That Thing with Feathers: Hope and Literature in a Time of Pandemic

Sheltered in Place

In today’s installment of That Thing With Feathers, C. Joseph Greaves (Chuck Greaves) writes from southwestern Colorado, a beautiful and remote part of the country and the setting of his latest novel, Church of the Graveyard Saints. He reminds us that, while writing is a solitary endeavor, ultimately it creates community and connection—and, like each of us, requires community to grow and flourish. Here’s Chuck, connecting with us from Stark Haven Ranch:

It’s snowing as I write this, the pewter sky and slanting spring flurries further darkening an already gloomy week of “social distancing” here at Stark Raven Ranch which, perched like a parrot on the shoulder of the Sleeping Ute here in southwestern Colorado, is already some distance from what some might consider a rollicking social scene. But writing—the actual placement of words on paper—is itself a solitary endeavor, which means my daily routine remains little changed from those halcyon days before the term “COVID-19” entered the public lexicon.

My writing friends know what I’m talking about. For the rest of you, welcome to our world.

“Writing, however, is more than just putting words on paper. It’s a synthesis of life experience.”