Introduce Yourself
Hi, there! I’m Mary-Kate Gaudet, an Executive Editor at LBYR. I acquire and edit picture books now and then but mostly work on licensed programs like My Little Pony, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Teen Titans Go! Staying up-to-date with entertainment news and trends is a big part of my job, so I’m happy to report being a pop culture junkie has its benefits.
Favorite Book of All Time
I had to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the summer before my freshman year of high school and loved it. As I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for it has only grown. Romance, tragedy, glitz, murder, and the pursuit of the American Dream? Gatsby explores the highest highs and lowest lows of humanity, and I am here for it.
Favorite LBYR Book
I’m so proud of The Cosmic Quest: Volume One by Brandon T. Snider. It reunites Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum in Thor: Ragnarok) with his brother The Collector (Bencio del Toro in Guardians of the Galaxy) as they search for a long-lost infinity stone. Brandon really channels the hilarious irreverence and absurdity of the movies into this little number. I’ve never laughed so hard and so often while editing. In a recent interview, Jeff Goldblum said he wants Grandmaster and The Collector to team up. Well, we’ve got the book for you, Jeff!
Book You've Been Meaning to Read for a While
A friend recommended Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami to me a few years ago. For whatever reason, I just haven’t cracked it open yet.
Unexpected Book that You Love
Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown is simultaneously simple and complex; funny and sad, just like the man himself.
Most Worn-Out (but Well-Loved) Book
My copy of The Color Purple by Alice Walker is actually my sister’s from the ‘80s. Sorry, not sorry, Martha!
A Literary Obsession
I have quite a few books written about—and by—members of the Manson Family. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry begets them all.
A Signed Book on Your Shelf
In the midst of my very first BEA, a coworker called me to say John Waters was signing that very moment, and if I wanted to see him I had to get in line ASAP. I ran across the convention center and made it just in time to have him write a dedication in Pink Flamingos and Other Filth. I worked at a literary agency at the time so when the Pope of Trash looked at my badge to spell name, he said, “An agent and a scout! How cute!” Incidentally, he signed the book to “Mary Kay.”