AUTHORS ALCOVE | EMMA ZIMMERMAN
A Journalistic Take: A Look into Emma Zimmerman’s Writing Process By Lisa Diethelm
Writing is a journey, and Emma Zimmerman knows the path all too well. While she has always loved writing, Zimmerman explored her other interests in policy and environmental studies in her undergraduate studies. Today, she is earning her MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing and runs her own sports podcast that tackles everything she finds interesting. When I read the piece “Hair,” I just had to pick Zimmerman’s brain on her writing process. As a journalist myself, I know what it is like to have and pursue multiple interests from varying genres. So, when we connected remotely, I found how Zimmerman navigates her two specialties— journalism and creative writing—and how, at times, she merges it all together. “I view my journalism and creative writing as different entities,” she said. “That being said, I really enjoy the mix of journalistic and creative nonfiction work—they both serve their purposes, and it’s fun to explore different registers.” When did you start writing? I have always been writing! I wrote my dad a novel for his birthday when I was eight years old. I am sure that it was entirely unreadable, but he read the whole thing (I am so sorry, Dad). I think it was early in high school when I decided that writing was not a real career and that I needed to pursue something “prestigious” like medicine or law or policy. It took until my senior year of college to realize that what I really wanted was to be a writer. What is your favorite thing about being a writer? Writing is a really great tool to use for understanding the world and challenging the systems of oppression within it. Writing also forces me to sit down. I am a real-life energizer bunny; I am not great at this sitting thing. What was your writing process for “Hair?” It went something like this: I woke up at 4:30 in the morning with the first line in my head, and could not fall back asleep because it haunted me. So, I got up and wrote feverishly with a cup of coffee for a few hours. Insomnia is a curse, but I have it to thank for a lot of my writing. I edited “Hair” sporadically over the following week, and then I was so lucky to have my MFA workshop at NYU read it and provide me with some valuable feedback for the final edits. Was there anything specific that inspired you to write “Hair?” I’ve been writing about eating disorders and mental illness for a while. But, recently, I have been thinking more about bodies as metaphors. Bodies hold countless stories of trauma and pain—especially the bodies of women and non-binary individuals. I find it interesting to consider bodies as both the things that mask those stories and sometimes, the physical manifestations of those stories.
CANYON VOICES
SPRING 2021