Lockdown has taught us many things, but for the most part, I think it has also emphasized what is important and what is not. An industry that took a battering over the past 5 months is the arts. Many things we used to rely on for entertainment were taken away when it was announced that the air we were breathing was poisonous. Going to the theatre or cinema would be no more.
I would like to say lockdown has been relatively ok for a 20-year-old student, but I don’t think I can. It sounds melodramatic, however, lockdown has certainly tested me. After losing our beloved family cat, Violet, to cancer, I did not think much else could go wrong. Two months later, my sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. We were informed by the professionals that she would need surgery and further treatment. Though we were lucky to catch it as quickly as we did, and for Odette to have treatment very quickly, it was not an easy situation to have to cope with. Never did I think I would say that my sister has cancer at 20. Amongst the two hits of cancer our family has received, I’ve been trying to balance doing a degree online and managing my own mental health. I’d like to think lockdown has taught me to be resilient.
Equally, I have many things to be grateful for; the continuous support from loved ones is something that I will forever hold close to me. And here are some of the things that have got me through the past few months. I have put my most highly rated in bold (aware I now sound like a Netflix category).
What I’ve Been Reading:
Once I had submitted all my work for my second year at Warwick it initially felt amazing. However, I soon became itching for something to fill my days with. I never thought I would miss sitting at my laptop, but, after spending months of Designated-Desk-Days it felt strange not having anything to dedicate my hours to. So, in preparation for my third year and general pleasure I have been taking to reading as much as possible.
Here are some of the reads I have got through (so far):
Fiction:
– North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
– Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
– Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
– The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
– Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
– The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht
– Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth
– The Accidental by Ali Smith
Non-Fiction:
– Coal Black Mornings by Brett Anderson
– Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
– The Iceberg by Marian Coutts
Poetry:
– Prufrock and Other Observations by T.S Eliot
– Selected poems of Denise Riley
– Plath
– She Must Be Mad by Charly Cox
– I Must Be Living Twice by Eileen Myles
Short Stories
– Good People by David Foster Wallace
– Corrie by Alice Munro
What I’ve Been Listening to:
I have also been listening to music every.single.day. Some new albums I have enjoyed are:
– The End of Everything – Noah Cyrus
– folklore- Taylor Swift
– crybaby – Lil Peep
– Chromatica – Lady Gaga
– After Hours – The Weeknd
– Notes On A Conditional Form – The 1975
I make a Spotify playlist every month so I will leave a link to my profile if you are interested.
What I’ve Been Watching:
Another great way that the ats has kept us all occupied is through television; whether it be on Netflix, ITV, Iplayer, Amazon Prime and all of the above – we are so lucky to have the number of series, movies and shows that we do. Below I have listed all the programs and series I have watched during lockdown.
Series:
– Belgravia
– The Fall Series 1, 2 & 3
– The Nest
– The Split
– The Crown Series 2
– When They See Us
– Luther
– Doctor Foster
– You Series 2
– Unorthodox
– Tiger King
– Little Fires Everywhere
– Salisbury Poisonings
– Hollywood
– Friday Night Dinner
– The Marvellous Mrs Maisel
– Normal People
– Mrs America
– Desperate Housewives
– Hillary
– Jeffrey Epstein
– Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything
– Celebrities In Therapy
– Gwyneth Paltrow Goop Lab
Perhaps my lists can provide you with some inspiration over what you might next listen to, read or watch. Equally, if you have any recommendations for me, do let me know – some of the best things I have read and watched have been suggested by a friend.
Nevertheless, I hope this blog can reiterate how important the arts are in our daily lives. Could you imagine a world without music? TV? Books? I don’t think I would last long.
IVC