If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that sometimes there can be a benefit to spending time with your own thoughts. Perhaps, most especially, for writers. Millicent Borges Accardi discusses just this and more in today's chat about her pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
Mostly under lock-down, restaurants with limited outdoor dining, everyone in masks. Within my rural bubble, people do run errands and walk dogs but it is not business as usual. Many of us are house-bound and working from home, venturing out only when necessary.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
The Cult of Trump, poems by Benjamin Garcia and Tim Seilbles.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
Watching old episodes of “Bewitched,” and the miniseries, “The Queen's Gambit.”
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
Early on, I did a poem a day challenge (May and June) where every poem was inspired by lines from contemporary Latinx poetry and had to do with the pandemic. After that I spent months in a revision mode.
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?
Finishing up two interviews! With figurative artist F Scott Hess and Portuguese-American writer Frank X Gaspar.
If you haven't been able to write, are there any projects you're hoping to work on next?
Getting my reading series “Loose Lips” back on track. We had to cancel multiple events because of COVID (the country library where we usually host readings has been closed) and perhaps launching version of the series on Zoom (which seems to be the standard for literary events and teaching, at least in the short-term future).
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
Silence and being alone helps with your thoughts.
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
Amy Sayer Baptista, PaulA Neves, Carlo Matos
Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
Inclusivity. Diversity. Kindness.
Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
I am afraid smaller presses will fail and close as well as journals. I am afraid we will have fewer publishing options and there will be more and more contests where writers are excluded because of growing entry fees and costs.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
Pantser.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
Wherever I can. Nope. No change.
If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?
1.) “In the Air Tonight” by X
2.) “Cherry Bomb” by X
3.) “Los Angeles” by X
4.) “Sunday Best” by Prince
5.) “1999” by Prince
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene / poem you've written since the pandemic began?
I guess a long series of poems dealing with the notion of quarantine (social, physical, spiritual).
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
Paying off debts! Finally getting my car officially registered (it has been so long without registration tags).
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
Read, read widely. Read books you know you will love and read books you hate from word one.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Kindness.
ABOUT Millicent Borges Accardi
Millicent Borges Accardi, a Portuguese-American writer, is the author of two poetry books, most recently Only More So (Salmon Poetry). Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Fulbright, CantoMundo, Creative Capacity, the California Arts Council, The Corporation of Yaddo, Fundação Luso-Americana, and Barbara Deming Foundation, "Money for Women." She’s led poetry workshops at Keystone College, Nimrod Writers Conference, The Muse in Norfolk, Virginia, and University of Texas, Austin. Her non-fiction can be found in The Writers Chronicle, Poets Quarterly, and Portuguese American Journal. Recent readings at Brown University, Rutgers, UMass Dartmouth, Rhode Island College and the Carr Reading Series at the University of Illinois. Recent poems in New American Writing, Another Chicago Magazine and The Journal.
To learn more, follow Millicent and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter.
Thanks for chatting, Millicent!
