Too often, we don't understand the importance of a season or a second until we look back. Meagan Johanson's story, "Migration," explores this notion of recollection, and will be available to read January 2021 in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Meagan’s pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
It looks like 9 out of 10 people wearing masks, even on the streets. It looks like a world spinning madly on, but with fewer hugs and careful distances between bodies and business. It looks like Zoom screens and digital conferences and deferred holiday gatherings. However, I will say, I've never appreciated fresh air, nor the hands I do get to hold, more than now.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Weather by Jenny Offill, Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin, Luster by Raven Leilani, and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
Plenty; thank goodness for the digital age. I'm a podcast junkie. A few of my favorites: “The Daily,” “The Moth,” “Sincerely,” “X,” “Ologies,” “Terrible,” “Thanks For Asking,” and “Everything is Alive.” I could go on and on (and on again). I also discovered a podcast this year of just a single cat named Bilbo, purring into the microphone. It's called “Bilbcast,” and I highly recommend for your meditative moments. My family and I also watched all of the Marvel movies, in storyline order. I'd only seen Ironman before COVID. I do love a good--or even fair to middling--blockbuster, as well as anything that includes Chris Hemsworth.
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
Honestly, it has honed it. Of course, every day is a new day--with new disasters, new presidents. But in general, the pandemic has forced me to choose what I want to focus my precious hours on, and I choose to make writing an important part of my life. I have carved out my own private space in the nook at the top of the stairs, and hold private headspace inside my noise-cancelling headphones. I also have a salt light I turn on when I know I'm heading into that focus; this is the silent signal to my kids to please give me my writing time and space, unless an emergency arises.
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
The pandemic has taught me that even writers--often solitary creatures, writing alone in stolen hours of the day--need community--for inspiration, for critique, for friendship, for growth. It has shown me that virtual doesn't have to mean alone.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I am a pantser who likes to try plotting sometimes. This usually consists of my premise and an atmosphere, and somehow the storyline winds itself up inside it, like magic, but messier. The mess is just beneath the stage.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
In my office, and yes, it has changed. With both of my children at home for school, I've had fewer free hours to leave home to write. My little desk at home has served as a fine backup writing spot. Honestly, I could write in a hurricane with the right headphones on.
If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?
1.) “Pressure” by Youngblood Hawke
2.) “Move” by Saint Motel
3.) “Times Like These” by Foo Fighters
4.) “Running Down A Dream” by Tom Petty
5.) “Illuminate” by Emma Louise
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
I'm looking forward to tomorrow. And going to sleep in my own bed tonight.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
Write your own magic, and no one else's.
ABOUT meagan johanson
Meagan Johanson writes from her lair in Oregon. She has been published in Berkeley Fiction Review, Emerge Literary Journal, Lunate Fiction, and elsewhere. She loves music, books, new obsessions, and anything with butter on it.
To learn more, follow Meagan and her writing journey on Twitter.
Thanks for chatting, Meagan!
