Writer, Editor Teacher
Amy Sage Webb is Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Emporia State University, where she was named Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor. She has edited several literary journals and presses, and she directs the Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts at ESU. She is an active reviewer in writing, literature, and ecocriticism, and a specialist in creative writing pedagogy. She is the author of Save Your Own Life: Kansas Stories (Woodley Press, 2012). Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction appear in numerous publications, and she has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
What do you make?
Poems, Essays, Short Stories, Books, Journals, Chapbooks, Audio Recordings
Where and when did you learn your artistic abilities?
Reading, writing, practice, working with others, school, mentors, professional and informal role models.
What inspires you or sparks your creativity?
Everything! The world is fascinating to observe and be curious about. The natural world is an endless source of inspiration. Also the arts themselves: Art galleries, architecture, films, concerts, dance performances, readings, podcasts, the work of other artists and writers.
What projects are you working on now?
A collection of poems, a collection of essays, and a collection of short stories
What is your day like? How much do you sleep? What is your work schedule?
I rise around sunrise each day and I try to watch the sun rise and set each day wherever I am. I drink coffee and read every morning for an hour. I write an affirmation statement every morning, and a gratitude statement every evening. My work schedule is ever-changing. Some days start early, while others go late. I schedule social time around lunch and coffee dates, and I try to schedule creativity dates and alone time for myself during lunch times as well. I usually try to get some form of exercise in the afternoon or early evening--outside if possible. It's important to me to prepare and eat dinner and relax with my spouse at the end of the day and to spend some time outside if possible. I write a poem every day during the months of November and December. I tend to read, write, listen to music, meditate, or do creative activities in the early mornings before anyone is up, or at night. I usually go to bed around midnight--earlier if I'm tired and later if I'm not. I sleep anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a night. If my schedule allows it, I sleep in two shifts, with a two or three hour sleep during the late afternoon/early evening, and then some hours of sleep between midnight and sunrise.
How many hours of creative work do you do in a day?
I probably spend a couple hours a day on my own work, sometimes more. I frequently spend a whole work day on the creative endeavors of others. (I teach creative writing and literary arts).
What is the first work you ever sold, and for how much?
An essay, for $250.
When you start a new piece, where do you begin? What is the first step?
There's always an image. I keep journals and lists of all sorts of things that interest or inspire me, and I work from an image wherever it takes me. Sometimes I give myself a game or a prompt.
How do you know when you’re done with a piece?
When I no longer find it interesting. When it doesn't seem to be teaching me something.
What music do you play when you’re making art?
Jazz. Hours and hours of it. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' “A Night in Tunisia.” Jimmy Smith's “Prayer Meetin'". John Coltrane's “Ballads.” “Red Garland's Piano.” “The Best of Stanley Turrentine.” Miles Davis' “Kind of Blue.”
Is there a meal you eat on repeat when you’re working?
Cereal or granola with fruit. Apples with natural peanut butter, the kind you have to stir and add salt to.
Are you bingeing on any shows right now?
I just recently watched all three seasons of “The Last Kingdom.” Then I was hungry for another epic so I watched both seasons of “Marco Polo.” Every night for the past week or so I've watched an episode of “Underground Marvels.”
What is the weirdest object in your maker's space?
A papier-mâché rabbit
What’s the last thing that made you cry?
A documentary about a young woman in remote, rural Mexico who has won multiple ultra marathons running hundreds of miles wearing traditional dresses and leather sandals.
What are you reading right now?
I stayed up til 2:30 AM finishing Anthony Doerr's novel “All the Light We Cannot See” last week. This week I'm reading Paige Lewis' poetry collection “Space Struck”.
What’s your favorite artwork by someone else?
I couldn't pick a favorite. The poems of Mary Oliver. Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue." Nina Simone's "Sugar in my Bowl." Umberto Boccioni's "Dynamism of a Soccer Player." Art you love just changes you and becomes part of you.
Favorite thing about living here?
Clear open skies. Clean air and water. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Open space. Wildlife. Slower pace. Community. An attitude that we are connected and know each other.
You can find her work at Woodley Press or local or online booksellers, and at Emporia State University Creative Writing Program.