For writers, it is often the strongest emotions: rage, despair, grief, adoration, obsession, love, etc. that fuel the urgency to put words on a page. Ann Chinnis discusses just this and more in today's chat about her pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
The pandemic in Virginia Beach looks like families on the beach late into the fall, braving the chill for a breath of air, some time outdoors and a few moments away from the worry.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson has given me a deeper understanding of social injustice in the US. A Responsibility to Awe by Rebecca Elson reminds me to look up at the sky every night. Jill Bialosky in Asylum moves me with her vulnerability and inspires me with her inventiveness around form.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
Anything Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin makes me laugh. I just watched "Big Business" and the silliness of it is delightful and distracting.
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
Initially, the fear and uncertainty made it difficult for me to obtain enough distance to have an interesting Persona Narrator on the page. However as time went on, my rage as a healthcare provider took me to some interesting places in my writing, as did my grief over the suffering. It is day to day now in terms of being able to focus.
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
It is still early to know, and we are not done yet, however so far, it has taught me to be kinder and more patient with myself and to embrace that some days, weeks , months it is very difficult to focus on the. page. And to have faith that it will come, when the soul is ready.
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
The Writers Studio in New York moved all of its classes on-line in April to google meet for class. It is great to actually see and hear my classmates and that has provided a wonderfully supportive and thoughtful community of writers and friends. That group has been my lifeline for many months. We keep our heads down, keep writing, and keep learning, the best we can.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I like quiet when I write. So my desk, in my office is my go-to place. That has not changed.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?
“The Cure”—a poem I wrote in the spring that is forthcoming in the Speckled Trout Review.
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
I am looking forward to 2020 being over! We have had some really great vaccine news in the past two weeks, and I am looking forward to those vaccines getting in the arms of those who are at risk, and then the rest of us. So I am looking to a 2021 where we can rebuild so many things as a country and in our lives.
ABOUT ann chinnis
Ann Chinnis was born and raised in Virginia. She has been an Emergency Physician for 40 years, as well as a Department Chair and a healthcare leadership coach. As an academic, her scholarship in Emergency Medicine has been published in the fields of educational innovation, change strategies in clinical care and finance in Emergency Medicine. Ann was recognized for her teaching and mentorship at West Virginia University as the Emergency Medicine Faculty of the Year from 1998-2002. To make sense of her experiences in medicine, she has been a poetry student at the Writers Studio in New York since January 2017. Her poetry is forthcoming in The Speckled Trout Review.
To learn more, follow Ann and her writing journey on Instagram.
Thanks for chatting, Ann!
