The Writer’s Desk features the desks and writing practices of Gemini Ink faculty, visiting authors, teaching artists, volunteers, students, interns, staff, partners and more. Receive new posts in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter at bit.ly/geminiinknewsletter.
Join Amanda Eke on Saturday, June 22nd from 10 am-1 pm CST, via Zoom, for her workshop The Poet Speaks with Amanda Eke. Participants will learn about Nigerian and Igbo oral storytelling traditions of rhyme and verse, then fuse this storytelling with the contemporary art of spoken word to create their own poems.
Describe your first writing desk. How is it different (or not) from your current writing desk?
My first writing desk was a black table in the room I shared with my older sister growing up. It was a small room where my seat was right against the closet door. It was so cluttered and I barely had an inch of space, but a lot of magical ideas from my childhood were formed there and a lot of stories were imagined and created. My writing desk now is my kitchen table. I just find it to be the best place to write for me. I eat there, I chat with my loved ones there, I read there. My kitchen table is the heart of my home and it really is where I feel free to be my most honest and authentic self.
Has your preferred place to write changed over the years?
It definitely has, in addition to my kitchen table, I am a lover of writing in my car, as well as any local library I can find. Writing to me is as much ritual as it is spark of the mind in the oddest places. I always am writing notes on my phone or scribbling on paper. I find the urge to write wherever I can.
Do you have any habits or routines that you follow before writing?
I have none. Writing to me is truly ritual, it is sacred. I do not put bars or barriers on the creativity aspect of it. I try my best to let the motion and energy flow and take it from there. For me, placing it in a routine would take away my want and will to do it. Granted, I literally find myself writing every single day.
How important is it to you to have stability in your writing routine?
I think it is important to an extent. It depends on what you are writing for, if you have a contract deadline for publishing then stability is key. However, if you are not feeling up too it, I don’t believe in forcing your mind and pen to paper. It is important to let yourself breathe and find the story you are trying to create. Stability is key for your craft and art, however do not guilt yourself if you miss days to create.
What is your secret talent? Does it ever pop up in your writing?
My secret talent I believe is the gift of translation. By this I mean I can write from different perspectives from people from all walks of life. This pops up in my poetry and overall writing often as a theme. I love to craft and create stories from the perspective of people I’ve known for years as well as people whom I have met in brief moments of time. I am so intrigued by life and how we all live it, and how each one of us has our own unique story.
What is the one piece of writing advice that you value most?
Go slow, to go fast. We get caught up in the hysteria of everyday life that we begin to believe that we do not have time to write or get our thoughts down. Take your time and just start. It all begins with one word and that one word becomes a paragraph and before you know it you have written a magnificent piece.
If people want to learn more about your work, where should they go?
Check out my website, amandaeke.com. There you can find out all the projects I am up too, including my podcast, The Poet Speaks Podcast, and all the TV and Film projects I am doing with Poetry and youth.
Amanda Eke (she/her) is a global poet, artist, documentarian and journalist who has made a significant impact in the field of storytelling. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including being named ‘Changing the Face of Poetry’ by True Leaders Magazine and a Storytelling Master by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication.
Amanda’s poetry workshop series, ‘The Poet Speaks,” has been widely acclaimed and has reached audiences across the globe. She also hosts a podcast show of the same name, The Poet Speaks Podcast, which Strategic Media Inc declared was a ‘Top 5 Podcast by Black Creators.’
Amanda is also the creator and host of the docuseries, Growing Pains with Amanda Eke, which highlights the challenges faced by young individuals as they navigate the complexities of growing up. Her directorial debut film, B I D L A, has received critical acclaim for its exploration of traditional Maltese Folk Music and Hip-Hop fusion on the Mediterranean Island of Malta.
