The Insider: Kate Lee
We like to think of Kate Lee as an Of a Kind super fan—it makes us feel good about ourselves. On top of being stylin’, she’s crazy smart and eloquent—not surprising for a literary agent at International Creative Management who has helped put out scores of New York Times bestsellers. Just don’t ask her what her favorite is. That’d be like prodding a proud mom to pick her most-loved child. —jiayi
Q: How did you end up as a literary agent?
A: I started out in journalism, actually. My first job was as a reporter for Us Weekly, back when it had just transitioned from being a monthly magazine. It was led by Terry McDonell, who is now the editor of the Time Inc. Sports Group. I was his assistant, and he was an amazing mentor. When he left, I decided I wanted to make a change as well. Several people suggested that I become a literary agent, and I said, “Ok,” without really knowing what that meant. But I got a job as an assistant at ICM, and that was almost ten years ago.
Q: You’ve helped publish a wide range of titles. How do you go about scouting for talent?
A: A couple of different ways. One is certainly that writers know writers—in many ways it’s a small community. There’s also what’s called the slush pile, which is all of the incoming proposals. My assistant really helps me manage—we do take a look at everything. And, of course, there’s the outreach I do. It could be because of an article I read in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, a cool website I found, or a speech or TED talk I saw—something that piques my interest and makes me think, “Huh, I wonder if they’ve ever thought about writing a book.” And I just reach out to them—it’s great because I don’t need an excuse other than, “Hey, I’m an agent, and I’d like to talk to you.”
Q: There’s that 2004 New Yorker profile about you searching blogs for talent. Do you still frequent them today?
A: It’s funny how much the world and the media landscape has changed—which I don’t think any of us could have foreseen. These days, I look less at blogs for talent than to stay on top of news—because now I have a list of clients to maintain. But I really love The Awl and The Hairpin. I think long-form journalism is coming back, simply because a market has developed for it—you have places like Kindle Singles, Byliner, and Atavist for these ten- to thirty-thousand word pieces. The space for that had not existed a few years ago. And at The Awl and The Hairpin, they aren’t afraid to buck away from the typical blog format and go longer form.
Q: You own a bunch of Of a Kind editions. Who are some of your favorite up-and-coming designers?
A: I used to live down the block from this store called ANNA in the East Village. The clothes are designed by this woman called Kathy Kemp. Her store’s great and has the best dresses and coats. I also love Dusen Dusen. I have some of her shirts—the prints are amazing.
Q: Who would you say are your biggest icons?
A: In terms of contemporary culture, I look up to women like Sally Singer. I think what she’s doing at T Magazine is amazing. Her sensibility, her personal style, and the thoughtfulness and literary quality that she’s brought to the magazine just really makes it stand apart. In the grander and larger sense, I’m a huge Beatles fan, and I will always love Paul McCartney. I think people are either Paul people or John people, so I might be crucified for being a Paul person because it’s cooler to be a John person—but I am, alas, a Paul person, and I am forever in awe of what he has done.
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Interior Inspiration: Sally Singer’s Home, NYC
To fully express my affections for Sally Singer, the editor of T and a woman I have never met, would require more words than any of you want to read, but the gist of my infatuation (and that of at least a few others) was summed up quite eloquently by Doree over at The Daily Beast. The vibe of Singer’s home (n the Chelsea Hotel, mind you) totally matches my vision of her: sophisticated but lighthearted, polished but endearingly quirky—basically, all the things I want to be when I grow up. —erica
1) A Blu Dot lamp that delivers a pop of yellow
2) Minimalist silhouette necklaces, custom-made by Lucky Me Beads
3) A green glass Artecnica vase crafted from recycled wine bottles
4) Eggplant Brian Atwood heels that would look right at home in that shoe closet
5) A big, poppy-red cardigan by Dagmar, perfect for cozying up with a novel or a novelist
These supersaturated home shots come from (duh) The Selby, whose catalog of sickeningly stylish types I love-hate.
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A Case for…Oxfords for Girls
The only thing I’m more over than the ballet flat is James Franco, so I am fully embracing the slightly masculine lace-up. Added bonus: If you’re wearing something menswear-inspired on your feet, you worry less about whether your skirt is too short. These are the eight pairs I’d own if a had a shoe closet (and budget) like Sally Singer’s. —erica
1) Rachel Comey Nimbus lace-ups (at Bird): They’re ombré, but in a just-trekked-through-the-woods way.
2) Osborn Dust to Dust oxfords: If brogues and Toms were set up by a mutual friend, hit it off (surprisingly!), and had twins, this is what they’d look like.
3) Thorocraft The Ross shoes: Totally seasonless, they’d mesh with wispy skirts and cable-knit sweaters.
4) Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair Normal leather shoe (at Azalea): Normal? Please.
FACT: Oxfords, which originated in Scotland, were initially called Balmorals after a castle in Aberdeenshire—the one the Queen was staying at when Princess Diana died.
5) Opening Ceremony M17 Bump Toe Western oxford: They’re just country enough to earn respect without sacrificing mainstream appeal.
6) Robert Clergerie Two Tone oxford (at La Garconne): These would look fantastic with menswear tweeds—and something lacy.
7) Marais USA oxfords: Very off-duty model (and very $88).
8) Dieppa Restrepo Cali shoes (at Totokaelo): Let’s just say I wore my pair yesterday.
FACT: The oldest shoe with laces, the Areni-1, was uncovered in Armenia in 2008. According to tests at radiocarbon laboratories in California and, um, Oxford, it dates back to 3,500 B.C.
