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.
