While there is no underestimating how difficult days can affect our ability to put words on he page, often writing allows us to carry on despite that darkness. Suellen Wedmore 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?
We presently have 7 active cases. Everyone wears a mask.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
Ellen Bass's Indigo.
If you haven't been reading, what are some books you're most looking forward to reading?
I just ordered a book of poems written by Native Americans before 1930.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
My husband and I watch the news in desperation!!!
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
I have actually been taking classes online and am writing (and painting) more. My poetry writing group continues to meet on Zoom.
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 re-writing a chapbook on the theme "time."
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
No matter the difficulty of the time, you can always write! In fact, it helps to write!
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
My writing group has continued to meet every two weeks, and I have re-connected with a teacher and a friend from my graduate school days.
Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
The ability of the publishing world to adapt!
Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
Are the journals going to be able to survive?
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I am somewhere in between...and during the pandemic I have learned to be more patient with revision.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
In a comfortable chair in my sunroom or in the quiet of my office.
If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?
1.) “Time has made a change...” by Daisy Nell, a local singer
2.)”I Walk the Line”
3.) ”All Shook Up”
4.) “Don't Be Cruel”
5.) “Ain't that a Shame”
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene or poem you've written since the pandemic began?
Honey, They Shrunk Our World!
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
Traveling.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
Take advantage of Zoom offerings to keep on writing.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Thank you for putting together this anthology!!
ABOUT Suellen Wedmore
Suellen Wedmore, poet Laureate emerita for the small seaside town of Rockport, MA, has been widely published. She has published three poetry chapbooks, Deplyed, On Marraige and Other Parallel Universes, and Mind the Light. She has been nominated for three Pushcart prizes and has won both the Writer's Digest Rhyming and Non-Rhyming Poem Contest.
Thanks for chatting, Suellen!
