For many, the best form of escape during these tough times included writing and reading. Amita Basu found solace in much the same way, and today I'm excited to chat with her about the pages penned penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
Lots of unemployment. Hardly any perceptible social unrest.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Read several classics for the first time: The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill A Mockingbird, two of Brecht's plays, and Kundera's Slowness. Also read some brilliant new/newish fiction: The Overstory, The Illicit Happiness of Other People, and The Ocean At The End of the Lane. Reread one of my favorite books, David Copperfield. And I've just finished reading two books from different ends of the political spectrum: Mein Kampf and Marxist Christopher Caudwell's Studies In A Dying Culture.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
Sam Harris's podcast.
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
It hasn't. I'm immensely fortunate to be more or less insulated from the pandemic. It did take some discipline to keep writing and working when normal outings and routines were disrupted.
Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?
Two novels, and one short story collection. One novel is a mystery; the other is a bildungsroman.
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
Keep going no matter what.
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
Yes; three other amateur writers who have stayed cheerful, remained available for reading partnerships, and kept making time to do their own writing despite busy schedules.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I've become much more of a plotter, as I've realized that when I write things without any planning, I generally write shit.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
My room, as quiet as possible. That has not changed.
If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?
I don't play music when I write. I used to; I realized it was very distracting.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?
I wrote a flash story about how social class mediates experiences of acute stressors like the pandemic. It won a prize and was published in Kelp Journal. It manages to critique the obliviousness and apparent lack of empathy we often see in rich people, but does so without condemning them, or romanticizing poverty.
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
Finishing my PhD thesis.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
If you can keep writing during the pandemic—you will build your resilience to write no matter what.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
These questions are thought-provoking! Good job.
ABOUT amita basu
Amita Basu is a cognitive science PhD candidate. Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Silver Pen Fabula Argentea, Flash Fiction Magazine, Gasher, Fearsome Critters, Star 82 Review, Kelp, Potato Soup Journal, Dove Tales, St. Katherine Review, Ligeia, Novel Noctule, The Bookends Review, Entropy, Proem, Muse India, Scarlet Leaf Review, and The Right-Eyed Deer. Her nonfiction has appeared in The Curious Reader, Deccan Herald, Qrius, The Hindu Open Page, Countercurrents, and ParentEdge.
She’s working on a collection of short stories about women’s lives in India, and a medical/legal mystery novel about art. She lives in Bangalore, India. Amita hosts an interview and guest blog series for early-career artists and scientists. Her published writing can be read on her website.
To learn more, follow Amita and her writing journey on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Thanks for chatting, Amita
