What do you think?
Rate this book
As the World Burns: Writers and Artists Reflect on a World Gone Mad
As the World Burns: Writers and Artists Reflect on a World Gone Mad is an anthology of poetry, prose, essay, and art inspired by the unprecedented events of the year 2020. It embraces fierce and raw creative works relating to life during the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump, and the economic uncertainty and horror of the last eight months. One hundred and fourteen writers and artists spanning ten countries and 30 states are represented in this powerful volume. It is both a story of survival and an act of resistance. "We speak with many voices, to the damage wrought in these violent, fevered months. Let us never forget or turn away, from what is just, what is necessary, to keep light alive in this world."
- GenresPoetry
412 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2020
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Kindra M. Austin
18 books33 followersKindra M. Austin is an author and editor from Michigan. She is the co-founder of Indie Blu(e) Publishing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 23, 2020
It is such a relevant anthology of the times, showcasing the arduousness of 2020. 114 writers, poets, and artists have contributed to this book filling it with stories of the difficulties and raw emotions in navigating current social, political, and medical travesties. Black Lives Matter, the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump, and the insecurities felt during the upheavals occurring in our nation, and our world is front and center in this anthology. It is a book facing them all head-on, revealing our humanity but also our strength. I was honored to participate in this relevant project and share my views along with all the other talented people who contributed to it.
January 16, 2023
This is an interesting recording by numerous contributors, of the status of the world and society in the run up to the Covid lockdowns, and during the subsequent on-going pandemic. The writings, which comprise of mainly poetry, but also some essays and visual art pieces, also cover events that ran parallel to the lockdowns and pandemic that had an impact on society and politics.
Reading this anthology is an adventure as the messages are intense and vivid and the styles of writing hugely varied due to the significant number of contributors. Although not all the styles of poetry appealed to me, they were all memorable due to the strong emotional messaging, and well worth reading.
My favourite poems are as follows: Falls the Shadow by John W. Leys, I Think the Birds don't Care by Kelsey Hontz (the words "Somebody has mixed up the two themes of apocalypse and paradise, which would be a fireable offense if anybody were still in the director's chair for this year of hindsight." really resonated with me.), Lately by L. Stevens, Quarantine by Andrew McDowell, Upon Waking in a Pandemic by Christine E. Ray, Choice Perhaps by Jane Dougherty, Thirteen Ways of Looking at Life before the Virus by Leslea Newman, Am I Angry? by John W. Leys, Virus by Erik Klingenberg (nightpoet), and Tumbling by Merril D. Smith.
Two of the essays, were particularly interesting to me. I-Soul-Ation by Dr. Sneha Rooh. The closing words of this essay have sadly not come to fruition, in my opinion:
"I would like to think that we will hug people longer, be grateful to be able to work, that we will smile brighter when the masks come off and we'll let the smiles fully enter our hearts, that we will be careful abut the lies sold to us and remember that we are precious mortals with precious lives and an immense ability to connect and care."
I am of the view, that the world has returned to its previous status quo with alarming speed and that as a species, we have learned nothing from the lockdowns and the pandemic.
The other essay I particularly enjoyed was Serendipity by Kim D. Bailey.
This book is an important documenting of life during this difficult and stressful time of life when the entire world united to face a common enemy. Sadly, we have still not learned our lesson, as I mentioned above, but perhaps some of us have found more courage to fight for a better eventual outcome for our planet and for humanity.
Reading this anthology is an adventure as the messages are intense and vivid and the styles of writing hugely varied due to the significant number of contributors. Although not all the styles of poetry appealed to me, they were all memorable due to the strong emotional messaging, and well worth reading.
My favourite poems are as follows: Falls the Shadow by John W. Leys, I Think the Birds don't Care by Kelsey Hontz (the words "Somebody has mixed up the two themes of apocalypse and paradise, which would be a fireable offense if anybody were still in the director's chair for this year of hindsight." really resonated with me.), Lately by L. Stevens, Quarantine by Andrew McDowell, Upon Waking in a Pandemic by Christine E. Ray, Choice Perhaps by Jane Dougherty, Thirteen Ways of Looking at Life before the Virus by Leslea Newman, Am I Angry? by John W. Leys, Virus by Erik Klingenberg (nightpoet), and Tumbling by Merril D. Smith.
Two of the essays, were particularly interesting to me. I-Soul-Ation by Dr. Sneha Rooh. The closing words of this essay have sadly not come to fruition, in my opinion:
"I would like to think that we will hug people longer, be grateful to be able to work, that we will smile brighter when the masks come off and we'll let the smiles fully enter our hearts, that we will be careful abut the lies sold to us and remember that we are precious mortals with precious lives and an immense ability to connect and care."
I am of the view, that the world has returned to its previous status quo with alarming speed and that as a species, we have learned nothing from the lockdowns and the pandemic.
The other essay I particularly enjoyed was Serendipity by Kim D. Bailey.
This book is an important documenting of life during this difficult and stressful time of life when the entire world united to face a common enemy. Sadly, we have still not learned our lesson, as I mentioned above, but perhaps some of us have found more courage to fight for a better eventual outcome for our planet and for humanity.
July 20, 2021
Marvelous
This collection is a magnificent look at the world during the pandemic and all the rage surrounding us in the days before lockdown. I found it to be an honest and open look at others take on things that I might have missed. I would recommend this to anyone who finds themselves wondering into the unknown world of another persons reality.
This collection is a magnificent look at the world during the pandemic and all the rage surrounding us in the days before lockdown. I found it to be an honest and open look at others take on things that I might have missed. I would recommend this to anyone who finds themselves wondering into the unknown world of another persons reality.
April 26, 2021
These pieces -- mostly poetry, but some prose and visual art -- are all boiling over with feeling. The technical mastery varies, but there's nothing dry in here. Reflections on the year 2020, the year so unlike any we've ever experienced.
A few of my favorites: Pandemonium by Marcia Weber; Postcard from Pandemic by Robert Okaji; What I Discovered in the Pandemic by Kim Harvey: No More Kissing in Paris by Maria Gray (one of my favorite poem titles of all time); Eden by Rachel Finch; P is for Pangolin by Henri Bensussen.
A few of my favorites: Pandemonium by Marcia Weber; Postcard from Pandemic by Robert Okaji; What I Discovered in the Pandemic by Kim Harvey: No More Kissing in Paris by Maria Gray (one of my favorite poem titles of all time); Eden by Rachel Finch; P is for Pangolin by Henri Bensussen.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews