Each semester, the Writing University hosts the 5Q Interview series with authors from the University of Iowa Press. We sit down with UI Press authors to ask about their work, their process, their reading lists and events. Today we are speaking with Amy Frykholm, author of High Hawk (University of Iowa Press, 2024).
Amy Frykholm is the author of one novel, one collection of poetry, and five books of non-fiction. She lives in Leadville, CO.
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Can you tell us a little bit about your new book High Hawk?
High Hawk is the story of a priest on a reservation in South Dakota who goes looking for more than he really wants to find. It’s got a little bit of a mystery, a little bit of a love story, and a little bit of history.
What was the inspiration for this work?
I grew up in South Dakota, and the beauty and strangeness of that landscape has long dominated my imagination. The characters in the book are inspired by two children that I met the year I lived in Sioux Falls after college. One of them was an avid reader who lived with her mother on and off in their car. The other was a secretive artist, who carried a sketchbook with him wherever he went, but was otherwise a tough guy. Those two have followed me around imaginatively all of my life.
Do you have any plans for readings or events for this book, either in person or virtual?
Yes, I am planning a couple of book launch parties (mostly in Colorado where I live). I’m also looking for ways to bring the book to South Dakota and to literary festivals, especially here in the west and midwest.
What are you reading right now? Any books from other university or independent presses?
I am generally crazy about books from independent and university presses, but I just finished reading a couple of old books. Jacob’s Room by Virginia Woolf and Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin. I recently discovered independent publisher Deep Vellum that specializes in books in translation and have been soaking in books by Andrey Kurkov and Alissa Ganieva.
What is your writing routine? Do you have a daily routine?
I have a pretty obsessive routine. This summer we renovated the little shed behind our house and turned it into a studio space, so I am writing out there every morning, even if some mornings “writing” looks a little more like staring out the window. I generally write for about three hours and then panic about the things on my to-do list.
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Thank you!