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acqueline Carmichael Digital in a Pandemic World
That giant closing sound we heard in mid-March? Scheduled brick-and-mortar events imploding. It got the attention of the literary world globally. Poetry readings, fiction book launches, the Fed’s own Spring Writes meet-up—postponed, delayed, cancelled for the pandemic moment. Binge-watching Netflix became a respected strategy for dealing with sudden, enforced isolation as COVID-19 shredded plans for craft-honing, and personal travel used to re-energize and reconnect. Enter a company we might have bought shares in six months ago. Tech lovers and Luddites alike had to quickly figure Zoom out, for family and business reasons. “When the going gets tough” … ”When life gives you lemons … ” The answer for many was … “You go digital.” That “aha!” moment came for the FBCW when three poets in the Kootenay region were going to be out a launch and League of Canadian Poets funding for readings at a Castlegar Fed event organized for World Poetry Day. After drafting a “cancelled” version of the poster, it was time to think outside the brick-and-mortar box. Individual videos,
4 WORDWORKS ︱ 2020 Volume III
made by the poets, were uploaded to a YouTube channel, which was then “launched” with a social media blitz. A flurry of notes from members confirmed the comfort of cocooning was diminished by fear and anxiety. Worries were compounded by questions: Was it safe to pick up the mail? When could I see my friends and elder relatives again? It was obvious we needed to step up; the BC-Yukon Quite Determined Eco-Friendly Online Literary Road Trip was born. A series of Zoom-based events bringing us together, across the miles, from the safety of our own home offices and patios. Initially, a room to hang out, to read our work, to see each other’s faces, to be heard, informal Zoom orientations let members dip toes into videoconferencing. Topical chats (“how to record your work”) led to experts who could inform and answer questions. We enlisted the help of other volunteers willing to share with fellow writers from the far-flung corners of the BC-Yukon region and beyond; three different streams of
