Books

Unmasked: Reflections on Virus-time – an anthology review

Curated by author Shamini Flint, this is an assemblage of thoughts and feelings by people from around the world on life during the pandemic - and hopefully after

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 15 Nov 2020 11:00AM

Unmasked: Reflections on Virus-time – an anthology review
Malaysian author Shamini Flint. – Picture courtesy of Shamini Flint, Nov 15, 2020

by Haikal Fernandez

2020 will either go down as the year of Covid, or it will go down as the year of a ‘new normal’ in human relations, where physical, emotional and social interactions will forever be affected by this knowledge of an invisible pathogen in the space between us.

‘Unmasked: Reflections on Virus-time’, a collection of poetry and art curated by author Shamini Flint, is an assemblage of thoughts and feelings by people from around the world on life during this scourge, and the possibility of what comes after. 

It is at times, hopeful and fearful, nostalgic and melancholic, sometimes all at once. 

The first poem ‘Lockdown Afternoon Rain’ (Malachi Edwin Vethamani) is a reflection on loneliness and isolation, of social activities cut off by governmental fiat. This is a theme carried on throughout the collection, filtered through different perspectives that ultimately arrive at the same end, that community is something that we have taken for granted. 

‘ini musim coronavirus’ (Muthu Ramiah) explores that idea through the perspective of the elderly, wherein the loss of freedom while one’s time is already limited is felt even more acutely. Life, or what’s left of it, is harder to appreciate with all the new rules.

On the other hand, there are more than enough stories exploring the brighter side of this crisis. ‘A gift’ (Cat Wheeler) focuses on a silver lining to the bleak reality, in which the vast expanse of time now available can be repurposed for the quest of self-discovery. 

The world beyond can be different, but we have to be different too. We all should emerge into a world aware of our shared place within it.

‘The Great Pause’ (Julian Matthews) sees value in the world stopping for a moment and taking the opportunity to appreciate life removed from the hustle and bustle. When things slow down we can appreciate the things that we often take for granted. 

‘A Cat, Covid and Garden Diary’ (Jo Kukathas) is one of the longer stories in the collection, and like many is focused on the value of time. But the time isn’t just used to better understand the self, it can be used to understand the weight of history happening all around us. It has a strong social justice throughline that sets it apart.

But there are also limits to the usefulness of this enforced alone time, what seemed refreshing at first can easily become draining after it becomes the new routine. 

‘Seven Things I Learnt from Covid-19’ (Maureen Tai) is a comical look at the liberation from expectations. The rules of parenting, once so regimented, can now be thrown out the window. The little daily victories gain more import.

Similarly, ‘Life during Lockdown’ (Terence Toh) is one of the funnier tales contained in the collection, as four family members have different experiences during the MCO while sharing the same roof. 

Meanwhile, ‘A Covid Education’ (Lindsey Byars) looks at parenthood under lockdown in a more distressing light, where the initial expectations of a productive, communal time in isolation with family runs into reality. 

Having all the time in the world doesn’t mean much when there are more responsibilities heaped upon oneself. Juggling that with the existential dread of the outside world is sometimes too much to bear. 

There are many tales suffused with sadness contained in the collection, and who can blame the writers. One just needs to open their eyes and gaze upon the statistics that continue to pile up day after day, as patterns are repeated over and over again. 

One story that is particularly affecting is ‘Mama passed away’ (Chow Ping Lee) as can be surmised by the title. The death of a loved one can be a cold and isolating event at any time, but a death in the era of Covid is even more so. Mourning now has to be done on schedule. 

‘Numbers’ (Heng Yeh), ‘Portrait of the Dead’ (Chen Yu Huan), ‘Coviding’ (Alvin Pang) explore the new drudgery of this slow-rolling apocalypse, as the days go on, hope remains elusive. Life goes on, because that’s what it does, new routines are born because they provide us with a sense of security. 

However, sooner or later, the virus will fade like every other pestilence that has afflicted humanity. Something closer to “normal” society will re-emerge from behind the locked doors and shuttered public spaces. 

‘Phase Two’ (Gwee Li Sui) repeats the refrain “What will it be like” when pondering the future. This is as much a question of possibility as it is a remembrance of the world left behind. It will be good to re-experience what was lost and have one’s belief in life re-affirmed. 

While ‘I see unnecessary unkindness’ (Lizy Cherian) sees hopelessness permeating people’s behaviour in an already bleak time, ‘Dominos’ (Shubashri Jeyaratnam) sees acts of exceptional kindness arising out of the despair. People can really make a difference in how they respond to tough times, no matter how big or small the act. 

The question is whether the kindness remains in a post-pandemic world, or does the negativity persist. Will humanity come out of this situation for the better, or will there be more suspicion and antipathy.

‘Circuit Breaker’ (Felix Cheong), the final story, examines the loss of intimacy and how the virus has forced all of us to accept isolation at a personal level. People are social creatures by nature, therefore this separation from one another is almost alien to who we are.

If, as we’ve been told, keeping our distance is a means of surviving, then is the opposite also true? Is being close to others a threat to our lives?  Intimacy and the vulnerability that that has always entailed has been scary. With a virus it is even more so. 

The coronavirus has affected so many people in so many places in so many different ways. ‘Unmasked’ reflects that reality. Time will tell whether this madness will pass or if people will get used to it. After all “normal” is a relative concept. – The Vibes, November 15, 2020

Unmasked: Reflections on Virus-time can be purchased online from Gerakbudaya.

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