The idea behind this show is pretty simple: A university campus is a destination for all kinds of interesting people, so why not invite some of these folks out to brunch, where we’ll have an informal conversation about their work, and then we’ll turn those brunches into a podcast?

It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

This is the second of two episodes we recorded while in Brooklyn for On Air Fest 2019. And here, we ventured beyond the festival to meet up with literary agent Jessica Sinsheimer, who made time to chat with us before heading out to another jam-packed day in the capital of the publishing world.

Jessica is an associate at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, which means she’s an outstanding person to talk to whether you’re looking for a book recommendation or want to ask: What is a literary agent, exactly? She and host Ted Fox also covered everything from her fortuitous freshman-year roommate assignment to the professional experiences that led her to create the Manuscript Wishlist website and the Manuscript Academy, two popular tools that connect writers, agents, and editors with the goal of increasing both transparency and access in the publishing industry.