by Writing Workshops Staff
A year ago
Congratulations to workshop alum Amy Bobeda on the publication of Red Memory, out now from Flowersong Press!
Amy holds an MFA from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics where she serves as director of the Naropa Writing Center and teachers pedagogy and processed-based art. She's also the author of What Bird Are You? (available for pre-order through 3/24/23 with Finishing Line Press), mi sin manitos (Ethel Press), and a forthcoming project from Spuyten Duyvil.
Learn more about Amy's work below:
Describe your work (influences, interests, etc.) and what you're working on now.
This book was greatly influenced by Cecilia Vicuña and the Australian myth of the Wawilak Sisters. I wrote my critical thesis in grad school on her work that involves the myth as a language origin story. Most often I'm drawn to anthropology, myths and fairytales, and how language connects and evolves from land. Most folks call me a "menstrual poet" and I can't argue with them!
What are your short term (1 year) and long term writing goals (5 years from now)?
I would love to get another manuscript of prose poems about the relationship between dialysis, menstruation, and running (a tribute to my father) together this year. I'm also working on a series of 3 fairytales not reimagined by focused on multiple perspectives within the story, predominately the mothers. In the long term, a project on NY walking tours that explore land history.
What class(es) did you take/are you taking with Writing Workshops?
I was in the inaugural Writing Workshop Paris group in 2019!
What did you enjoy most about your class(es) with Writing Workshops?
It was so exciting to get to know other non-fiction writers and really made me think about commercial v. experimental nonfiction before my deep dive into my very experimental MFA.
You can learn more about Amy via her author website here.
