Zoom: Blessing and Chainsaw Alike

So, Zoom. Love it or hate it? 

I happen to love it. Granted, long hours online, staring at the expanded Brady Bunch boxes can be tiring; your eyes are constantly tracking, looking for recognition from people who can't make eye contact with you. It's odd in the extreme. That said, we can attend poetry readings and lectures anywhere in the world, and that is the blessing. 

I listened to brand-new poems by my poet-friend Meg Kearney online last night. I heard poems that were both sweet and spirited by another poet-acquaintance of mine, the inestimable Laure-Anne Bosselaar. Both of these fine writers are people I met in person at The Frost Place years ago, but due to distance, I don't get to see them in person. Well, I do get to see Meg K once a year; we go out to eat when she is in Franconia on her annual writing retreat. 

I have another Zoom reading cued up for this afternoon; another poet I met through The Frost Place, but never in person. I wish I could have, and maybe someday I will, but for now, Angela Narciso Torres is a screen-presence in my life. During Covid years, the annual conference I attended was continued online, and I got to meet so many nice people and poets that way. I'll be listening in, too, to a politics chat with Heather Cox Richardson on Monday night. And I'll be listening to Patrick Donnelly at the end of the month, also on Zoom. 

These readings and discussions are free. I'm relatively broke, so that fits my budget. And I can stay connected to the things I'm really interested in without having to fuss over travel. In August, I'll be attending the Poetry Seminar, directed by Donnelly, for almost a full week. I'm so excited! And I get to take the occasional class here or there, usually fairly low-cost. It can't be beat, especially for someone whose life is somewhat complicated like mine is. 

The internet and all social media/ digital fodder can be destructive and pointless, but if we can see our way clear to curating our own experiences, we can gain so much from this technology. During Covid, I attended plays and concerts, toured museums, and listened to writers and political columnists. I've gained more than I've lost, I think, in the balance. But we have to be very careful about what we feed our brains with, right? Too much drivel, shock-clickbait, and even too many charity pleas will cause you great harm. 

So, I am praising Zoom. It is a tool to be used carefully, like a chainsaw. Don't let go of it while it's on, and you'll be fine. 

Take good care,

C