Amy Savage
Oyster River Pages: What would you say is your most interesting writing and/or artistic quirk?
Amy Savage: I used to do this more, especially when I couldn't fall asleep: write with my eyes closed or write in the dark, by hand. It definitely helped with the blank page inhibitions!
ORP: What do you think is the best way to improve writing and/or artistic skills?
AS: For me, aside from reading closely, it has been to work with developmental editors, mentors, and really good reader friends who have helped me push my writing and grow.
ORP: What books have you read more than once in your life?
AS: So many! The Life Before Us by Romain Gary (Émile Ajar), trans. by Ralph Manheim is an amazing voice-y novel: a macabre love story of a young boy raised by a former prostitute who is also a Holocaust survivor. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez, trans. by Megan McDowell is a haunting and wry collection of Argentine horror stories. The collected stories of Amy Hempel, Lucia Berlin, Lorrie Moore. As a musician would listen to another's song again and again, re-reading is necessary for me in my writing life (even if I am just reading it again for pleasure, I must learn something, right?).
ORP: Do you know more than one language? How does this influence your art and/or writing?
AS: I studied literature and film in Spanish and French in college, which exposed me to artists such as the director Pedro Almodóvar and, specifically, his film Todo Sobre Mi Madre (the use of music, color, themes of illness, the body, and sexuality—it's ahead of its time!). I also read a lot of work in translation of languages I don't know, which has opened me to the freedom and pleasure of non-Western narrative structures and expectations. Check out Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda, for example. And a huge shout-out to literary translators!
ORP: How do children influence your art and/or writing? If you’re a parent, do your children like your art and/or writing?
AS: My child taught me how to work more efficiently when I'm not on child-care duty. I've also written several stories about pregnancy and motherhood and/or fertility.
