NEW PUBLICATION: These Hands

I’m happy to announce the forthcoming publication of my short story, “These Hands,” which appears in Essential Voices: A Covid-19 Anthology (out July 1, 2023). This book captures a moment in time when we were in lockdown, highlighting the creative voices of those less likely to be heard in the broader media.

As for my story, “These Hands” is a fictional account of what the first wave of the pandemic was like for construction workers, particularly glass workers. I wrote it in early January of 2021, almost a year into the pandemic, a time when many general contractors were trying to keep their sites open at all costs, workers be damned. It was a curious time to be in the industry, to say the very least.

If you’re interested, you can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon (Can), Amazon (US), Indigo! (Can), and West Virginia University Press.

Many thanks. Happy reading.

FULL DESCRIPTION

Bringing together artwork, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, Essential Voices shares the perspectives of people from vulnerable populations as they were affected by COVID-19 in 2020, before the release of the vaccine. The pieces in this volume represent a range of writers and artists, some from international locations, whose work may be less likely to be seen because of race, ethnicity, or current legal status. Contributors include individuals who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or seniors; those who are immunocompromised or undocumented; those working in medicine, food service, factories, and sanitation; and parents who were unable to work from home, along with individuals who were being held in correctional facilities or facing mental health concerns. This multigenre collection preserves the history of the pandemic by documenting and publishing these essential voices.

Essential Voices will be of interest to readers who want to consider the diverse lived experiences of people during the pandemic when outcomes were most uncertain. It will also be useful for teachers, students, activists, and policy makers in a variety of settings, including government, hospitals, prisons, homeless shelters, colleges, art schools, and secondary schools.