Stephanie Elizondo Griest, 45, Writer
Carrboro, North Carolina
Stephanie, sheltering in place in Carrboro, NC
Hola everybody! My name is Stephanie Elizondo Griest and I am a 45-year-old writer originally from the Texas-Mexico borderlands who is quarantining in Carrboro, North Carolina, a bohemian enclave of Chapel Hill.
Aside from your creative work do you have any additional source of income?
The fact I can say yes comes courtesy of our last economic crisis. Back in 2008, I was a nomad living entirely from my writing. Everything I owned was either strapped to my back or scattered in attics around the globe. When the stock market collapsed, I lost about three-fourths of my annual income practically overnight. It was so scary, I started firing off applications to MFA programs—a trajectory that has since landed me a tenured professorship at the Creative Writing Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Though it was quite an adjustment to my lifestyle as a travel writer, I have loved working with students. During the pandemic, the stability of this job has also been a tremendous gift.
Who do you live with and how do you feel about that?
Though the only heartbeat in my household is my own, this has been an immensely social time. I haven’t talked on the phone this much since I was fifteen! Or hand-written as many letters, or made as many cards or care packages. Every few days, I hop on Zoom with a different configuration of friends around the world. So I might be alone, but I feel deeply connected right now.
How are you spending your time?
The first goal of the day is to not check the news; otherwise, I spend the whole morning in bed, anxiously scrolling. Instead, I take an online yoga class or meditate or write in my journal. Then I work for much of the day before heading out for a long walk or bike ride. We’ve had an exceptional spring here in North Carolina; everything is blooming and fragrant. Though I have never been able to keep so much as a pot of basil alive in the past, my concern about food security has inspired me to start a porch garden. Everything with an obvious seed, I dunk into dirt to see what happens: tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, marigolds, sunflowers, even a nub of ginger. And lots of herbs. Quite a few hours are spent in the kitchen (since entering quarantine on March 12, I have eaten only three meals I didn’t cook myself) and the rest is spent on the phone or Zoom. Somehow, this all adds up to a strangely full day. I have watched almost no movies or listened to much music and have done surprisingly little reading either, save for Sunday night, when I conclude the week with a bubble bath and a volume of Lucille Clifton.
How is the pandemic impacting you?
It has been obliterating to watch this madness unfold. I fear for so many. Yet in my own tiny world corner, the dominant emotion is gratitude. I am profoundly thankful to be two years beyond cancer treatment and one year beyond the death of my father. I can’t imagine enduring such experiences now. Last year, I also bought the home in which I am quarantining. I named her Casa Serena the day I moved in, and she is living up to her name.
What do you want to accomplish personally and/or professionally during this time?
I am giving myself permission to just be in the moment right now. I am documenting what I witness with diligence, but my focus is survival—both my own and that of my community. Two friends are severely immuno-compromised; a former student is having a housing crisis; hundreds of families here in Carrboro do not have enough to eat; our local business are floundering. That is where I am channeling my energy.
What kind of world do you want to see on the other side of this?
I want an equitable world in which the environment is respected and so is every inhabitant. I want universal health care. I want student loan forgiveness. I want a humane immigration policy that protects those escaping violence. I want us all to gather close and breathe.
How can people find you and support you and your work?
Come say hi at www.StephanieElizondoGriest.com, or on Twitter/Instagram at @selizondogriest. Gracias!