Quaranzine #1

A collection of creative works that show how our community is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 20, 2020

April 20, Berlin Staff Edition

Quaranzine is a collection of creative works that share and document how our community is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone is invited to submit their work, from age zero to eleventy-one! Submit your own work.

 

Poem title: The Distance. Poem: Spring flies by, I watch from inside. My favorite season From a distance. The phone rings My heart sings Love... From a distance. A birthday, Just another day. Family wishes From a distance. Praying daily, Thanks aplenty. Maybe from God There is no distance.

Helen Malinka, ‘The Distance.’

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A grocery store isle with empty shelves

Cyndi Goode, ‘Stop and Shop or Not.’ Paper Goods?

Glass double doors with two signs that read 'CLOSED'

Carrie Tyszka, ‘Library Closed Signs.’ This picture was taken on the first day that the library was closed to the public due to the pandemic.

A painted rock that reads 'May we all be healthy, happy, & peaceful'

Cyndi Goode, ‘Easter Vibes.’ Messages of hope everywhere…

Four children with their hands on a window from the inside. Two adults wave from outside.

Anonymous, ‘Visiting the Grandkids.’

Recipe for Lazy Overnight Rustic Bread (click for text)

Andrea Raynor, ‘Lazy Overnight Rustic Bread.’ When I’m stuck inside, this bread fills the need to do SOMETHING while also doing NOTHING. The ingredients are simple. It takes a while to rise and bake, but most of that time is spent watching Netflix (or IndieFlix).

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Small budding flowers

Anonymous. The first signs of spring! We’ve been taking walks around the neighborhood to get some sunshine (and prevent cabin fever).

Top: Child looks at cupcakes; Bottom: computer screen with several people videoconferencing

Laurie Finke, ‘Birthday While Quarantined.’ We used Zoom so family could sing “Happy birthday” for my daughter’s 3rd birthday and watch her blow out her candle.

Poem title: Quarantine Blues Poem: Checking in and checking out, all put on hold. Without a doubt. The book drop’s closed and we’re all home finding new ways to keep you entertained and feeling un-alone. / 3-D Printing of PPE’s are just some ways in which libraries are helping. We’ve got bonus Hoopla, Overdrive, and Ancestry, oh my! What are you doing here?! Go look up your Aunt Vye! / Webinars and training tools. So much to learn it’s like we’re back in school! Lots of planning now, but please mind your space. So we can eventually open this place. / We miss your kindness and your face and the way you manage to keep your fine balance at $9.98! / If when you see us next please don’t you be alarmed if there’s a barrier between us it’s designed - to keep us all safe you see - catching this virus is as easy as 1, 2, 3. / The life of a public servant is sometimes wearying but when we all get it right there’s really not a thing - that can get in the way of, sully, or disturb our, librarying. / I’ll let you in on a secret. One I think you know is true. This job is but a dream and we love serving you. / We’ll make it amazing together again, I know we’ll make it through. And we’ll see all your bright shining faces, at this rate, probably sometime in June.

Jonathan, ‘Quarantine Blues.’

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Three rolls of toilet paper on a shelf. Handwritten sign that says 'use less!'

Miss Annie, ‘TP at home.’ Conserving resources has been a theme throughout the pandemic. I made this creepy little sign for myself about a month ago when I scored the last pack of organic toilet paper from the Health Food section at Stop N’ Shop. Who knew there was such a thing as TP made from recycled bamboo??

Needle and foot of a sewing machine.

Anne Henriques, ‘Eye of the Storm.’ Many of us have spent countless hours creating masks, and as I thought about these weeks that I’ve spent at time, I realized I’ve spent much more time with my sewing machine than probably ever before. A photographer friend of mine shares photos that he calls “Art is Everywhere,” and as I looked at my sewing machine, I loved the look of the metal and cloth combined with the reality of its use.