Yume Kitasei
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2026) |
Yume Kitasei | |
|---|---|
北清夢 | |
.jpg) Kitasei in 2025 | |
| Born | October 14, 1987 |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
| Occupations | Novelist and civil servant |
| Website | https://www.yumekitasei.com |
Yume Kitasei (Japanese: 北清夢, born October 14, 1987) is a speculative fiction novelist and civil servant, currently the commissioner of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).
Early life
[edit]Kitasei was born in New York City on October 14, 1987[1] to a Japanese father and American mother; she has mixed European and Japanese ancestry.[2] Her first name, Yume, means "dream" in Japanese.[3]
She spent her childhood between New York and Tokyo,[1] ultimately living in Japan for two consecutive years during primary school. Of her memories from Tokyo, Kitasei has complimented the Japanese subway system and Japan's overall lack of litter.[2]
As a child, she learned to sail in a small town in Rhode Island where her grandparents lived.[1]
She attended Stuyvesant High School and went to Princeton University.[1] On her third day of high school, the 9/11 attacks occurred.[4]
Political career
[edit]While a student at Stuyvesant High School, Kitasei started interning for the New York City government, where she recognized her desire to continue working in public service.[2]
Since then, Kitasei has been a New York City government official for many years, working with three different mayoral administrations. Under the De Blasio administration, Kitasei was the chief of staff to the deputy mayor for operations. In this position, she oversaw 26 various offices. Kitasei took a break to work on her career as an author. Afterwards, in 2022, she returned to public service to work as the chief of staff to the first deputy mayor for Sheena Wright under the Adams administration. In 2026, she was appointed to the role of DCAS commissioner by Zohran Mamdani.[2][6]
Working under Mamdani for DCAS, Kitasei manages the civil service system, hiring for the city government, and city-owned building management. She also opened the Manhattan Municipal Building to the public for tours.[7] In the fall of 2026, they plan to open the first free childcare center for city employees.[2]
In July 2026, Kitasei announced that civil service exams will now be free for highschoolers and those who have not taken the examination before.[8]
Writing
[edit]As a child, Kitasei enjoyed Star Wars and started writing stories in her head based on the Star Wars universe. The book that made her want to become an author was The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.[3]
Since 2019, Kitasei has been writing speculative fiction novels that focus on humanity's interaction with the environment, climate fiction, and space operas.[9] She has stated that it is difficult to balance her career in civil service with her creative writing.[7]
Kitasei has said that while she writes outlines for her novels, she likes to "wander around" and modify the plot. Her first drafts are usually at least 20,000 words longer than the final ones.[1]
Works
[edit]- Super (2019)[1]
- The Deep Sky (2023)[10]
- The Stardust Grail (2024)[11]
- Saltcrop (2025)[12]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Myman, Francesca (September 15, 2025). "Yume Kitasei: Show the Journey". Locus. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Tanaka, Kyota; Nakamitsu, Alexandra (September 13, 2026). "INTERVIEW/ Yume Kitasei: NYC official talks about policy measures of Mayor Mamdani". THE ASAHI SHIMBUN.
- 1 2 Dumpleton, Elise (September 30, 2025). "Q&A: Yume Kitasei, Author of 'Saltcrop'". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ Kitasei, Yume (August 30, 2023). "Apocalypse Now: Why It's Cathartic To Read About the End of the World". Literary Hub. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Yume Kitasei | Authors | Macmillan". Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ "NYC Agency Directory - List of Agency Websites - nyc.gov". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- 1 2 McDonough, Annie; Allison, Alisha (April 21, 2026). "Getting 'jazzed' telling New Yorkers about city jobs on social media". City & State NY. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Mayor Mamdani Announces Free Civil Service Exams for High School Students and First-Time Test Takers". The official website of the City of New York. July 9, 2026. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ "SFE: Kitasei, Yume". sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Deep Sky". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. XCI, no. 11. June 1, 2023. ISSN 1948-7428. ProQuest 2819964335.
- ↑ "The Stardust Grail". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 272, no. 27. July 14, 2025. ISSN 0000-0019. ProQuest 3228841732.
- ↑ "Saltcrop". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. XCIII, no. 18. September 15, 2025. ISSN 1948-7428. ProQuest 3248825674.