In the July–August 2020 issue of Poets & Writers, which features thirteen quotes by “Authors on Creativity in Quarantine,” I often nodded in recognition. Then I read: “When the pandemic began, I found myself careening from deep despair to terrifying fear. Neither allows me to write or create in a meaningful way. When I was finally able to return to the page, what struck me is that fear is more incapacitating than despair. I could surrender to hopelessness and still make something. If I focused on fear, I was silenced” (Poet Ada Limon).With me, the opposite is true. Despair is all pervasive; why make an effort when life is hopeless? Fear is specific and prompts action; can I defang the cause or ameliorate the reaction to it? Writing is how I examine the roots of fear and the ways we try to overcome it. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.
