Real Women Write: Living on COVID Time is Volume 19 of this annual anthology of prose and poetry by members of Story Circle Network, an organization supporting women writers and asserting the importance of women's stories. But it is a volume unlike any other. The 52 authors of the 80 pieces in this collection were writing in response to an unprecedented global pandemic. The virus spread through a year filled with many other profound challenges and changes, while these women were writing about their lives, engaging with experiences and emotions that were uniquely their own. These selections capture moments as COVID-19 moved from rumor to life-altering reality, and together they form a small chapter in a humanity-sized story.
Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, says in her Foreword: "To remember 2020 will be to look back on a year marked by complexity—so much loss swirled together with surprising gains." Indeed, that swirl is evident in the responses of these contributors. "Their stories showcase a range of reactions to living on COVID time, which include grappling with illness and fear and death, with heartbreak and isolation, with the coexistence of ugliness and beauty. In these pages, you may see yourself. You will surely be moved by the many perspectives and considerations and experiences in this collection."
Real Women Write: Living on COVID Time is a strong addition to the literature and herstory of 21st century women enduring and evolving through a remarkable time.
