Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco

Covid Disco meditates on the extraordinary time of loss, isolation, and bizarre rituals of the Covid era and its aftermath.

In Covid Disco, Karen Finley processes the pandemic in all its complexity--from the collective coping strategies during isolation and loss to the absurd new habits we acquired, from handwashing to wiping down groceries to decorative double masks and Zoom dance parties.

The New York City hotspot echoes an earlier AIDS era; that rage and sorrow remain part of the City's DNA. During COVID, tragic historic events, such as the police murder of George Floyd and the continued brutality on Black and brown bodies, challenged the nation. Revolution took to the streets. The reversal of Roe v Wade and the criminalizing of trans peoples' bodies, mental health realities, houselessness, essential workers' rights, and social isolation brought desperate conditions. Finley reflects on these traumas, asking how do we employ love despite the hate, to encourage humanity despite proliferating violence?

Covid Disco looks back while also looking forward, offering art as salvation, and the deep belief in the power of words, compassion, and humor to transcend the harsh realities of today. Finley's inimitable poetic language is as incantatory as going to church. The maelstrom of feelings she captures in this suite of poems will make you laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page.