VOICES FROM THE PANDEMIC
Anthology
A compilation of 32 memoirs about the Pandemic...
A memoir is a journey through the writer’s past. It is not an autobiography – one’s entire life – but a slice of life.
The trying period since January 1, 2020 makes sense to each of us because we have lived through it. Our reader, on the other hand, needs to make sense of the changes during the period covered by our memoir. The task for us as writers is not only to tell the reader what happened during the Coronavirus period, but to bring them along on the journey so they can experience it for themselves.
The last six months is similar to a number of other critical times in our history — the Kennedy assassination, the landing on the moon, and the 911 attack. Everyone remembers where they were during those times and undoubtedly they will remember what they were doing during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Having written a memoir of your experience will help others understand what you did during this trying period.
Creative nonfiction is useful in a memoir as it helps bring scenes alive with enhanced setting and dialogue. Many personal history memoirs succeed because the writer transforms real people into compelling, fleshed-out characters on the page.
We have tried to capture voices from the Pandemic — healthcare workers, educators, people who have experienced loss, writers and entertainers without audiences, and a special group, sixth graders trying to understand. Why?
None of these voices know what the future will hold. We don’t either, but we have tried to document where we are now. |
