Author: annsepstein@att.net

The July–August 2020 issue of Poets & Writers features thirteen quotes by “Authors on Creativity in Quarantine.” Novelists, memoirists, and poets describe (not) writing, during the pandemic lockdown, and the writing life in general. Among the statements that fit me: “The process of writing poetry depends on being alone for long periods of time — almost reveling in solitude and slow time” (Author Janine Joseph quoting poet Philip Levine). This solitary process is true of all writing, not just poetry. That’s why writers joke about “gluing our butts to the chair” and Virginia Woolf craved a room of one’s own. For me, the isolation imposed by the pandemic isn’t much different than my life before lockdown. I sat alone and wrote virtually every day. While I feel the constraints of not being to go out for an occasional coffee with friends, and ache from missing evening “play dates” with my grandsons, my writing life has not substantially changed. My characters are good company and I’m grateful for their presence. I recite a daily blessing of thanks for the gift of writing that keeps my mind and body engaged. Work allows me to say without boasting or displaying false modesty that I like my own company. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.

William Styron (author of The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie’s Choice) said, “I don’t think an historical novelist should be restricted to the facts; he should take liberties. The historical novelist works best when fed on short rations.” Yes! Give us a crumb, we can create an entire loaf. Give us a loaf, the best we can do is slice it and add sandwich filling. When I write, I freely mix fact and fiction. The best reward is when I finish a manuscript and can’t remember what’s fact and what’s my own invention. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.

The July–August 2020 issue of Poets & Writers, in “Authors on Creativity in Quarantine,” features thirteen writers describing their experience writing (or not) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many also shared general thoughts about the writing life. Among the statements that resonated with me: “Artists have written through world wars and famine, genocides and natural disasters, through dictators, through drought. We write not to find clarity, but to become comfortable in our confusions. Comfortable with the fact that there are no easy answers coming” (Author Joshua Mohr). In fact, this is true of all writing, in all circumstances, not just under these extremes. We ponder enigmas — particularly the vicissitudes of human relationships — every time we employ our words. Some people crave happy endings, others are drawn to apocalyptic finales. But most authors and readers, myself included, prefer works whose conclusions are open-ended. Goodness and grace without guarantees, tragedy and torment with glimmers of hope. Writing allows us to live with that ambiguity. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.

The July–August 2020 issue of Poets & Writers includes a feature titled “Authors on Creativity in Quarantine.” Thirteen authors describe their (in)ability to write during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many include general ruminations on the writing life. Among the statements that resonated with me: “Writing is a form of dissociation. In the hours of real absorption, you leave behind your room, your body, even the mind you imagine as your own. I needed badly to experience that freedom precisely because I sensed how long it would be before I would have it again” (Author Adam Haslett). Psychologists define dissociation as “ranging from a mild emotional detachment from one’s immediate surroundings to a more severe disconnection from physical and emotional experiences.” In contrast to this mental disorder, writing more fully immerses me in the thoughts, feelings, and physicality of my characters, and the sensory attributes of the environment I’m creating. Hence I prefer the term “heightened engagement” to describe the writing process. Authors dissociate from the immediate world in order to associate more intensely with our imagined one. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.