Great Blossoming

Item

A journal entry dated March 19, 2020, reflecting on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with handwritten notes and photographs.

Title: Great Blossoming
Alternative Title: Great Blossoming
Creator: Karen Blessen
Date: 2020
Description: The left page features a photograph of a lush green tree with white flowers, partially obscuring a blue door and a colorful blanket. The right page includes a photograph of a tree trunk with a hollow, possibly a bird's nest, and handwritten notes in blue ink. The text is organized into sections with headings such as "MORE SHIT," "THE BLOSSOMING," and "THE BLOOMING."
Dates Completed: Feb 17, 2020 - March 29, 2020
Keywords: Great Blossoming; 29 Pieces; Origin story; 15-year anniversary; Covid-19 pandemic; Ankle replacement; Lockdown; Seeds; Garden metaphors; Shitstorm; Lotus blossom; Viral spread; Human care; Kelly’s surgery; Pandemic awareness; Lincoln NE; UNL library project; Frustrations; Phoebe Little; Yale admission; Shelley Thornton; Weeds; Coronavirus genome; Darkness; Recalibration; Post-surgery care; Joy of reading; Lynda II Gordon; Emily Dickinson biography; Lockdown struggles; Daily walks; Neighborhood photography; Grey days; Meditation group; Artistic survival tips; Vision and ethics; End of normal life; Growth cycle; Pandemic virus; Strength components; Tribal identity; National identity; Art from past pandemics; Human contact; Compassion; Sources of inspiration; Hilma af Klimt; Spiritual inspiration; The volcano blew
Transcription: Left Page:
March 19, 2020
Fear Spreads. We are all "social distancing" "sheltering in place." Within the shit + the weeds, there is blossoming. The shit? This coronavirus. Covid 19. People ill, dying, frightened, suffering and losing loved ones. People out of work looking to GOVERNMENT!! to bail them out. (this vile Government — or more exactly — VILE, SELFISH LEADERS.

Right Page:
MORE SHIT
• Damaged economy
• Kids' education disrupted, meals
• Kids at home for long days with their abusers.
• and on + on

THE BLOOMING
• The quiet
• The slowing down
• The cleaner air
• The time for reflection
• The gap in accumulate, a -cumulate,
• Time, to read. Relax. Walk. Cook.
• The galloping mania of humans + development is slowed.
Rights: To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
Is Part Of: Great Blossoming
Relation: Image Gallery