jr. would agree with me .
Guccione, founder of Spin Magazine, met Emily while he was an adjunct professor at Ole Miss. Emily was editor of hottytoddy.com and wanted to run one of his articles. Guccione was impressed by Emily’s writing and soon, he invited her up on the stage.
And she performed.
She has written two nationally published “bookazines” for him. One is “The Unknown Hendrix” and the other is “101 Greatest American Rock Songs.” Both are very well written and both were turned around remarkably fast.
Guccione says of Emily, “I think she is a superstar.”
Trust me, as a guy who churns out quality, it’s sometimes difficult to match quality and quantity. Emily is doing it.
I look forward to our interview. When it airs, I’ll give you a link. But the next time you walk past a magazine stand anywhere in the country, know that another Mississippi writer is well on her way to fame.