When we picked this year’s theme, which is centered on an approaching storm and a return to clear skies, we had no idea how apt it would be. Now here we are, in the uncomfortable quiet that we only experience in the eye of a storm. We are working alone in our own homes, communicating through technology and meeting once a week using the ubiquitous Zoom.
I have missed my students more than they know, and I have been worrying over them, too. They are adjusting to the most abnormal normal that I have seen in my lifetime, and I hope they will never see anything like it again in theirs. The goal is to ride out the storm.
When the semester started, I was sure that the 2020 issue of Go Anywhere would be the best one yet. I have a wonderful staff this year, and for the first time ever, we would have the opportunity to meet three hours a week as an official class. Last year’s issue won the first place award for the Central Region of the U.S. in the CCHA’s literary magazine contest, and I felt confident that this year’s edition would be even stronger.
Now, I have gone from being determined to produce the best edition ever to being determined to produce the best one possible under the circumstances. I haven’t really been a very good sport about it. My students, however, despite upheavals in their academic lives, their working lives, and sometimes, their personal lives, have remained dedicated and calm. They inspire me every day.No matter how loudly the wind howls or the thunder crashes; no matter how chill the rains or sharp the hail; no matter how dire the forecast, I have been able to depend on my talented staff and the many talented writers and artists who have contributed to Go Anywhere 2020: Through the Storm.
I am grateful for them all.