Rhodes College’s New York City Internship program has provided students the opportunity to spend a semester studying theater and history in the Big Apple since 2019. This past summer, a new program shifted the focus to the written word to immerse students in the rhythm of one of America’s oldest and greatest cities.
Literary NYC: Reading the City is the brainchild of Amy Benson, associate professor of English, who received a grant to do preparatory work for the program. A former New Yorker, Benson accompanied the students for the first five weeks of the two-and-a-half month program. “I was excited to start something in a place where I had lived and worked for a long time,” says Benson. “I could try to help students feel more connected—less like a tourist—and have a real sense of purpose in being there and experiencing New York for a short time like a local would.”
The eight-credit program bridged extensive readings, daily observational writing, a hands-on fellowship project, and individual internships, giving the students opportunities to learn about their surroundings from different angles. Benson worked with independent bookstores in New York to choose the program’s coursework, using them not only as a resource for their knowledge of literature but as an interesting way to get students out in the city. The cohort’s fellowship project included a destination map of more than 70 independent bookstores; each student visited a few of their choice and asked staff members for book suggestions that accurately reflected the city.
While much of the coursework was discussed in a classroom, the texts also brought them outside—whether through the literary walking tours hosted by Benson’s colleagues, or by the desire to replicate the written adventures they discussed with such intensity. Billy Flukinger ’26, an English literature major from Austin, TX, recalls discussions of Open City by Teju Cole and says, “The rigor of having to read maybe 70 pages a night and then write a discussion post on it and then talk about it the next morning was intense, but I felt like I should have always been taking classes that way. I had never felt like a class was so engaged across the board in what we were talking about and had delved into a book so completely.”
The bulk of the program was the internship portion. Each student had sought out—with the help of Benson and the English department—internships in various fields such as publishing, advertising, library sciences, and business.
Flukinger interned with Bold Type Books, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group. As an editorial assistant, he read nonfiction manuscripts and book proposals and worked with editors to discuss future steps about publishing the pieces. He worked closely with an editor who was an intermediary between Hachette, Bold Type Books, and the Type Media Center—a nonprofit that works to support and fund highly researched independent journalism. Bold Type Books also gave Flukinger the opportunity to work on a book proposal of his own, a rare opportunity for a college student.
Jeb Mathis ’27, an English and history double major with a political science minor from Conway, AR, interned with the staff writing and operations team of Octus, a financial credit news agency. He helped with the writing of daily articles about market trends and assisted with office work and the company’s website. Mathis, who has an interest in the law, enjoyed the opportunity to work with not only the writers and financial advisors, but the also the lawyers on staff. While Octus does not typically offer internships, Mathis’ role was created with the help of a Rhodes alum at the company.
Mathis was initially drawn to the Literary New York program for its readings, including James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Colson Whitehead, and Walt Whitman, but also found that the daily observational writings helped shape his perspective of New York and strengthened his connection to the city.
While most of the students commuted to work via train, one student had to hop off the subway and then onto a ferry to get to her internship. Eliza Richter ’26, a health equity and Spanish double major, interned for the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, which controls the operation of both Ellis and Liberty islands. She worked in the American Family History Immigration Center, helping families research their immigration history. She hopes to work on the East Coast after graduation, and says the internship provided networking opportunities and taught her how to become a more successful advocate for herself.
Richter’s favorite reading in the program was also Open City. For her, the program readings helped conceptualize the city—something that echoed how her health equity classes help students to understand urban social contexts and how they shape health in the U.S.
From learning the subway system to budgeting expenses to coping with traffic, navigating life in New York was itself educational, but Flukinger, Mathis, and Richter all agree that the program fulfilled Benson’s desire that students would be connected to the city in a meaningful and deeper way than being a tourist.
Mathis describes it as being in tune with the city, noting the high energy, chaotic pace, and ever-present culture of the city, saying, “You know you’re a real New Yorker when you’re able to drown out the sounds. The Literary New York program was one of a kind. It changed me personally, emotionally, and spiritually in ways I could never forget.”
Richter, a native of Dallas, TX, says the accessibility and attitude of New Yorkers helped her become a more independent person, whether in meeting new people or discovering a new falafel place around the corner. The subway system was also liberating to her as someone from a non-walkable city: “If I needed to get anywhere, I didn’t have to rely on anybody—I just did it.”
Adds Flukinger: “Having the Literary New York class to go along with living and working in New York constantly inspired me to explore the city, get out of my comfort zone, and see the language in everyday life. It molded me into someone who moves faster and with more intention; it felt like I was becoming a New Yorker in a real way.”
By Simran Kumar ’26