Shelly Romero

Shelly Romero is a New York-based literary agent who grew up in the working-class, Latino city of Hialeah, Florida. With fond memories of discovering mass-market paperbacks in supermarkets, she reflects on how this affordable format democratized access to literature for many, particularly the working class. As the landscape of publishing shifts towards digital and trade formats, Romero expresses nostalgia for the physicality and accessibility of mass-market books, highlighting the significant cultural loss as they become less prevalent.