The New York Times hires a new books reporter

Ronda Kaysen (Photo Credit: Julia Maloof Verderosa)

We’re delighted to announce that Ronda Kaysen, who has done great work on the Real Estate desk since 2022, is our new Books reporter, and will turn her sharp eye for narrative and data-centered storytelling to the literary world. 

Ronda has both the tenacious instincts of an elite beat reporter and the conceptual savvy of a top-tier enterprise writer. She will expand our coverage of the literary  world, focusing on the ways it intersects with culture, labor, money, politics and technology, and she’ll explore how the books that agents and editors choose to publish both reflect and shape our society.

When it comes to reading, “being a literature and creative writing major turned me into a bit of an omnivore,” Ronda said, “although if I was banished to a desert island, I’d pack a suitcase full of thrillers. (My hands-down favorite book is ‘The Goldfinch.’) Since I just finished reading Belle Burden’s ‘Strangers,’ I’d probably toss in a few memoirs, for good measure.”

During her time on Real Estate, Ronda executed seamlessly across formats, tackling long-form narratives, ambitious multimedia projects and data-driven coverage. She has taken readers from the crumbling Lower East Side apartment building of a former Club Kid, to the deck of a $40 million yacht captained by a man about to lose his home, to the vacation houses of Corsica, which have been targeted by a group of separatists trying to secure more autonomy from France.

“When I became Real Estate editor, my first hire was Ronda,” said Nikita Stewart. “A longtime freelance contributor to The Times, she was dogged, inventive and had her pulse on the trends and ebbs and flows of the real estate industry. I was amazed at her ability to juggle enterprise and the weekly column Ask Real Estate. Once she was on staff, she challenged herself with long-form narratives and ambitious multimedia and data-driven projects.”

Ronda began her journalism career at The New York Observer, covering celebrities, books and Manhattan neighborhoods, before reporting for The Villager, Downtown Express and The New York Times, where she became a freelance journalist and columnist. (She even co-wrote the 2020 book “The New York Times: Right at Home.”) She brings a rich track record of cross-departmental collaboration and deep journalistic versatility to her new role. Please join us in welcoming Ronda.