What is your name, age, and location?
Amy Sohn, 36, Brooklyn, New York.
What is your profession?
Writer.
What did you study in school and what degrees do you have?
I have a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University.
What was your first job?
Babysitting. Later – working in a credit union, canvassing for an environmental company, cafeteria work in college (cashier and food prep), telemarketing for the Brown Annual Fund.
Who or what inspired you to break into your current line of work?
I was inspired by various boyfriends who were writing novels and by my favorite writer Charles Bukowski.
Name/describe what has been your most rewarding project so far?
My third novel – definitely. I really stretched myself and learned I could do things that I didn’t believe I could do.
Amy's third novel "Prospect Park West"
Name/describe one incident when being a woman has helped your career?
I’ve written a lot of television pilots and felt that walking into a room as a young, New York woman made people want to work with me more than they would with, say, a middle-aged, Los Angeles man. Still things are very difficult for women in television; I just felt that being a woman made it easier to sell original pilot ideas that featured strong female characters.
Name/describe one incident when being a woman has hindered your career?
It is definitely harder for female literary novelists to get broad audiences to read them.
Who is your role model or mentor (alive or dead)?
Laurie Colwin, even though my books are nothing like hers.
If you could give one piece of advice to a woman starting out in your field, what would it be?
Be fearless, be truthful, and write from the heart.
Links:
– Interview by Haley Hogan
– Photo by Jason Madara
