2020: The Year of the Asterisk edited by Greg Gerding
For the fortunate, last year’s shutdown was like hitting a pause button. It became time to reflect. Poet-provocateur Greg Gerding invited friends from various places to send him the short essays that comprise 2020: The Year of the Asterisk. Their tone ranges from neurotic and angry to dispassionately observant. The reality of America versus the ideal was thrown into contrast; some writers found a sense of connection and affiliation through marching with BLM. Many were already expecting Doomsday after the 2016 election. Little things kept some of the writers sane—like taking walks, cleaning closets. The system that promised to manufacture and distribute happiness was malfunctioning and, in the words of one essayist (who speaks for millions): “Oh crap, what now!?”
