Staff Highlights: Brittany Wason
We’re taking this time to highlight our staff of arts professionals to hear more about how they got here, what makes them tick, and what are their fond memories at The Music Hall. I got to turn the tables on Brittany Wason, our Literary Coordinator & Content Manager, with some questions of my own!
You’re fairly new to the programming team. Can you tell us more about your background?
Before coming on at The Music Hall, I worked in publishing as an editor and editorial manager in Maine and I planned children’s author events in California. I’ve been working with words and authors for a full decade now, starting with a fantastic internship at Heinemann Publishing.
It’s been a truly wonderful experience to learn from the best: Patricia Lynch has been a phenomenal mentor and teacher as I’ve learned the literary ropes. Thérèse LaGamma and Chris Curtis are also fascinating to watch work as they whip up hundreds of events a year. I’m excited for the years ahead of working with such a talented team.
Favorite author moment so far?
It’s so hard to pick just one! Some of my top moments: 
- Tommy Orange was incredibly personable and kind. His commitment to craft is mind-blowing. And I loved watching his face when he heard Dreadnaught play a song he wrote a long time ago!
- Meeting Stephen Chbosky was a personal dream come true and he was genuinely humble too! He was so so so happy to meet UNH MFA students and eager to hear their stories and projects.
- Hoda Kotb was an absolute gem and loved spending time with her fans. Super kind and I think she beat the WNES record for the fastest book signer by a mile!
- I’m still in awe of Samantha Power. It was a little nerve-wracking sharing the stage with a UN Ambassador but she was so inspiring. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget.
What drew you to The Music Hall?
The chance to work for The Music Hall was too enticing to pass up! I grew up on the Seacoast, attended Portsmouth High School, and fondly remember the “old days” of a checkered lower lobby. In fact, I went to my first Writers on a New England Stage event to see Louise Erdrich as a senior in high school! It all came full circle when I joined the Marketing department two years ago and then became the Literary Coordinator in 2019.
You’re a poet and a writer with a great collection of books on your shelf, tell us more!
I received my Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry in 2014 and while it may seem like a niche degree, I’m actually quite thankful for it and have been finding it useful nearly every day. I’ve found that writing poetry is finding beauty in the world and it’s something that never feels like work.
Most of my Music Hall coworkers have sampled my personal library at this point—I love sharing books! This question just inspired me to rearrange my bookshelves at home, and oh boy, do I have a lot of juicy books just waiting to be read!