Montclair Magazine Spring 2021 | Page 14

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But it was atweet Lucas sent in early 2020 that ultimately landed her at Knopf . With the Black Lives Matter movement prompting authors of color to disclose the book advances they ’ d received , which were often less than the amount white authors were given for comparable books , she inquired hypothetically whether anyone was needed to run “ an equitable publishing house .”

To Lucas ’ surprise , Arthur reached out . “ I had watched her work as an advocate for writers and readers at the National Book Foundation with great admiration and appreciation ,” says Arthur , who is Knopf ’ s first female publisher , and only the fourth publisher in its history . “ When she tweeted that , it seemed like the moment had come and our paths would actually align .”

When Lucas assumed her new position in January , she was able to join the staff virtually from the sunny Los Angeles home of her writer boyfriend , rather than from her Brooklyn apartment . �ven virtually , she says , her connection with the staff has been visceral . “ It was almost instant , electric , how much I ’ d found my tribe ,” she says . “ I can ’ t imagine wanting to do anything else except books . It is apretty pure love .”

Her previous jobs in nonprofits seem a world away , too .

“ I have made noise about books , and programs about books , but I have never made and sold books ,” she says . “ I feel like achild ina library who loves to read . There ’ s so much to learn . How many books do Ihave to take home and how long will it take me to read them� ” That ’ s a question the younger Lucas , who grew up surrounded by books , would ask herself , too .

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Lucas ’ parents moved to Teaneck from New �ork City when she was small� in 1989 , her parents split and her father moved to Montclair . Lucas attended Teaneck schools while her brother Julian , 1� years her junior , enrolled inMontclair , graduating

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from Montclair High School in 2011 . Lucas , who spent every other weekend and part of each summer in Montclair , considers both towns her hometown . She even had a best friend , Shelby Washington , who lived next door to her father . One day each year , the girls would switch schools , with Lucas attending classes in Montclair and Washington in Teaneck .

The diversity of both towns , she says , was also crucial , “ informing the person that Iam ,” she says . “ I was always aware of so many different types of culture and ways to be and live , that there is room for so many different types of stories .”

Lucas also credits her parents for being role models as “ makers ” of art . “ To me and my brother , it wasn ’ t a radical idea to work in the arts — it was areal career , with real jobs ,” she says . “ Our parents never laid any of that , ��ou gotta get asolid , city job ’

on us ,” she says . Julian Lucas is now a Brooklyn-based writer who publishes frequently in The New ��r�er , �a�it� �air and The �t�a�ti� , and is a contributing writer to The New ��r� Times ���� �e�iew .

Both her mother and stepmother , she says , are “ really strong female figures , entrepreneurial and independent ,” who built businesses from the ground up . Her stepmother , Leslie Lucas , is a musician and director of the Montclair , Summit and Chatham locations of Music Together , a preschool music education franchise . Her mother Kay Lucas ’ Hackensackbased media consultancy , Media Sense , showed her there is “ power in the multicultural Black market .”

After graduating from the �niversity of Chicago , where she ’ d been an �nglish major and “ theater nerd ,” Lucas landed ajob as manager of the tele-fund at Steppenwolf Theater . At 21 , she was charged with hiring and training callers , working out credit card logistics , communicating with the development team to set and track fundraising objectives and generally “ getting people excited about meeting a goal . I got the job because no one else wanted it ,” she says , laughing . “ But it is the foundation of how Iwork today .” Tenures at New �ork ’ s TADA ! �outh Theater , Tribeca Film Institute , ��er�i�a maga�ine and the National Book Foundation followed .

Lucas says her goals at Knopf include “ publishing a list that makes sense in the world ” and “ changing the culture ” of book publishing . “ I want to widen the world . We haven ’ t heard of so many folks ,” she says . “ I want to examine the unexamined and revisit stuff we understood differently in different times .”

She thinks the country needs to place a higher value on the arts . “ They aren ’ t just distractions or treats� they ’ re how wecommunicate with one another ,” she says . “ They are one of the core tools we have to express our feelings , problems , politics , goals and our fundamental humanity .” ■

THINKSTOCK

12 SPRING 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE