When we look back on the last year, there may be much we wish to forget. However, leaving behind authentic depictions will remain as a time capsule for future versions of ourselves. Susan Chock Salgy's essay, "The COVID Interregnum," explores this, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Susan's pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
We are experiencing a severe spike in cases and deaths.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
Re-watched all seasons of “Downton Abbey,” and binge-watch YouTube videos about archeological digs from all over the world.
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
Accelerated it. I have taken two writing classes at Writers.com and a Master Class by Malcolm Gladwell. I take class like a ballerina -- I need the rigor and discipline more than anything.
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?
Yep - I have a couple of non-fiction books I'm researching. One is about how Chinese families like mine are rebuilding their genealogies after they were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution.
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
Writing things down is the best way to find out what you really think. You have to turn off the clamoring voices trying to tell you what to think, sit awhile with a blank screen or sheet of paper, and see what comes out. The pandemic was (and still is) a roaring mess of conflicting theories. If you listen to that too much, you will never find peace.
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
Yes, I connected to lovely new writers in all the classes I took—a few of us have actually formed a new little group where we continue to read and comment on each other's work. Writers make wonderful long-term friends if you can find writers who share a common aesthetic. The shared class experience helped with that.
Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
Not sure what you mean.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
Full-on pantser. Nothing changed. Plotting drains out all the juice for me.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
My bed, with a laptop, between 11 pm and 3 am.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?
Gosh, I love a couple of them like crazy. But probably at the top of the list is a new poem called "Lesson for a Tree in a Snowstorm."
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
The next poem, the next essay, the next thing that comes out on the page and sits there all perfectly formed, waiting for me to find the rest of it.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
Find someone you trust to show your work to, who knows how to read the kind of thing you are trying to write. Then humble yourself to listen to what they say.
ABOUT Susan Chock Salgy
Susan Chock Salgy studied creative writing at Brigham Young University, and writes poetry, essays, and non-fiction. Recent publications include her essay “Indelible,” which appears in Glassworks Magazine, and poetry appearing in The Sunlight Press and The Magnolia Review.
Thanks for chatting, Susan!
