A Summer Writing Internship Neatly Follows Max Weissman’s Script

A young man sits at a desk in a dark room, typewriter before him, illuminated by one small desk lamp.
Max Weissman sits at his writing desk in his Albany apartment.

ALBANY, N.Y. (July 15, 2021) — Max Weissman’s summer internship as a writer for an online entertainment magazine is getting him up close to some of the rich and famous. Nervous? Yes, but then he says he always is, no matter the public status of the interviewee. For Weissman, even at age 21, it’s the measure of himself as a journalist that most matters.

“I have always put a lot of pressure on myself and my work so anytime I have an interview coming up and until it starts I have butterflies and usually almost feel sick (which isn't great),” said Weissman, who is writing for NYS Music, a 6-year-old online magazine based in Albany with contributing authors from across the state. “But that is how I have always been, whether it was competing in wrestling, tennis or ultimate Frisbee.”

Weissman, who’ll be entering his senior year this fall, published one story this summer about a local small businessman, UAlbany alum Jim Furlong, who is the 30-year owner of the Last Vestige Music Shop on Quail Street. Another was about Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, songwriters for the hit Apple TV series "Central Park."

He admitted some nervousness before quizzing the show business duo, “but once you get talking, I am reminded that they are regular people as well. I don't really care if they are living on the streets or the star of a show because, at the end of the day, they are all people. One of my favorite sayings is that everyone’s an expert — you just need to find what they are an expert at.

“Once the interview starts, I am in my zone and love every second of it.”

That’s why he’s never looked back after switching his major as a sophomore to Journalism and Communication with a minor in creative writing. “I switched to doing something that I love to do and would like to be the best at,” he said. “I’ve never regretted the decision.”

Weissman will get another internship he coveted this fall, with the New York State Writers Institute, where he can connect with other young writers. Plus, “the staff are all amazing writers and journalists who have won awards in their fields and love to spread their knowledge.”

“We’re thrilled to have Max join our team as a Fall 2021 intern,” said Michael Huber, communications specialist for the Institute. “We’ve learned he’s written 20,000 words for his novel-in-progress — we hope he returns to Albany for a book signing after he wins a Pulitzer Prize.”

Weissman somehow finds time to be program director for the campus radio station WCDB 90.9 FM. Summing up his UAlbany career to date, he said, “The opportunities I have been able to take advantage of are unique to this University and will most certainly help me in all of my future endeavors.”

Those endeavors will take one surprising turn. “After graduation, I plan to join the armed forces as a public relations officer, but only for a few years,” he said. At that point, he plans to begin his writing career in earnest.

And what about after the writing accolades and awards? The Springfield, Mass., native noted that his family has already known fame: For 55 years, they ran Gus and Paul’s bakery and deli, a cherished institution in the city. “Sadly, it closed in 2013,” said Weissman. “When I retire, I plan on becoming a 5th generation baker.”

First of course, there is that writing career, of which Weissman is actually quite modest. “I just hope I can make a living out of it or marry rich.”