The Writing University conducts a series of interviews with writers while they are in Iowa City participating in the various University of Iowa writing programs. We sit down with authors to ask about their work, their process and their descriptions of home.

Today we are speaking with Emma Athena Murray, MFA candidate in Literary Translation. Emma Athena Murray is a writer, editor, and translator of Spanish literary works. After seven years as a journalist reporting at the intersection of geography, public policy, and social justice, she pivoted into the truth-telling spheres of world literature. With a double-BA in Philosophy and English from Brown University, she continues to interrogate the world through written words, and her research interests include both contemporary and 16th-17th century female voices from Latin America; how feminine rage manifests in literature; the alchemic powers of translation; and autotheory as literary craft.  

1. Can you tell us a little bit about what brought you to the University of Iowa? 
I was thrilled to come to the University of Iowa and join the awesomely diverse writing communities here (poets! novelists! essayists! comic writers!). I'm an MFA candidate in Literary Translation, and some of the most exciting educational opportunities for translators are housed here in Iowa City, so it was a dream come true when I was notified of my acceptance and presented with the chance to study here. 
 

2. What is the inspiration for your work right now? 
At the moment I'm inspired by the popularity and accessibility of historical fiction (think Bridgerton, Kristin Hannah, Hilary Mantel) as I'm actively considering what this genre is offering today's readers and how it accomplishes its goals. 

3. Do you have a daily writing routine? 
I do! Routines feel essential to my nervous system and my forward momentum as a writer. I wake up, walk my dog, make coffee, and write for at least an hour—before looking at anything to do with the external world (my phone, my email, the news, etc.).

4. What are you reading right now? Are you reading for research or pleasure? 
I am always reading for both research and pleasure. I like to have a balance—I never want to lose my love for reading! And I think reading only for research is one way to kill the passion. For research, I'm reading Lydia Davis's translations of Proust and Tsunami, an anthology of translated women's voices from Mexico (a collection of poetry, plays, essays, etc.) that demonstrates waves of feminist thinking. For pleasure, I'm reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. 

5. Tell us about where you are from - what are some favorite details you would like to share about your home?
My home is not as well defined as others. For now, it's Iowa City. I grew up in a military family that moved around a lot during my life. Most of my familial roots are in Northern California; I spent high school in Stuttgart, Germany; went to college in Rhode Island; then lived and worked as a journalist in Colorado for almost eight years. In some ways, my home feels like my body—where I am, I am present. I build homes in stories, in friendships, in projects... and with my dog, Paco, who would like to follow me anywhere. My home is where I feel grounded, and right now, it's my sunlit apartment on the west side of the Iowa River.

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Thank you!