I recently acted as Poetry Editor for an anthology published by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild called apart: a year of pandemic poetry and prose. I was very fortunate to work with Managing Editor Dave Margoshes, and the editing process was not only enjoyable but also a healing presence in my life.
I was worried, initially, that maybe it would be too much, too emotional, too difficult to read and edit many, many pandemic poems. But it was, in fact, the opposite. I cried, certainly. I cried reading many of the poems, recalling the fear I felt early on in the pandemic, recognizing many of my own feelings and experiences in the writing. But I also laughed, and remembered small, happy moments baking bread, going for walks, seeing family and friends through the door or windows as we dropped off small gifts for each other.
I am so proud to have played a small part in creating this beautiful anthology. It is a snapshot of a moment in time, a historical moment in time that I hope we can all learn from and use this experience to grow in radical and life-affirming ways. We can not forget how this pandemic has affected those of us who are elderly, BIPOC, homeless, disabled, mentally ill, or precariously employed. We must do better. We must demand that our governments do better. It’s clear that we are capable of radical change–now, we must enact it.
You can buy a copy of apart from SaskBooks or your local bookstore.
Courtney Bates-Hardy 