Emily De Falla’s interview continues from my April 15th post. Her Western flash story, “The New Ranch Hand”, and her essay, “You’re Going to be on Art Linkletter”, are in my anthology, Written Across the Genres.
I asked Emily to name a favorite author, why she writes and where, and what she is working on now. She answered:
I can’t pick just one author. I love Barbara Kingsolver, Amy Tan, Louise Erdrich, Geraldine Brookings, and Ann Patchett. I learn something every time I read something they write, about myself, about the human condition, about the meaning of life.
I write because it requires me to “think with consequences.” To write well you have to think hard and deep, answer difficult and complex questions, and take a position. I don’t mean in a political way, but even deciding what word to use, or how to begin a story is taking a position. Writing is work and takes skill and concentration.
I pretty much always write at my dining room table, or the desk in my home office, not because “I like it” but because it is where the computer is when I have the time to write.
I almost never have a work in progress, and now is no exception. My pattern is to go for a long time without writing anything and then to sit down and pound something out, often a full draft in one sitting. I am seriously considering taking a stab at poetry because it is the highest distillation of emotion and words and requires intense focus and observation. I welcome what I consider would be an extreme challenge. I think the reward would be similar to that of a spiritual journey.
Thanks, Emily.
