The only way to grow as a writer is by writing more. Kate Pashby discusses just this and more in today's chat about their pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
A lot of favorite local music venues and bars have folded. Most federal government offices (and the Smithsonian Museums) closed pretty abruptly, started to open back up, and then closed again. People have been flocking to parks, but for a time, police were kicking out everyone who wasn't walking a dog. Masks are technically mandated, but somehow that didn't get enforced when the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, and other far-right groups came here to protest a few weeks ago.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Diannely Antigua's Ugly Music and Kay Ulanday Barrett's When the Chant Comes.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
I've been marathoning a bizarre mix of podcasts that includes "Making Gay History," "Spooked! by Snap Judgment," and "Revolutionary Left Radio." I don't have a TV, so I listen to podcasts while cooking and cleaning (and I cook A LOT).
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
At first, all I could write about was coronavirus, which got pretty depressing, so I stopped writing. After about a month, I was able to start writing again, and recently I've been reading and writing a lot of poetry.
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?
My chapbook! I still need to submit it for publication to a few different places, but I can tell you that it's part of the story of my life: growing up closeted in a Catholic, multiracial family, recovering from trauma, and searching for spirituality.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I'm high-risk, so out of necessity, I've only been able to write in my 485-sq-ft studio apartment. In the good ol' days, I liked going to one of DC's many free museums or gardens, armed with a pen and notebook.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?
It's impossible to choose, but one I really like is "I bleed dysphoria every month," which is about my experiences as a non-binary person who was assigned female at birth.
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
My original plan was to spend as much time kayaking during 2020 as possible, so once I get the vaccine, I'll be spending 2021 kayaking.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
Keep writing! "Practice makes perfect" is a cliche because it contains a grain of truth. The best way to improve your writing skills is to write more.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I started off pandemic by learning how to bake cakes from scratch (sans icing) and ate cake almost every day for breakfast for months. Then I got tired of cakes and have been making rice pudding for breakfast instead. So far I've made Filipino, Thai, Iranian, Ukrainian, and Russian rice pudding, and I intend to continue my culinary journey through the rest of the world's rice pudding recipes.
ABOUT Kate Pashby
Kate Pashby (they/them) is a queer Mexican American poet from San Jose, California who resides in Washington, DC. Their work has been published or is forthcoming in Genre: Urban Arts' House, Northern Otter Press, Embryo Concepts Zine, The Confessionalist Zine, Burrow, Rogue Agent, and Rabid Oak. Kate was nominated for Best of the Net 2020.
Thanks for chatting, Kate!
