Connect first

We don't all need to be Shakespeare

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Craft: Weave your net

I’m sure you’ve seen it in your Twitter feed or Facebook timeline: When Shakespeare was quarantined during the plague, he wrote King Lear, says the meme, the implication being that all of us creatives better getting going on the next great masterpiece while we’re social distancing and self-isolating.

Fuck that.

And I say that with all due respect to the bard. (PS: Shakespeare had help. I will guarantee he wasn’t cooking meals, keeping kids amused and trying to make sure the dog got regular exercise. Just like Thoreau, “alone” at Walden Pond, with his mother dropping off food and picking up his laundry.)

As I said in an email to the students in the King’s MFA program—I left out the f-bomb since I use that word sparingly in professional emails—many of us are going to have trouble writing a to-do list let alone a great work of art, what with the anxiety and distraction of the situation we’re in. Some have kids home 24/7 now. Others are trying to support relatives, colleagues and neighbours. Many are faced with figuring out how to do their job—or some version of their job—from home. And lots of people are terribly worried about how they’re going to pay their bills as contract and other precarious work dries up.

It’s ok if writing feels impossible right now.

Focus first on weaving your net. Get the essentials in place—the medication you need to have at hand (rum & Coke anyone?), enough food and other supplies (OMG do you have enough toilet paper?)—and then focus on connecting and reconnecting with the people around you. Social distance isn’t the same as social isolation.

On my little street, the neighbours have exchanged email addresses and phone numbers so that we can reach out if anyone needs help. My mom, sister and I (we share a house) have been in touch with family and friends near and far by email and phone. We’ve got a Skype dinner booked with friends in Toronto—computers will be set up on the tables at each end, and even though we can’t share the food, we will still share conversation and laughter. People in my neighbourhood have joined in on the “picture in your window” scavenger hunt for kids. (Someone comes up with a list of simple items—flowers, lemons, bumblebees—and each day, people in the neighbourhood put a drawing or picture of the item in their window so that kids can “collect” them by spotting them as they go out for walks.) I’ve seen others talk about plugging in their Christmas lights to add some cheer to the darkness (fortunately, I still haven’t taken mine down, so that’s easy). Our MFA community is staying in touch on Facebook and via group emails, and students and alumni are jumping in to book Zoom readings and other ways of connecting.

I know that some of these types of connection have a literal cost attached to them, and I’m  mindful of my privilege in having access to a computer that works well, a strong wi-fi connection and the money to pay for it.

If you’re able to, now is the time to help strengthen the wider community safety net as well, by supporting our community helpers and builders. I’m donating to the Dartmouth North Community Food Centre, an amazing hub that has been doing essential work on food security for those in need long before this current crisis. They’re part of a Canadian network of Community Food Centres, and you can find out about their work (and donate if you like) on the CFC homepage. Vulnerable populations—people in precarious work, those on social assistance, refugees, the homeless, people in prisons, those at risk because of domestic violence and other unstable home environments—are all made even more vulnerable in times like these. It’s impossible for anyone to solve all the world’s problems, but for those of us with some advantages, now is the time to try to help spread support around where we can.

Others are building connection through their creative expression. Musicians are doing free concerts online (and in Canada, Facebook and the National Arts Centre have teamed up to provide payment to the musicians for doing so). Creators, like my writer pal Sarah Sawler, are offering live online classes and discussions for kids.

Publishers are starting online book clubs, like this one from Nimbus. (Gyms and yoga instructors are doing similar things, with virtual classes.)

Connect first. Then, if you can, create.

Advice instead of exercises: Working from home

I’ve been working from home, full-time or part-time, for most of my adult life. It’s not for everyone—I will say that those of us who tip in an introvert direction likely find it much easier than the extroverts in the crowd. Some advice based on my experience:

• Try to set up a work corner or regular space. When I started out, this was a desk in the corner of the living room. Now, I’m fortunate to have a home office. But you don’t have to have a full office set-up to make this work: even if you can’t carve out a permanent spot, working in the same spot daily will likely help you focus. Tip: The worst thing about working from home is that work is always there. If you set up a permanent spot, throw a tablecloth or sheet over it once you “leave the office” so that you can get “away” from work as well.

• Establish a routine. Routines reduce anxiety. If you are trying to decide, each day, when you will sit down to work, that’s one more decision to make, and decisions add stress. Set a schedule. It will help. Build in breaks—to stretch, go for a walk outside, have a Skype coffee break with a friend or colleague.

• Recognize that your productivity will be wonky. Some people will find they get more done at home. People who are juggling kids and other responsibilities will find getting work done really tough. Figure out what works for you: for some concentrated stretches of work will be possible. For others, short bursts will be what they can manage.

• Advice for those with kids, from my university roommate Laura, a long-time phys-ed teacher and Italian aunt extraordinaire: Get the kids into a routine as well. Her suggestion: breakfast, some school or instruction time and then an hour or more outside. Lunch, then some indoor play, crafts or school work; naps if needed; and some more movement or outdoor time. Supper. Quiet play. Bed. And repeat.

• Create time for connection, movement and breaks. I used to pride myself on being able to work long stretches at my desk without breaks. What a jack-ass. I’m not sure who I was trying to impress, at my desk, alone in my house. Working without breaks screws up your neck, your back, your wrists, your brain. Get up. Walk around. Stretch. Your body—and your brain—will thank you.

• Go easy on yourself. As everyone keeps saying, these are exceptional times. This is not normal. You will not be normal. You might find it tough to get anything done. Reach out to the people who care about you, and who you care about. Connect to community support and services if you need more than a friend to talk to.

What I’m reading: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

I’m opting for some comfort reading. The Wind in the Willows is one of the books from my childhood that still sits on my bookshelf, and I’m digging back in to read about Rat and Mole and Badger and Toad. What’s your comfort read? Share your recommendations in the comments section at the end of this post. And check out these recommendations from authors Celeste Ng, Erik Larson, Madeline Miller and others.

Other good stuff

Read A plea that we remember As immersed as we are in the crisis of the moment, it can seem impossible to imagine what might come after. Do we return “to normal”? Do we move on? Forget? The transcription of a lecture by Chinese author Yan Lianke,  IAS Sin Wai Kin professor of Chinese Culture and chair professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, to his creative writing class is worth reading—a plea for those of us who are writers to “derive memories from memory” rather than repeating some more acceptable “collective memory.”

Watch An exploration of disparate memory I haven’t watched this yet, but it comes recommended by Christian Smith, King’s MFA alum and author of the soon to be published book, The Scientist and the Psychic: A Son’s Exploration of His Mother’s Gift: the 4-part documentary The Most Dangerous Animal of All (based on the true-crime book of the same name). Christian points especially to the fourth episode, which talks about disparate memories and “when fact-checking goes off the rails.”

Listen An ode to forgetfulness One of my all-time favourite poems, “Forgetfulness,” by former American poet laureate, Billy Collins.

Book industry stuff

Rather than a list of all that has been cancelled or disrupted, here are some ways that booksellers, publishers and authors are connecting and carrying on.

• Canadian publishers pitch in with book offers: QuillAndQuire.com has a rundown of special offers from Canadian publishers, including bonus e-books, freebies, pay-what-you-can and more.

• A running list of special offers (mostly US): PublishersWeekly.com is keeping tabs on offers and discounts, including free e-books, library access and more.

• Spontaneous book club for kids (and adults too): Montreal’s Blue Metropolis Festival is running a book club and contest for kids and adults.

• Supporting writers and artists: The Canada Council for the Arts is sharing information on support for writers and artists on its homepage.

• Got a library card? Here’s a roundup of what you can access and stream from libraries across Canada, published today in The Globe and Mail. (And if you don’t have a library card, still take a look—many library systems—including the one in Halifax, where I live—are setting up ways for you to get a card remotely.)

• Virtual book tours: DeadDarlings.com is running a series of interviews with authors whose book tours have been canceled. Find them on their homepage.

Tweets & stuff

‘Cause right now, I’m all about the cute dog memes

Jenn7399 @jenn7399

me trying to not eat all my quarantine snacks on the first day

Animals lover @animallover____

😋😋😋😂 https://t.co/cMRGUedq9W

And cute wolf memes too

Wolf Conservation Center @nywolforg

Why stand up when you can work lying down? #teleworking #WednesdayMotivation

We’ll even let the cat play

iqra @iqraanabi

“how’s self quarantine going?”

Obligatory picture of Buddy

Buddy says “I used to have private time. Now they’re home all the time!”

The stuff at the bottom

I’m a writer, editor and teacher. This is my personal e-newsletter on the craft of writing nonfiction, sprinkled with occasional feminism and social justice. You can find out more about me on my website at kimpittaway.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. I’m the executive director of the MFA in Creative Nonfiction limited residency program at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. If you’re interested in writing a nonfiction book, you should check our program out!

And finally

Share your comfort reads, your recommendations for causes to donate to, links to cool things writers and others are doing to get through all of this, suggestions for working at home and whatever else strikes you in the comments section of the web version of this post.