We’ve been bombarded by COVID news throughout 2020, much of it alarming, contradictory and, sometimes, misleading. This prompt invites you to muddy the waters even more.
1) Gather a group of websites/newspapers, preferably ones that span across regions or political positions. 5-10 items will do.
2) Highlight headlines that strike you, no matter why that is. Choose anything that prompts you to read on! Are they bizarre, dramatic, poetic or just plain ridiculous? Aim for 15-20 headlines.
3) List the headlines in no particular order, and notice the story that they tell as a group.
4) Begin to weave the headlines into a narrative going down the page. Consider which lines create a surprising juxtaposition, which contradict one another, and which may introduce or conclude the sequence.
5) Give the sequence a title. Think about what may challenge the narrative of the sequence, or use a headline that didn’t fit into the sequence.
6) Send us the results at poetryandcovid@gmail.com