Rutgers–Camden English major Elizabeth Licorish wrote Innovation for Underdogs: How to Make the Leap From What If to Now What (The Career Press, Inc. 2008) with Dr. David Pensak, the creator of the first commercially viable Internet firewall.
The book, which will also be published in India, China, and Egypt, follows the intriguing life story of Pensak to show how an open mind and a childlike curiosity can bring forth tremendous creative opportunities.
Pensak’s firewall, Raptor Systems, was named after ordinary birds of prey, but Licorish, a Scarlet Raptor (the Rutgers–Camden mascot) is far from ordinary. When she graduates on May 21, she’s already an established freelancer, who writes book proposals and media material for clients in a range of industries, from entertainment to medical.
“I work with people who have unique ideas and require equally distinctive means to express them. If a client comes to me with a proposal that isn’t selling, I make it a point to transform his or her information into a compelling story,” notes Licorish of Collingswood.
Not only did Licorish’s book proposal for Pensak’s story sell within days – a rarity in publishing — but the Rutgers–Camden author finished the manuscript in just nine months, on
“This is the first book I’ve ever written, so I was self-conscious as I wrote the first few chapters. But the subject matter eventually made it impossible to doubt myself,” says the 2004 Paul VI High School graduate. She points out that the security software developer spent his childhood in Princeton, surrounded by geniuses, including Albert Einstein, who treated learning like a lifelong playground.
“It was certainly a challenge to write a book on innovation while studying American drama and writing term papers about Shakespeare. I was definitely an underdog in the writing world, but amazingly the book is now selling internationally,” says Licorish, who also credits her Rutgers–Camden professors for her success.
According to novelist Lauren Grodstein, an assistant professor of English at Rutgers–Camden, Licorish’s writing career is just getting started. “Elizabeth is a born writer, and it's no surprise to me that she's started her publishing career already. Knowing her track record, her talent, and her ambition, I expect to see even more terrific things from her in the not so distant future,” notes Grodstein, whose third book, A Friend of the Family, will be published later this year.
Others have also taken note of Licorish’s abilities. She has been awarded the English Department Prize and the Alumni Association’s Creative Writing Award.
The gifted writer will continue to hone her craft at Rutgers–Camden when she enrolls in the recently launched MFA program in creative writing this fall.
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Media Contact: Cathy K. Donovan
(856) 225-6627
E-mail: catkarm@camden.rutgers.edu