Last year about this time, the Midwest Writing Center in the Quad Cities put out a request for submissions to an anthology about personal experiences during the pandemic and other events of 2020. It is called These Interesting Times: Surviving 2020 in the Quad Cities.
A collection of essays, poems, and even cartoons explores the changes, dynamics, and upheavals of this chaotic year. Terms like quarantine, social distancing, homeschooling, working from home, and shutdown gained expanded meanings, often never imagined in our lifetimes. Each entry has a slightly different perspective--some focused on the mundane, every day adjustments and some on more life altering upheavals: loss of loved ones, jobs, homes, and dreams. And hope comes through on most.
I was asked to submit a piece since the loss of my husband came right before the pandemic hit. It was a difficult piece to write.
A collection of essays, poems, and even cartoons explores the changes, dynamics, and upheavals of this chaotic year. Terms like quarantine, social distancing, homeschooling, working from home, and shutdown gained expanded meanings, often never imagined in our lifetimes. Each entry has a slightly different perspective--some focused on the mundane, every day adjustments and some on more life altering upheavals: loss of loved ones, jobs, homes, and dreams. And hope comes through on most.
I was asked to submit a piece since the loss of my husband came right before the pandemic hit. It was a difficult piece to write.
The book will be out this month. In addition, public radio station WVIK 90.3 FM has asked to have all of the authors record their contributions to be available as podcasts on the WVIK website. Yesterday I drove to the MWC office in Rock Island to do my segment. That's trepidation you see on my face in the photo. I am not a very good reader, but more than that, I found that reading those memories into a microphone put such a finality on those events. It was a very hard read. But I got through it and am relieved to have it over.
The book is available to order on the Midwest Writing Center's website.
The book is available to order on the Midwest Writing Center's website.
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