The 2020 Pandemic changed the world. It changed society, culture, and our collective psyche. During the lock downs, I began to write stories that wrestled with the difficulties of solitude and how our homes were transformed into cages. Here are my quarantine dreams.
The Quarantine Action Calendar. The Blotter Magazine, Feb 2021.
Break a heart, break the economy, and try to live your life as normally as possible. The current virus has infected everything, and even the most mundane acts have become frustrating. The ubiquitous nature of the virus means that our everyday behaviors must be reconsidered. The Quarantine Action Calendar is a quirky spin on the week in the life of a regular guy and father during pandemic times.
The Quarantine Checklist. Fleas on the Dog Literary Magazine, March 2021.
Hog a parking lot and watch other cars envy you. Share a drink from far away. Don’t horde, because everyone already has and so there’s nothing left. We live in a state of infection perfection. The Quarantine Checklist consists of mini-vignettes about coping with the pandemic. Simple acts like shopping, drinking coffee, and relaxing have all been redefined as risky behavior. Accepting that the virus is here to stay means that these behaviors will also remain with us even after the social measures have vanished.
The Quarantine Clock. Eastern Iowa Review (Port Yonder Press), January 2023.
Ditch all your friends. Get tested for the umpteenth time. Find magic in cruelty. Eat take-out while you can before the pandemic restrictions are reinstated. We exist in a state of infection resurrection. Mundane behaviors are perceived as deviant, and past deviance is accepted as the norm. The Quarantine Clock consists of poignant mini-vignettes concerning the mental and physical struggles of lockdowns. The virus’s worst symptom could be social vertigo.