Meet the New Office Monkey!

Hi, I'm Jess Banks, the new Executive Assistant to John and Michelle here at Atlas Games (hey, don't hassle me about the job title--they're executives, and I'm their assistant). I just started on November 1, and already I love the job. If you get a package, or a reply to an email you sent to info@atlas-games.com, it'll have my TLC schmeared all over it.

I'm a professor by vocation, with degrees in French and History. My areas of special expertise are popular religion in the Roman and Medieval (Celtic and Japanese, in particular) worlds. I've taught History, Religious Studies and English at the university level for about 13 years, though I've yet to find a post in the Twin Cities. All this education gives me fabulous pedantic acumen--dead languages, arcane trivia about ancient gods and rituals, and an inability to sit through period movies and TV shows without sniggering or yelling corrections.

I've got two brilliant but excessively energetic sons, and a husband with his own considerable geek cred in the gaming world. When I'm not working at Atlas or chasing one or all of my boys around in the futile pursuit of a moment's peace, I'm making something: food, jewelry, yarn things, stitched things, music and (frequently) mistakes.

I've played Atlas' games for over a decade now--I first played "Once Upon A Time" in a London flat with one of the original playtesters and other dear friends. "Gloom" is a favorite in the Banks household, especially with our 8-year-old son who uses the game to perfect his evil overlord laugh. And there are many other Atlas classics I'm eager to discover as I make myself useful around here.

I look forward to fielding your questions and needs, here on the blog or by phone or email. The more arcane the problem, the more fun I have solving it!