During the last year, there were certainly days that felt more dreamlike, too unreal to exist during waking hours. Sher Ting's poem, "Day 49," explores this notion, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Sher's pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
We were in lockdown for the longest time—months and months, in fact. However, now, it is back to business as usual, albeit with some restrictions.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
I read Ocean Vuong's Night Sky with Exit Wounds.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
I have been re-watching a lot of old movies and shows, such as Dead Poets Society or Back To The Future, in addition to modern sit-coms, such as “Modern Family.”
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
The pandemic has given me much more time to sit at home, putting my thoughts to paper. Yet, it has changed the focus of my writing—from daily events to a greater preoccupation with nature and with solitude.
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?
I have been writing a great deal, hoping I can come up with enough poems that I can be proud of to compile into a chapbook.
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
They have taught me to find joy in the smallest moments, that even the smallest frames can become something larger than themselves.
Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
There has been a lot more of online literary journals, which allows for a greater repository of writing to be shared. That is something to be celebrated.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
My favorite place to write is from the stillness of my study room.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?
A scene from a quiet house, untouched by the world outside.
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
I am most looking forward to Christmas, still. It's my favorite holiday of the year.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
That everyone will continue writing and find small moments to be happy about, despite a year filled with twists and turns.
ABOUT Sher Ting
Sher Ting has lived in a land of eternal summer, otherwise known as Singapore, for 19 years before spending the next 5 years in medical school in Australia. She has been published in Trouvaille Review and has work forthcoming in Eunoia Review and Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine, among others. She is currently an editor of a creative arts-sharing space, known as INLY Arts.
To learn more, follow Sher and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter.
Thanks for chatting, Sher!
