Staying in with ... Nazanine Hozar
With galleries locked, concert halls closed and theatres dark, Postmedia has reached out to B.C. artists of all types to find out what they are doing during these trying COVID-19 times.
Vancouver author Nazanine Hozar, whose debut novel Aria has just been nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize (a B.C. Book Prize awarded annually to the best work of fiction by a resident of British Columbia), has taken some time to answer our isolation questionnaire.
Q Where are you spending most of your time?
A I’m in my studio apartment, mostly on my couch.
Q Who are you with? A My family.
Q Where are you getting your information?
A WHO, scientific journals like Science and Nature, as well as the updates from Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Q What is something you are doing that you don’t normally do?
A Posting updates on social media from WHO and the journals I mentioned. I rarely used social media before, but feel it’s important to help get vital, correct information out there at this time.
Q What do you have lots of in your cupboards?
A I haven’t overstocked. I don’t have a lot of anything. It’s important to free up the supply chains and understand there is enough produce and goods to go around.
Q What have you been reading?
A Updated scientific papers about the virus, as well as the research material I was reading before for a novel I’m working on. I also recently picked up Don Quixote again. I find the combination of tragedy and absurdity calming for some reason, maybe because it reflects reality.
Q What have you been watching?
A Ridiculously cute videos of animals on Youtube to lighten the mood. As well as a hilarious British show called The Windsors.
Q What are you doing for exercise?
A Pacing around my apartment. Dancing with my cats.
Q What worries you?
A Scientific illiteracy, as well as people who are either ignorant or too stubborn to take social distancing and self-isolation seriously.
Q When this ends, what will be different?
A I couldn’t possibly know. Hopefully better science education and a greater respect for health-care workers who are angels on Earth.