Name: Emma Sheinbaum
Year: Sophomore
Major: Writing (minors: Honors Program and Counseling)
Hometown: Montvale, NJ
On-Campus Activities: Stillwater, Active Minds, The Mirror Literary Magazine, Spit That!, Honors Symposium Journal, Writing Center Writing Tutor, IC Books Thru Bars
Her Campus Ithaca College: Can you explain your involvement with Stillwater Magazine?
Emma Sheinbaum: I am assistant editor in chief and one of the nonfiction editors. As assistant EIC, I help the editor in chief with anything she needs in managing and organizing the magazine staff and putting together the publication. As one of the nonfiction editors, I read all of the nonfiction submissions and collaboratively decide whether they should be accepted to the publication or not. As a staff member, like everyone else, I also help organize our events, like Read, Write, Improv Night.
HCIC: How has being the editor in chief for the Ithaca College chapter of The Odyssey Online prepared you for the real world of writing?
ES: I think it has gotten me more acquainted with short turn-around articles with weekly deadlines. In terms of management, being EIC has taught me a lot about managing a staff. In the writing world, I don’t think I have learned quite as much since I’m not going into Journalism, but literary writing (sorry!).
HCIC: What was the first piece you’ve ever had published? How did you feel when it happened?
ES: My first published piece in a non-school affiliated publication was in States of Mind Literary Magazine in Ithaca, NY this past month! It’s a personal essay I wrote my freshman year here at IC. I felt so elated that my work was being recognized by and shared with more people because there are two aspects of writing that I value most: discovering things about myself and providing a space for people to learn more about themselves.
HCIC: What is your favorite subject/topic/genre to write about?
ES: My favorite genres to write are memoir and poetry. In fact, poetry often finds itself in my memoir writing.
HCIC: Favorite spot to do work/write on campus?
ES: Depends on what the assignment is, honestly. I go to Peggy Ryan Williams to write academic essays. If it’s something creative, it really depends on—this is going to sound weird—the vibes. I go wherever my inspiration takes me, and sometimes it’s on a random floor of the business school, or a bench on the academic quad or in my own bed.
HCIC: What is your dream job?
ES: In an ideal world, I want to write what I’m passionate about, what I want to know, what I do know. I want to write and publish personal essays, memoirs, poetry collections, cross-genre works, etc. The literary writing world is extremely competitive and nearly impossible to be a part of without having another source of income to support yourself. No matter where my career takes me, I will never stop writing because that’s my greatest passion and the most important outlet in my life.