Pages Penned in Pandemic with Tracy Rose Stamper

During the days spent in isolation, often it was the small moments spent in nature that kept so many tethered despite the unknown. Tracy Rose Stamper's poem, "Stone Silver Bird Blessings" explores this notion, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Tracy's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

A red tide rising. A tsunami. Overwhelming. Terrifying. Unfathomable numbers crashing down upon us. It looks like we aren't listening.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin. (Certainly seemed fitting, and was incredibly inspiring when inspiration felt hard to come by.) The Art of Sparkling: Share Your Inner Light With the World by by Becky Brittain. (Ahhhh.... salve for the soul!)

If you haven't been reading, what are some books you're most looking forward to reading?

I haven't yet been able to read Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. I have this saved as a celebratory read once there is more hope on the horizon of the pandemic and once we as a country have made strides towards our black brothers and sisters being able to breathe deeper, with less terror.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

Rewatching Bruce Springsteen's movie Western Stars breathes hope back into me, reminding me of the search for meaning and the country I wish to inhabit. The classic movie All the President's Men brings solace that this country has gone through political theatre of the absurd before... and survived. Rachel Bernstein's “IndoctriNation” podcast has helped me understand how we have (hopefully temporarily) lost loved ones to cognitive dissonance. TV shows have been a panacea of divine distraction! “The Wire.” “Breaking Bad.” “Better Call Saul.” “Schitt's Creek.” I have watched more shows since March then I ever have before!

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

My writing during the pandemic mirrors my attention span. I find myself focusing primarily on shorter pieces. My writing feels disjointed, which is fitting, since much of the time I do, too.

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 longest-running, perpetual project: Home. Spending essentially all my time at home with my family has underscored the essential nature of our nest for coming together, finding safety and solace, exploring and expressing creativity, nurturing Love. Family. Belonging.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Writers survive. The art and craft can be lifelines; creativity keeps blood pumping and hearts dreaming. The Muse shows up when least expected. Listen for her. Let her in. Dance with her.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

Yes! Friend and fellow writer Aimee DuFresne - www.aimeedufresne.com - has been a lighthouse during these dark times. Always willing to cheer me on, share inspiration and pass along opportunities, giggle with me, our friendship stokes my creative fire.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

History had me pegged as a devout plotter: outlines, organization, charts, note cards, etc. Life's spontaneity lured me into pantsing. My happy place is a happy medium between these two poles. The pandemic, however, had different plans for me entirely. Inspiration arrives in fits and bursts on the will of the wind. Or... it doesn't. It is unpredictable and can't be forced. When an insight lands, I take it and run with it. Creativity fountains up, then disappears during dry spells. Grappling with the overwhelming anxiety of the times, I find that creativity is at times squelched. I am learning to ride the wave of creativity when it reappears. It helps me navigate these trying (and hopefully transformational) times. The writing lesson that the pandemic seems to most want me to learn is to trust that the Muse always returns.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

1.) “Stones” by Bruce Springsteen

2.) ‘Don't Give Up” by Peter Gabriel

3.) “Finally Home” by Vonda Shepard

4.) “You're All I Need To Get By” by Aretha Franklin

5.) “Freedom” by George Michael

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Thank you. Thank you for modeling resilience, fostering creativity, and inviting connection. Ever since I first crossed paths with the words Pages Penned in Pandemic, they have called to me.

ABOUT Tracy Rose Stamper

Tracy Rose Stamper dances with words. Her recently acquired middle name is the most significant word she has written lately during these days asking us to rise. She lives in a home on a hill in St. Louis with two beloved humans, two rescue beagle boys, and two whimsical wind sculptures. She is a columnist at Rebelle Society, contributing author of Anna Linder’s The Book of Emotions, and has had work appear in Drunk Monkeys, New Feathers Anthology, Dime Show Review, Feels, and Six Sentences, among others. You can find her dancing with words on Facebook.

Thanks for chatting, Tracy!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Sher Ting

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!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Carol McGill

Sometimes wishing for memories to be erased, the tangible evidence burned away to nothing, is all we are left with in the end. Carol McGill's poem, "No proper burial," explores this notion, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Carol's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Honestly? Grim.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

The first thing to come to mind is the Neopolitan quartet by Elena Ferrante. I’m halfway through and I’ve never read anything quite like it, she’s a new favorite for sure. In the first week of lockdown, I read The Secret Place by Tana French, which was very impressive and so addictive. I also loved The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary, gorgeous and fun and exactly the escapism I needed.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

I’ve watched “Sex Education” twice, once in March and again in the winter. “Fleabag” is as good as everyone says. “Crazy Ex Girlfriend” does a whole bunch of stuff I didn’t realize tv could even do—musical and feminist and with actually good bi representation. Also I’m from Dublin, so “Normal People” was a really big deal for me.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I think it will be interesting to read over what I’ve written this year and see if there are any recurring themes. For now, the main effect has been that I have more time. I’ve never been able to focus on writing so much, and I’m choosing to see that as a silver lining.

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’m attempting a non-fiction piece for pretty much the first time. It’s definitely a challenge but I’m really excited about it.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

I’m in a really amazing writing group, which has been wonderful in terms of motivation. I also have quite a few friends who love writing and who swap stories with me. A second pair of eyes is so valuable, I’m very lucky.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I am very excited about the conversations on (often unconscious) biases in the publishing industry, and the increase in attention given to BIPOC writers in particular. It's long overdue. Stories are how we make sense of the world and understand each other, so it matters which ones we choose to tell and listen to. It's crucial that everybody has the chance to participate and to see themselves represented.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

That being said, I'm aware that publishing is a business and that this can give it an ugly edge (for example, my understanding of the situation with JK Rowling's latest novel is that its potential to sell was prioritized over its potential to do harm). It's wonderful to see the recent increase in diversity but I worry this won't be maintained once it stops being a trend. We need to make sure this shift is sustainable and meaningful. Individuals can help by examining their own reading and book buying.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

They’d probably all be from folklore.

ABOUT carol mcgill

Carol McGill has had work appear in Capsule Stories, Sonder, Crannóg, Q/A Poetry, Silver Apples Magazine, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and the anthology Words To Tie To Bricks. She founded the Morning Coffee Writing Competition with Sonder Magazine. She was the 2019-2020 chairperson of Trinity Literary Society.

To learn more, follow Carol and her writing journey on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Carol!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with James Penha

Too often, there desperation to rewrite and wonder again and again keeps writers returning to the page. James Penha's poem, "In Due Course," explores this notion, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about James's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Somewhere between normal and new-normal.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Summer by Ali Smith. Madness by Sam Sax. The Lying Lives of Adults by Elena Ferrante. Stranger by Night by Edward Hirsch. Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jodrowski. Real Life by Brandon Taylor. What Is the Grass by Mark Doty. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdich.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“Haute Dog.” “The Voice.” Live concerts. Live tennis.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I find myself unable to complete poems and stories for long periods and then whoosh! everything seems to come together. Repeat.

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 am developing a queer adaptation of a section of Aeneid.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Thank God it's a lonely profession.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

I edit The New Verse News. My relationship with the hundreds of writers who contribute to the journal are my writing life's blood.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I'm no plotter. What's a pantser?

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Same old MacBook.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

All Sondheim playlist:

1.) No One Is Alone

2.) Not While I'm Around

3.) Being Alive

4.) Not a Day Goes By

5.) Finishing the Hat

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem(s) you've written since the pandemic began?

My favorite poems are those having nothing to do with the pandemic; they are recollections of happier times.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

A new president.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Just because the pandemic absorbs you, remember that you have, as well, other times in your life about which you can write.

ABOUT James Penha

A native New Yorker, James Penha has lived for the past quarter-century in Indonesia. Nominated for Pushcart Prizes in fiction and poetry, his work has lately appeared in several anthologies: The Impossible Beast: Queer Erotic Poems (Damaged Goods Press), The View From Olympia (Half Moon Books, UK), Queers Who Don’t Quit (Queer Pack, EU), What We Talk About It When We Talk About It, (Darkhouse Books), Headcase, (Oxford UP), Lovejets (Squares and Rebels), and What Remains (Gelles-Cole). His essays have appeared in The New York Daily News and The New York Times. Penha edits The New Verse News, an online journal of current-events poetry.

To learn more, follow James and his writing journey at his website and on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, James!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Mitchell Solomon

Often moments may feel chaotic or destructive, but in the distance or future, there is the chance to heal. Mitchell Solomon's poem, "Birdsong," explores this notion, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Mitchell's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

San Francisco, until now, had managed to keep rates low, but with a recent surge everything is starting to close again. It's been incredibly hard on our once phenomenal restaurant scene.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Jericho Brown's The Tradition, Ted Chiang's Exhalation and Stories of Your Life, Drew Magary’s The Hike, and Ottessa Moshfegh’s McGlue.

If you haven't been reading, what are some books you're most looking forward to reading?

Station Eleveen by Mandel and Changing Planes by Le Guin.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“The Dollop,” “Radiolab,” “Reply All,” “Hardcore History,” and of course lots of amazing shows. “The Boys” is my current addiction.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

While my writing has gotten a bit darker, I've found much more time to do so despite working full time.

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?

The pandemic has actually been the catalyst for me to pursue publishing for the first time! So far, it's going surprisingly well!

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Keep writing, keep submitting, and when you have nothing to write about, write about having nothing to write about!

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

Many encouraging readers! But no writers; (un)fortunately being in San Francisco my network is much more tech-oriented than creative writing.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I'm sad to see some publishers closing and taking hiatuses, but as someone with a non-existent writing peer network, the swap to digital (pubs, workshops, etc.) has opened up a lot of opportunities to me.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I mean of course, and that's said today on 11/16 long after some of the more... anxious moments of this pandemic. My hope that although horrific, the pandemic serves as an expediting agent towards progress.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Plotter, to a fault, and there's no obvious end in sight to that!

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Running, jotting notes to myself as a take my now-daily run through SF streets.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

Embarrassingly enough, too much Blink 182. Alongside some The Hold Steady, The National, and a touch of the Hamilton Soundtrack.

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene / poem you've written since the pandemic began?

I have a very personal poem, still a work in progress but will submit during another window, about a man with a chisel staring at a wall. Very excited for the day I stop tinkering with it and let it out into the world.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

A freshly made (not delivered/to-go!) pub-hamburger and a beer out with friends. A meal.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Don't stop writing or taking notes! One of my biggest mistakes was not doing so for a few years after school. You'll be thrilled, if you ever do decide to pursue writing and publishing seriously, to have a library of work and metaphors to go through.

ABOUT mitchell solomon

Mitchell Solomon studied Writing, Marketing, and Economics at Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his B.S. in 2011. Since then he has been working in marketing in San Francisco and writing poetry and short stories.

To learn more, follow Mitchell and his writing journey on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Mitchell!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Junpei Tarashi

As chaos attempted to prevail during 2020, the monsters of the world emerged from unlikely places. Junpei Tarashi's poems, "Thanatos Tales" and "Beast Beats," explore this notion, and are now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Junpei's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Entirely dependent on where in the city you are - Baltimore City is one of the many locations in the country were the impacts of different structural resources and their availability by zip code has made itself all the more apparent during this pandemic.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

I've been re-reading Banana Fish, so go figure.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

Surprisingly, the “Magnus Archives!” It's an incredible horror podcast whose 5th season is surprisingly relevant to our current times.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

My consistent schedule of writing is gone with the wind :(

If you haven't been able to write, are there any projects you're hoping to work on next?

I've been meaning to write a queer chapbook for as long as I've known I can write, so I'm always determined to get started on that.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

My friends (who are co-editors with me at our own publication) have been an incredible source of support.

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?

No one knows if the lynx ever died / or made the dying / way back home / it’s still chewing I / think we watch / wandering wonder / wait

ABOUT Junpei tarashi

Junpei Tarashi works as an Editor to the Agapanthus Collective, and thinks often about how much of a better life frogs lead. Their most recent work has appeared in Chambers, The Open Culture Collective, and After Happy Hour Review.

Thanks for chatting, Junpei!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Cathryn McCarthy

Whether capturing oceans or a rainy day in November through lyrical language and imagery, there is a way to celebrate even the smallest moments through writing. Cathryn McCarthy's poems, "Reasons to Believe" and "A Postcard From the Wish Tower," explore this notion, and are now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Cathryn's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

It looks much as it ever has; Southampton hasn't had it too bad so far, but cases doubled this week. I can't help thinking about November 1940, at the end of which, half of the city was razed by the Luftwaffe.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Jane Crow: the Life of Pauli Murray by Rosalind Rosenberg, Phineus Finn by Anthony Trollope, and The Curse of the Were Mer by Kristin Garth.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

I've been enraptured by wildlife podcasts, such as David Oakes' “Trees a Crowd” and various wildlife caretakers' Instagram accounts: the best escapism and a reminder that we have a duty to look after and preserve our wild habitats.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I returned to poetry after a decade of writing fiction, partially inspired by the rich body of new writing that the pandemic has inspired. One morning, half way through our initial lockdown, I wrote a poem in my head while jogging, decided it was fun, and just kept at it.

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 first poetry collection, with the appalling working title, “An Exposition of the Moribund.”

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

You never stop, do you?

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I'm excited by all the new indie poetry journals and by the spirit of support and love in the online poetry community. My experience in the cut-throat world of genre fiction was very different.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

Not exactly recent events, but over the past few years I have been horrified by Amazon's destruction of small publishing houses (including every single fiction publisher I worked with in the last decade, including some fairly high profile ones.) Writing has been reduced to something we all do for free in our free time. We "work" at other things to feed money to the corporate machine. The pandemic has only made Amazon and its allies richer and creatives poorer.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Because of the change from fiction to poetry, I've become more of a pantser. I tend to plot fiction in detail (although the organic nature of the process still likes to surprise me) while with poetry I like to start with more freedom and see how it goes. Conversely, I find it hard to ditch a dogged loyalty to traditional narrative structure and this can still hem me in.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I like to write in my little garden or overlooking it, and this hasn't changed. The pandemic has simply made me more aware how lucky I am to have a small patch of outdoor space of my own.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Don't try your arse off—it's just not worth it. When it hurts you more than it gives you joy, stop. If you really love the writing, and not just the idea of being a writer, you'll return to it soon enough, because you won't be able to help yourself. In the meantime, just be kind to you.

ABOUT Cathryn Mccarthy

Cathryn McCarthy has adored words all her life, writes queer romantic fiction, and has recently developed an all-consuming crush on poetry. Her inspiration ranges from inner city life and grotty jobs to rural landscapes and their ancient folklores (occasionally jumbling them all together.) Publications include Acid Bath Publishing's "Wage Slave" anthology, Odd Magazine (September 2020), Floodlight Editions (October 27 2020), Pens of the Earth (November 2020) and Versification (January 2021). She holds a PhD in Cultural History from University College London.

To learn more, follow Cathryn and her writing journey on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for chatting, Cathryn!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Margaret Koger

Sometimes when minutes feel longer than they should, it's enough to take a breath and hold it as long as possible, to truly exist in the silence and stillness, if only for a short moment before taking that next breath. Margaret Koger's poem, "The Way," explores this notion, and will be available to read January 2021 in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Margaret’s pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Numbers are rocketing up.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Nine Gates by Jane Hirshfield and Writing the Australian Crawl by William Stafford.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

PBS News.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I've increased my writing and connections with poetry friends.

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 chapbooks and keeping fresh submissions going.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Loneliness leads to effort.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

Oh yes. Live Poets group as well as Poetry in the City of Trees.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

Fabulous opportunities to share feelings and thoughts.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

Hoping writers will be recognized more by the general population.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I write as a free person paying attention to what's happening in the world. I've been more active and had many poems published this last few months.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

My office, which has not changed during the pandemic.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

Holst The Planets:

1.) “Mars The Bringer of War”

2.) “Venus the Bringer of Peace”

3.) “Mercury, the Winged Messenger”

4.) “Jupiter the Bringer of Jollity”

5.) “Uranus, The Magician”

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene or poem you've written since the pandemic began?

Poem and Scene: Found in the Nature Center. It's been a life-saver to be able to walk there and observe the baby wildlife born in the spring, the fullness of summer, and now the beauty of fall. The center is next to the Boise River with so many birds.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

Hoping to be able to hug my family members and to travel abroad. We're missing our trips to Europe where we usually spend weeks on the beach and sightseeing.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

I would give William Stafford's guidance--a writer is someone who starts a process of trying to say something that is fulfilled by writing. Be not afraid. Be free in your thoughts, pay attention to things around you, and write them and your feelings about them down on the page.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I'm hopeful that we'll achieve a better balance of wealth and power in America.

ABOUT Margaret koger

Margaret Koger is a Lascaux Prize finalist. She's a school media specialist with a writing habit who lives near the river in Boise, Idaho and writes to add new connections to the wayward web of life. See poems on: Amsterdam Quarterly, Thimble, Trouvaille Review, Tiny Seed Literary Journal, Ponder Savant, Subjectiv, and Last Leaf.

To learn more, follow Margaret and her writing journey on Facebook.

Thanks for chatting, Margaret!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Louis Faber

As humanity struggles to makes sense of the last year, there are some things, which persist regardless of our place here: nature, science, history, etc. Louis Faber's poems, "In Chorus" and "A Hasty Burial," explore these ideas, and will be available to read January 2021 in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Louis' pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

My city is two cities, now. Some are heeding CDC advice, minimizing interactions and following protocols, others are doing none of that, often defiantly.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Difficult Lives by Italo Calvino, Whale Songs Billy Collins, Hard Boiled and Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“The West Wing,” “Schitt's Creek,” “High Fidelity” both the series and movie.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

It has given it a great focus by compulsory availability of time.

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?

Finding a home for my novel or at least an agent to do that work for me.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Writing is, by nature, a solitary act and we too often complain that we cannot find solitude. But when it is enforced (or self-enforced) it can be burdensome, despite what it offers.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

The blogging community, and my wife (a fellow poet), and our new cat who believes her lot in lives is to endless entertain us.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

More time is more time to read and a demand for on-line publications. My publishing has shifted heavily to on-line publications, and they have a great immediacy.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

It once was on trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic flights, now it is in the confines of my office (our guest room), with my Muji fine line pen in hand.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

1.) “Poetry Man” by Phoebe Snow

2.) “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen

3.) “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel

4.) “My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors” by Moxy Fruvous

5.) “Afternoons and Coffeespoons” by Crash Test Dummies

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene / poem you've written since the pandemic began?

The last one.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

Playing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benetar to my doctor holding a COVID vaccine syringe.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Never stop.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

My wealth, but alas it is spent on food and lodging.

ABOUT Louis Faber

Louis Faber’s work has previously appeared in Atlanta Review, The Poet (UK), Dreich (Scotland), The Alchemy Spoon (UK), Arena Magazine (Australia), Exquisite Corpse, Rattle, Eureka Literary Magazine, Borderlands: the Texas Poetry Review, Midnight Mind, Pearl, Midstream, European Judaism, Greens Magazine, Afterthoughts, The South Carolina Review and Worcester Review, among many others, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A novel remains, forlornly, looking for a home.

To learn more, follow Louis and his writing journey at his website.

Thanks for chatting, Louis!

READ MORE ABOUT THE PAGES PENNED IN PANDEMIC!

Pages Penned in Pandemic with Hardarshan Singh Valia

Reminders of loss are strange, in that they often arrive without prompting or precision for the actual missing. Hardarshan Singh Valia's poem, "Empty Glass," explores this, and will be available to read January 2021 in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Hardarshan's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Positive cases are rising.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Timefulness by Marcia Bjornerud, The Poetry of Pablo Neruda Edited by Ilan Stavans, The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw, Salt by Nayyirah Waheed, The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“On Being Podcast” by Krista Tipett, “The Moth Radio Hour,” and nature documentaries.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

Dramatically improved as I was able to take two short course related to Creative Poetry Writing and Writing a Picture Book.

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?

Just finished a picture book entitled A Gift from The Past: A Book About Early Life On Earth. It is a 520-word picture book story for children age 3-6, about a young boy’s love for exploring the mysteries that can be found in layers of ancient rock.

If you haven't been able to write, are there any projects you're hoping to work on next?

To complete two more uncompleted picture books.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Figuring out New Normal and documenting its impact on human behavior.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

Many fellow writers and poets from: Poetry Tribe, Write on Hoosiers, Magic Hour Writers Group, Poetry Society of Indiana, and SCBWI.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

More attention to work highlighting that we all are in together.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

Attention being paid on work related to superficial values that do not address the urgent need of the hour.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I plot stories, poems, essays and the lockdown has helped me to be more productive in my writing projects.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Home; which has not changed.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

My playlist is mostly in Hindi, hence, hard to pen it here.

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem(s) you've written since the pandemic began?

Answers related to two of my published poems: a.) A letter to a child when he grows up narrating scenes from the pandemic era in “Growing up in COVID-19 Times” and b.) How after watching a virtual funeral, life is sprouting outside the window on the sidewalks in “Virtual Funeral in COVID-19 World.”

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

Events in life moves as a sine wave so normalcy will take its destined place.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Listen to the 'pulse of all' as we all are in it together.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Stay positive!

ABOUT Hardarshan Singh Valia

Hardarshan Singh Valia is an Earth Scientist. Besides contributing mostly to scientific journals, he has published poems, stories, and essays in journals such as Wards Literary Journal, Northwest Indiana Literary Journal, Poetic Medicine, River babble, Who Writes Short Shorts, Dove Tales – Writing for Peace- an anthology, Dreamscapes – an anthology, Caesura, Sage-ing, Literary Veganism, COVID tales journal, Huffington Post, Northwest Indiana Times, and in books such as Diamonds-75 Years of Indiana Poetry, Hoosier Horizon, A Magic Hour Family Christmas, and Undeniably Indiana (Indiana University Press).

To learn more, follow Hardarshan and his writing journey on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Hardarshan!

READ MORE ABOUT THE PAGES PENNED IN PANDEMIC!