Coworking Member // Emily Gould Hits the Books

Emily Gould, left, and Ruth CurryYou know that friend who likes all the same books as you and whose recommendations quickly become favorites? For Emily Gould, that person is Ruth Curry, her best friend and COO of Emily Books, a curated site selling a different e-book each month. While the two worked together at a publishing house, they quickly became best friends, and decided to put their knowlege and connections to use. "In New York, we're lucky. We have those little neighborhood bookstores where we can get recommendations," Gould says. "But not everyone has those." Since the Emily Books site launched in October, she says it's surprising how far-flung subscribers have been.

In addition to the one book a month (this month's selection is Sempre Susan by Sigrid Nunez) there's a quarterly e-zine with reviews of and essays inspired by the picks. The idea is to get people talking, to get people excited about the work. Monthly events also serve that purpose. For Sempre Susan, Nunez's memoir  focuses on her relationship with Susan Sontag; her boyfriend's mother, her boss, her mentor, and her greatest detractor. Gould tells us "We want to do a panel on mentors. We're still putting it together."

Eventually, Gould plans to have podcasts of such things too. But when asked if she thinks there will be a greater column of books, she says their primary concern is quality over quantity, making really excellent selections that their subscribers can stand behind.

We have high hopes for this little start-up based in 3rd Ward's coworking space. We love the idea, and we trust Gould's web savvy. If her name sounds familiar (and if you're involved in the media, it should), it's because she's a former Gawker editor who gained some notoriety for her New York Times Magazine cover story about the intersection of her personal and professional lives. While she's glad for the experience, she's put much of her internet persona behind her. "I wrote a book, And the Heart Says Whatever and after I wrote long-form, it was kind of hard to go back," she says.

If she's tired of being asked about her Gawker-fied past, we don't blame her (sorry Emily!). Though it sounds like the kind of tiring ordeal that makes you want to go home and curl up with a good book...

--Layla Schlack