Items

• 
  2020-04

  2020 Planner

  This bullet journal, titled "Keep It Together," was created fresh after moving states in January of 2020. January through February are well organized, with the planner I drew out having individual days, and places for grocery lists, to-do lists and monthly goals. Even March keeps the same energy, stretching into the beginning of the pandemic, but April comes with a great shift. What was once a detailed planner has lost any sense of time, becoming an amalgamation of grocery lists for vague weeks, stream-of-consciousness poetry, and abandoned bullet lists of brainstorming what to do with my life...only for the journal to snap back into focus at the end of July, continuing its main function as a planner, what with less frills than before. This mirrors my own experience in 2020, as April-July was the period of time I spent alone, living in a new city, working at a fast food job that did not stop when the rest of the world did. I felt very much like my journal, unmoored and adrift, until a change in job and living situation and deciding to go back to school helped bring me some sense of purpose again.
• 
  2021-11-09

  SMhopes banner with Santa Monica Public Library

  Graphic banner made from a submission to #SMhopes by Roxane D., a Fifth Grade student in Paula Flynn's class at Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica, CA. In cooperation with Santa Monica Public Library, at the historic Ocean Park Branch on Main Street and Ocean Park.
• 
  2021-07-16

  HIST30060: pandemic poetry

  I began writing poetry last year (2020) since I suddenly found myself with much more time on my hands. I wrote this poem earlier this year when I was in a boring Zoom tutorial. Reflecting on it afterwards, I found the theme of lagging very pertinent for my feelings during the pandemic.
• 
  2021-10-03

  Losing is not losing

  I believe we have all lost a lot during this last year. Loss of normalcy. Loss of community. Loss of family and friends. At the beginning I'm sure a lot of people thought the world was gonna end. And in a way it did. Our old world died as we are currently creating a new one. New babies are entering this world with a new chance. another chance to make the world a better place. Another chance to create a new world. They are seeing people for the first time. Yes we loss last year. But we also gained. As the poem states, the art of loosing isn't hard to master.
• 
  2021-06-23

  The shot

  Crowded room, felt a Prick. Yay I’m vaccinated. Now I’m in pain…. Great :/ -someone during the vaccine day
• 
  2021-06-23

  Blank screens

  Turn on video All eyes on me, exposing Me, I turn it off… -discouraged student
• 
  2021-06-23

  Zoom Paranoia

  Stub my toe on chair Scream bloody murder, oh shit! Mic was unmuted ;c -someone who just exposed themselves on a zoom call
• 
  2021-06-23

  Delivery

  Waiting near my door, Becoming hangry, guess he Doesn’t want my tips! :0 -very angry and hungry customer
• 
  2021-06-23

  The swab

  Cotton up my nose, So deep it hits my brain cells, Ahhh chooo! I just sneezed :| -a person who just got tested
• 
  2021-06-23

  The mask

  Walking into the Store, looking around, oh no! I forgot my mask :/ -every person going into a store
• 
  2021-06-23

  Wedge issue

  A facemask is a warning that reads: keep your distance lest you drag me down with you. The people who wear them are of no concern, they’ve chosen to live. It’s those that go about, naked and exposed, that should frighten you.
• 
  2021-05-26

  The microscopic tick

  A mask is like a microscopic tick We can't see it, but we can feel it, ick As I peel (the microscopic tick) off my face I'm repulsed I declare an appeal, “senit!” the microscopic tick has succeeded in form of fear It's won the battle Yet Covid is still here As I look on the ground (all around) the microscopic ticks are swarming in the air the dirty masks lay there… Breathless, weightless, thoughtless, penniless with an unconscious stare microscopic tick!
• 
  2021-05-17

  EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED ABOUT LOVE

  “Everything I learned about love” is a journal of the year 2020 by graphic designer Juddelis Villar where she compiles photographs, journal entries, and poetry she made during the year of the pandemic. Through her little archive of the year, she tells us the story of how finding love in the middle of chaos helped her survive one of the most challenging years in history.
• 
  2021-03-02

  George Floyd Square Artists

  From Drew Arrieta's post: On Sunday, George Floyd Square held space for black creatives to showcase and celebrate their creative excellence. The Twin Cities hands-down has one of the best spoken word and poetry communities. Thanks to @b_tulloch + @siriuslymarie + @toussaintmorrison for putting on this event.
• 
  2021-02-28

  Me Versus covid

  This is a short written by myself, it expresses the pain and emotion that emerged since the beginning of COVID-19. Although the poem contains a lot of humorism it captures raw expressions, raw emotions all the same time.
• 
  -2021-02-13

  Covid-19 Experience

  poem The world was fine, Because we were all able to physically intertwined. We were able to roam the streets freely, Walk the park carelessly, Praise in church effortlessly, And enter our homes easily. For the past year, Livelihood has been invaded by a monster called covid-19. The WHO has declared a world pandemic. New protocols in place in order to win drastically. We are told to stay indoors, Wash our hands frequently and wear a mask when outdoors. No more social gathering, visiting friends or family. Life has become a solitary If we disobey, The monster virus will lend our life journey. Thousands have been killed and millions affected. It attacks the human lungs, That makes breathing feel like misery. Compared to the flu, It makes one sneeze and cough, With unbearable body pain. We just got to keep praying that God keeps and protects us during this time. Despite the introduction of a weapon vaccine to take control. The frustration, anxiety and fear kicks in daily. Still wondering when will life return to normalcy.
• 2021-01-26

  For The Sake Of My Time

  At first it was nothing, Then something for all. I wrote and I drew, I played ball. The wind blew outside, strong and loud, But I was inside, away from the crowd, today was no day, for something out loud. And when my notebook fell to the floor, I cried. When my mask shifted on my face, “They could die” But at the end of the day, I picked up my pages for the sake of my time. Author's (Explanatory) Note: I stitched this together through scraps in my notebook that I had written over the year. Some of them on simple topics, others on grave events. This is important to me because it's some of my writing that didn't come planned and pre-packed, but an experience and struggle put together through snippets of my life and genuine, if simple, emotions that are coursing through every single one of us, only to be amplified in times like these.
• 2021-01-26

  For The Sake Of My Time

  At first it was nothing, Then something or all. I wrote and I drew, I played ball. The wind blew outside, strong and loud, But I was inside, away from the crowd, today was no day, for something out loud. And when my notebook fell to the floor, I cried. When my mask shifted on my face, “They could die” But at the end of the day, I picked up my pages for the sake of my time. Author's (Explanatory) Note: I stitched this together through scraps in my notebook that I had written over the year. Some of them on simple topics, others on grave events. This is important to me because it's some of my writing that didn't come planned and pre-packed, but an experience and struggle put together through snippets of my life and genuine, if simple, emotions that are coursing through every single one of us, only to be amplified in times like these.
• 
  2021-01-20

  Poet Amanda Gorman has a star-making moment during Biden-Harris inauguration

  I was teaching during the inauguration. But I pulled up the ceremony and allowed the students to watch Biden take his oath. Afterwards I quickly shut it down and tried to catch up on the lesson I had already planned. One of my students during 6th period unmuted (which is rare). "Mrs. Bell? Did you see the poet? It really moved me". I told her I would watch it after class. When I did get a chance to watch it, I was so sad I missed the opportunity to share Amanda Gorman's dream of a better America with them in the moment. The next day, each class watched it with me. Students who normally never speak applauded her, telling me what her vision meant to them, that she was elegant, that she was brave. Watching her speak was a moment I will never forget. She made history with words of hope in a horribly fractured America. She brought a sense of patriotism and optimism that I haven't felt in some time. I know she inspired kids everywhere. Ahhh!!! It was so good. "If only we're brave enough to see it, If only we're brave enough to be it".
• 
  2020-11-30

  Protest: a Duty, More Than a Right!

  Protests are happening everywhere People know their rights, the right to protest People know their duties, duty to be informed But shouldn't they be informed, before they protest about what they protest? Maybe they are protesting for the right cause, but in a wrong way?
• 
  2020-11-14

  A Recollection of Feelings

  This was a short paper assignment from a professor for an English class and we had free range with it so I decided to write my feelings and experiences during COVID times and this was the result.
• 
  2020-10-24

  "There is a before and an after. Treat yourself gently." - Red Blood, Black Ink

  A poem about the times, and how it drags on. Transcript: [People say this new thing - well, that was before. We casually delineate - oh, but then quarantine. No, this was after March. I hear the same tired, bitter tone in myself. Of course, I say, then covid happened. I mock my own choices; grit my teeth about finances, sneer about my English degree, sigh about loans from college. I regret what I didn’t appreciate. What I took for granted. I get angry at my past self - the trouble she didn’t avoid. But I also hear - each of us, just a little, being gentle to each other. Well, you didn’t know, we say. It’s okay, we say, you will find something. Oh, tell me about gardening. Tell me about those new hobbies. Tell me about the crack in the floor you spent a week trying to refinish. Tell me about the new show you’ve been watching. It’s okay if it’s not much. It’s okay if you have no idea what the future looks like. It’s okay, none of us do. Be gentle to yourself. On this side of events, we care more, listen harder, value time with others. We talk about birds and we notice clouds and we have slowed down. There is a before and an after. Treat yourself gently.]
• 
  2020-03-29

  sign of courage

  Early in the pandemic, when we were sheltering in place but were allowed to be outside for exercise (here in San Francisco), I started taking photographs of signs people posted in and around their homes. This became a daily activity while I was out for a walk. Usually the signs were fairly small and were posted in windows. But sometimes they were more elaborate, like this one with a quote about the nature of courage from Maya Angelou. It made me realize that courage isn't the absence of fear; it's something else. The longer quote includes this: "Having courage and showing courage means we face our fears." That has really helped me in this frightening time.
• 2020-05-12

  Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent ? Journal de confinement, 14 mars-10 mai 2020

  I wrote every day. A true story of my life, alone and all my friends : radio, books, friends, websites...
• 
  2020-07-24

  A working mayor, an exhausted president, out-of-touch rich folk: Haikus during the community quarantine

  These poems document the quarantine adjustment period: the first fifteen days. They are news reports, coping methods, and dreams. They reflect the terrifying and the mundane. I began this project on Twitter, aware that we were entering into what would be an important historical event, and assuming that this project would be what would keep me sane. Soon, cabin fever got to me and I lost my motivation, so I set them aside, hoping that they would eventually contribute to the growing body of pandemic literature. If I don't make it through this pandemic, please remember me through these poems.
• 
  2020-04-07

  Jewish Melbourne Passover 2020

  Missing the Seder with friends...the story, songs, prayers, food and children squirming waiting for dinner.
• 
  2020-07-07

  Rhymin' COVID-19

  Observations and reactions to the virus' effects on everyday life
• 
  2020-07-15

  Mangá Tulang Lockdown ni Adíng Kiko, dps

  [Lockdown Poetry by Ading Kiko, dps]
• 2020-07-11T02:53

  Isn’t it strange?

  Through this pandemic, we were tested as a society on how strong our morals, values, and beliefs are. We were exposed to how fragile our ideals are and how far we truely are from a perfect world.
• 
  2020-07-18

  Found Poem Lesson

  6 - 12 lesson using the archive to create found poetry.
• 
  2020-04-11

  Plague Journal, Day 29: Listening in the CoronaHush

  I'm keeping a Covid-19 journal. Here's the latest entry, from a decent day in CoronaWorld (including receipt of new masks), all things considered.
• 
  2020-04-20

  COVID 19

  This is the final version of a poem serving as reflection on the nature of COVID as equated with biblical evil itself, and as it echoes another poem in the collection, Dis-Ease. This poem is a conundrum using wordplay and numerology from the Kaballah to present its idea that COVID and the demon are the same entity. As puzzled out, this piece represents contemplation on the source and nature of the Disease, seen in mythical/biblical terms.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Dis-ease: Poetry in the Period of the Pandemic

  Not a "story" in the traditional sense, these are a collection of poems that nonetheless implicitly serve as narrative/tell the story of how an aspiring writer uses the time to harness all the stress, turn it from distress into eustress to de-stress, and thereby find a strategy for survival through creative expression. In each poem, as annotation, the direct connection to COVID is described.
• 
  2020-03-12

  Love in the Time of COVID- 19

  It's my poem about my family's experience under, and fear of, this pandemic -- specifically during my fifteenth wedding anniversary when we watched on TV news the Philippine president's official announcement of the imposition of the lockdown in Metro Manila.
• 
  2020-04-04

  An Air of Crisis, a Sonnet by Susan Drennan Gabriel Bunn

  This is a sonnet written by Susan Drennan Gabriel Bunn. She a native New Yorker and wrote this on location in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Susan is a musician, writer, and fine artist. This is her poetry about the Corona time.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Notes from Coronaland--Poems Written Every Day in April 2020

  My English professor, Jo Kaplan, pen name for Joanna Parypinski, wrote a lovely collection of poetry while in quarantine in April 2020. The poems are beautiful in their simplicity and accessibility. The language is sometimes surprising, but always profound and universal. I think they have captured the feelings of all of us during this difficult time.
• 
  2020-03-23

  Plague Journal, Day 10: Found Poem, Patti Smith's "12"

  I'm keeping a Covid-19 journal. Here's the latest entry, featuring a found poem based on the songs of Twelve, a cover album by Patti Smith.
• 
  2020-05-02

  Walker Art Center Poem

  Tweet from the Walker Art Center sharing a piece from their sculpture garden that relates to the need for social distancing. The piece is a placard with an inscribed poem that reflects on connection and the act of breathing. Museums have been relying on their collections to relate to the current pandemic, even in ways that are humorous or fall outside of meaning an artist may have originally intended.
• 
  2020-06-12

  A Ballad: COVID-19

  It is a ballad about the virus itself.
• 
  2020-04-28

  Poetry in the Time of Corona with Charles Coe

  Revolutionary Spaces board member and poet/writer/performer Charles Coe reads two original poems: "Love in the Time of Corona" and "Something in the Wind." Part of Revolutionary Spaces' virtual event series during COVID19.
• 
  2020-05-20

  Life's Greatest Phenomenon

  I am describing how my faith has guided me through these tough times and why it is important to me.
• 
  2020-05-18

  Project 2020

  This book of poetry was for an English assignment for my 11th grade class after we transitioned to remote learning. I thought it was a very powerful time to share my opinion in an ever-increasingly digital world and my voice may be heard in future years for strangers to hear. I share political shames in this book, my everyday experiences during the stay-at-home order, and the experiences of those around me.
• 
  2020-05-19

  2020: The Year Togetherness Was At Rest

  This poetry book explains my feelings and how they changed throughout the pandemic.
• 
  2020-05-22

  2020 Poetry Book

  This object tells the story of the pandemic through three chronological sections. I want all my readers to be instilled with a sense of hope after finishing my book, so that is why I wrote about the future. The future may seem bleak during times like this, but having hope and optimism will continue to help move everybody forward in their lives, knowing this will eventually come to an end.
• 
  2020-04-30

  The 25th Annual Brookline High School Poetry Festival

  The BHS Poetry Festival invites high school students, alums, and faculty to read their original poetry. Many participants shared poetry about the pandemic. (do you want the digital file separately?)
• 
  2020-04-30T23:30

  Like a gladiator

  This is a poetic prose I wrote about staying valiant and resilient during isolation. Humanity is fickle but one thing no one can take away from us is the indomitable spirit that we possess, especially in the face of adversity.
• 
  2020-05-24

  The World ASU HIST580

  [Curatorial Note]: Haiku titled "The World".
• 
  2020-05-24

  Hand-washing Technique

  Exploding cats take on washing your hands to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It is a humorous take on having to wash your hands over and over.
• 
  05/10/2020

  Poem about Covid-19 by Robin Kay Bell

  Robin Kay Bell marvels at the return of nature during Covid-19 as humans shelter in place.
• 
  04/24/2020

  A haiku: "We isolate now / So when we gather again / No one is missing."

  The very idea of staying home, wearing masks, etc. became politicized as some on the Right decided that stay-at-home orders and the like were undemocratic or authoritarian measures. This haiku encapsulates a kind, caring, non-politicized perspective on the reasons we are practicing self-isolation and social distancing as we are.