Amber Bachiochi Thompson
Oyster River Pages: Why do you write and/or create?
Amber Bachiochi Thompson: When I read something that really moves me, I think, "that's my story too." But it's not, not entirely. That's where I come in and where, for me, the act of creation becomes circular. I want to be in touch with who I am and with the world around me, and if something I write moves someone else that way, whether or not they pursue it in a written form, I think that's a real achievement. It also brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction to put words and events and ideas into their "proper" order. Because of my journalism and editing background, word choice and clarity are very important to me, so that side of writing is just plain fun.
ORP: What books have you read more than once in your life?
ABT: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Secret Garden, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Unless It Moves the Human Heart
ORP: Do you know more than one language? How does this influence your art and/or writing?
ABT: I've been learning Italian with a language app, and while I'm a long way off from being fluent, that progress (or what sometimes feels like a lack thereof), is an important part of my narrative. I want this language to connect me to my family's past, to the story of their arrival in this country. I feel like I'm testing a theory, seeing if knowledge can help me make sense of the disconnect that I feel from that history and other ways that I sometimes feel isolated. Perhaps someday I'll incorporate Italian into my writing, but right now I'm not confident enough to do so in a way that feels appropriate.
ORP: What does vulnerability mean to you as an artist and/or writer?
ABT: There is a Robert Frost quote that says, “You can always get a little more literature if you are willing to go a little closer into what has been left unsaid as unspeakable, just as you can always get a little more melon by going a little closer to the rind or a little more dinner by scraping the plate with a table knife." I think he is probably referring to the reader getting more literature out of something that may seem vague at first glance, but I think works in the opposite direction as well. If a writer is willing to talk about things that are uncomfortable, there's a reward there in the form of human connection. That kind of vulnerability is something I've been much more eager to explore lately. It makes for such rich discoveries.
ORP: Do habits help or hinder creativity? Why or why not?
ABT: I struggle with the advice that one has to force themselves to hit a certain word count every day to grow as a writer or to reach their goals. In Unless It Moves the Human Heart, Roger Rosenblatt talks about creating a state of being where one isn't thinking about writing, a sort of place where dream and reality merge. For me that typically looks like a quiet early morning with a cup of tea, a new essay to read, and a notebook and pen (that may or may not be put to use). I think there are a lot of benefits to routine, but I've found that establishing a routine based around input rather than output is very rewarding for me personally.
