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Edward A. Farmer '05
Photo by Hakim Hill.
Place of Birth: Memphis, TN
Current Home: Pasadena, CA
Education: Amherst College; BA cum laude in English and Psychology
Why did you choose to come to Amherst? I chose to attend Amherst after visiting the college and exploring its campus. I’d never been to New England and fell in love with its beauty instantly. Although I later got to know the amazing students and faculty, it was the rolling hills and serenity of the Wildlife Sanctuary that made me adore this place.
Most memorable or most influential class at Amherst: My most influential class at Amherst was definitely Fiction Writing I with Professor Judith Frank. I took her class my freshman year when I was still finding my voice. Professor Frank was kind but firm, insightful in her teaching, and provided critiques that have stuck with me even now as I often sit to write and often remember not to place too many adjectives on the page and to tell a true story.
Most memorable or most influential professor: There were many professors who influenced me greatly at Amherst. However, Professor Hart of the Psychology Department was probably the most influential. Attending Amherst as a young Black boy came with many challenges, and Professor Hart was there to guide me through each one. He was a trusted advisor and friend, who opened up not only his office but also his home. Having an opportunity to pick his brain over dinner with his family was the best part of college.
Research Interests: I’m constantly learning about past writers and their stories. I love hearing how their novels came to be and the challenges they faced in writing them. Anyone who chooses to sit down and put thousands of words on a page always has my full attention.
Awards and Prizes: Best Indie eBooks of 2020; Barnes & Noble Press, Fiction Winner; Causeway Lit 2020 Revolution Issue; MacArthur-Leithauser Travel Award for creative writing from Amherst College.
Favorite Book: The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
Favorite Author: James Baldwin
Tips for aspiring writers? My advice to aspiring writers is to be patient yet relentless in finding your voice. Write the bad novels and keep writing until the good ones come because they surely will.
Tell us a bit about your path to becoming an author: I wrote incessantly at Amherst and even more after graduating. I tried my hand at many different things, but writing was always my passion. I completed Pale in 2013 while I was laid off from my job then spent the next two years querying literary agents. I signed with my agent in 2015 then spent another three years on submission with publishers, hoping just one would accept my earnest work. Becoming an author has been a great learning experience that taught me the importance of substance over sales, authenticity over acknowledgement.