Life Writing: A Literary Métissage  During A Global Pandemic

Nicholas Ng-A-Fook; Carol M. Lee; Catherine E. Deri; Virginie Abat-Roy; Johanne Barrette; Aaron Sardinha Drake; Nyein Mya; Xiaoling Luo

doi:10.14288/tci.v18i1.195966

Authors

Nicholas Ng-A-Fook University of Ottawa
Carol M. Lee Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa
Catherine E. Deri University of Ottawa
Virginie Abat-Roy University of Ottawa
Johanne Barrette University of Ottawa
Aaron Sardinha Drake University of Ottawa
Nyein Mya University of Ottawa
Xiaoling Luo Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/tci.v18i1.195966

Keywords:

métissage, students, graduate students, pandemic

Abstract

As COVID-19 mutates and as our response to the virus evolves, this Literary Métissage documents our early reactions to the pandemics as phases or strands. Strand I, Navigating A Global Stand Still At Viral Speed, highlights our shock and incredulity. Strand II, Mediated: Slow Going - Virtually Alone, speaks to our slow acceptance of the situation and our readiness to begin adapting to it. Strand III, Social Distancing: Reflections Toward A Way Forward, engages with a phase of deep reflection and thought about the negative and positive implications of COVID-19 on and for shaping the social conditions of the world we live in.

Author Biographies

Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, University of Ottawa

Dr. Nicholas Ng-A-Fook is a Full Professor and Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies. He is the former Director of the Teacher Education and Indigenous Teacher Education Programs at the Faculty of Education. Dr. Ng-A-Fook is currently part of several federally funded SSHRC partnership grants that seek to disrupt settler colonialism, systemic racisms, and inequities across the school and university curriculum. He is created the FooknConversation podcast to address these challenges with colleagues, community activists, artists, educational leaders, teachers, and politicians.

Carol M. Lee, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa

Carol Lee is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, at the University of Ottawa. Her Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) funded doctoral research looks at collaborative youth story-making as an instrument of reconciliation. She publishes regularly in Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, where she has also been a guest editor.

Catherine E. Deri, University of Ottawa

Catherine E. Deri is a doctoral candidate at University of Ottawa. She recently completed a career transition to the field of education, after serving 25 years as a military officer with the Canadian Armed Forces. Her research interests focus on challenges experienced by graduate students and strategies to facilitate their socialization to the profession of scholar.

Virginie Abat-Roy, University of Ottawa

Virginie Abat-Roy is a PhD candidate studying the experience of service dog users through the lens of accessibility. Her research interests are the inclusion/exclusion processes, innovative teaching methods, PhotoVoice, and disability studies. She is studying at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Nathalie Bélanger, PhD. She is always accompanied by her Mira Foundation service dog.

Johanne Barrette, University of Ottawa

Johanne Barrette is a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. As a published author of seven children's books, a cultural writer, and a teacher, she is interested in preschool education. Her research aims to reconceptualize of early childhood education. Johanne Barrette a été rédactrice dans le domaine culturel et a publié sept albums jeunesse avant de devenir enseignante. Travailler auprès des enfants du préscolaire l’a conduite à souhaiter contribuer à la reconceptualisation de l’éducation à la petite enfance; projet qu’elle poursuit dans son parcours doctoral.

Aaron Sardinha Drake, University of Ottawa

Aaron Sardinha Drake is a Canadian-Trinidadian MA student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa studying antiracist curriculum. He is also a primary school educator. His background is in Dramatic Arts in Education and Social Justice Theatre. His current research focuses on antiracism in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board through the co-construction of a course titled Sankofa Centre of Excellence which focuses on the academic success and well-being of Black youth. Web Twitter

Nyein Mya, University of Ottawa

Nyein Mya is a MEd student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa Her research interests are in second language teaching, language and identities, and citizenship. Her current research investigates how she can better address the educational needs of newcomer, immigrant, and refugee students here in Canada. Her professional background is in ESL, citizenship, and adult education.

Xiaoling Luo, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa

Xiaoling Luo is currently a MA student in her second year in Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Joel Westheimer. Her thesis research involves Chinese Canadian students in Ontario and pertains to their experiences of Canadian citizenship education.

References

Bogart, N. (2020, March 12). Sophie Gregoire Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19; PM begins 14-day isolation, CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/sophie-gregoire-trudeau-tests-positive-for-covid-19-pm-begins-14-day-isolation-1.4850159

Breslow, J. (2021, June 1). Alpha, beta instead of Britain, South Africa. Why the WHO is renaming COVID variants. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/01/1002092594/covid-variant-uk-south-africa-renamed-alpha-beta#:~:text=via%20Getty%20Images-,The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20says%20it%20will%20start%20assigning%20new,avoid%20stigmatization%20around%20the%20virus

British Broadcasting Corporation. (2020, February 7). Li Wenliang: Coronavirus kills Chinese whistleblower doctor. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51403795

Bryden, J. (2020, March 24). One in five Canadians think COVID-19 pandemic blown out of proportion: Poll, CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/one-in-five-canadians-think-covid-19-pandemic-blown-out-of-proportion-poll-1.4866011

Chase, S. (2020, April 1). Quebec police set up checkpoints on bridge links with Ottawa to limit entry amid COVID-19 pandemic, The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-quebec-sets-up-checkpoints-on-road-links-from-ottawa-amid-new-travel/

Cohen, L. (1992). Athem on Future [album music recording]. Columbia Records.

Cooke, S. (1964). A Change is Gonna Come. [single music recording]. RCA Victor. Cover version recorded by The Main Squeeze. (2013, June 24). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdH-S_3e_c

DuBrowa, M. (2013). Extroverts and Introverts and 8am...Oh my! Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 30(1), 60–63.

Dunlap, K. (2021, April 30). Are the Tokyo Olympics in danger of being canceled?, Graham Media Group. https://www.ksat.com/sports/2021/04/30/are-the-tokyo-olympics-in-danger-of-being-canceled/

Dylan, B. (1964). The Times, They Are A-Changin’ [single music recording]. Warner Bros. Inc.

Elliott, J. (2021, June 1). Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta: WHO officially names COVID-19 variants of concern, Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/7910332/covid-19-variant-names-greek-letters/

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (2020). Coronavirus (COVID-19). https://google.org/crisisresponse/covid19-map

Fox, M. (2020, April 23). Zoom jumps 11% after company announces it added 100 million new users in 3 weeks (ZM), Markets Insider. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/zoom-stock-price-jumps-after-company-added-millions-users-coronavirus-2020-4-1029124065#

Fromm, E. (1968). The Revolution of Hope: Toward a Humanized Technology. Lantern Books.

GobblyWobbler (2020). Black Lives Matter protest 2020 on Reddit [online forum post].

https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/gxvwhp/black_lives_matter_protest_2020/

Government of Canada (2020). The Government of Canada’s response to COVID-19. https://pm.gc.ca/en/videos/2020/03/16/government-canadas-response-covid-19?p=1

Government of Ontario. (2020, February 12). Ontario Confirms Resolved Case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. https://news.ontario.ca/en/statement/55758/ontario-confirms-resolved-case-of-the-2019-novel-coronavirus

Government of Saskatchewan (2020, May 16). Phase 2 of Re-Open Saskatchewan continues [Tweet], Twitter. https://twitter.com/SKGov/status/1261797767225065473

Gunn, A. (2020, March 2). Canadians told to expect more measures to prevent coronavirus spread, Saltwire. https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/news/canada/canadians-told-to-expect-more-measures-to-prevent-coronavirus-spread-418436/

Kelly, J. (March 28, 2020). Coronavirus: The Month Everything Changed, BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52066956?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Kirby, J. (2020, March 9). Italy has put the entire country under travel restrictions to curb coronavirus, VOX. https://www.vox.com/2020/3/9/21171373/italy-coronavirus-quarantine-lombardy-conte

Labbé, S. (2020, February 27). Canada should prepare for a global pandemic: Canadian health officials. Tricity News. https://www.tricitynews.com/local-news/canada-should-prepare-for-a-global-pandemic-canadian-health-officials-3117853

LeBlanc, N., & Irwin, R. (2019). A/r/tography. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://oxfordre.com/education/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-393.

Leggo, C., Hasebe-Ludt, E. & Chambers, C. (2009). Life Writing and Literary Metissage as an Ethos for Our Times. New York: Peter Lang.

McCarten, J. (2020, June 1). Trudeau acknowledges ‘anti-black racism’ exists in Canada, US News. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/06/01/news/trudeau-acknowledges-anti-black-racism-exists-canada

Nebehay, S. (2021, May 24). ‘Scandalous inequity’: WHO says 75% of vaccines given out in just 10 countries, Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/7888608/who-covid-vaccine-sharing-inequity/

Osterholm, M. & Henderson, D. (2012). Life Sciences at a Crossroads: Respiratory Transmissible H5N1. Science - American Association for the Advancement of Science, 335(6070).

Osterholm, M. & Rogan, J. (2020, March 10). Joe Rogan Experience #1439. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw

Osterholm, M. T. (2017). Global Health Security—An Unfinished Journey. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(13). doi: 10.3201/eid2313.171528

Osterholm, M. T., Ballering, K. S., & Kelley, N. S. (2013). Major Challenges in Providing an Effective and Timely Pandemic Vaccine for Influenza A(H7N9). JAMA, 309(24), 2557. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.6589

Paltrow, S. (2020, March 28). New York’s paramedics unable to answer emergency calls as 20% of service ill, most with COVID-19, National Post. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/coronavirus-outbreak-is-stretching-new-yorks-ambulance-service-to-breaking-point

Peterson, C. (2018). Tales from the Far-Flung Faroes – The people who live on remote rocks in the North Atlantic, BBC On Line. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/faroe_islands_postal_service

Potter, M., Neely, J., & Elgood, G. (2020, March 28). Iran to Use 20% of State Budget to Fight Coronavirus, U.S.News. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-03-28/iran-to-use-20-of-state-budget-to-fight-coronavirus

Schmitt, É.-E. (2000). L’évangile selon Pilate. Albin Michel.

Slaughter, G. (2020, March 5). Canada confirms first 'community case' of COVID-19: Here's what that means, CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/canada-confirms-first-community-case-of-covid-19-here-s-what-that-means-1.4841249

Statistics Canada (2016). Data products, 2016 Census. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/index-eng.cfm

Stelmach, E. (2007). Alberta—Canada’s Engine of Growth, The Empire Club of Canada. http://speeches.empireclub.org/65979/data

Stone, L., Gray, J., & Alphonso, C. (2020, March 12-13). Ontario to close all public schools for two weeks after March break, The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-to-close-all-public-schools-for-two-weeks-after-march-break/

Swift, R. (2021, April 6). Japan fears COVID-19 variants are behind possible fourth wave. CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/japan-fears-covid-19-variants-are-behind-possible-fourth-wave-1.5375945

The Canadian Press (2020, March 28). A provincial breakdown of COVID-19 in Canada: 5,576 cases and 61 dead as of Saturday, National Post. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/a-provincial-breakdown-of-covid-19-in-canada-5576-cases-and-61-dead-as-of-saturday

The New York Times. (2020, February 6). Wuhan Rounds Up the Infected as Death Toll in China Jumps. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html#link-3cb0be85

Thomson, B. (2020, June 3). The first coronavirus case emerged in Hubei in NOVEMBER, Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8108951/Leaked-government-records-reveal-coronavirus-case-emerged-Hubei-NOVEMBER.html

Wingrove, J., Mohsin, S., & Jacobs, J. (2020, March 17). Mnuchin Warns Virus Could Yield 20% Jobless Rate Without Action, Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-17/mnuchin-warns-virus-could-yield-20-jobless-rate-without-action-k7wheob8

World Health Organization (2020, February 16-24). Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf

World Health Organization (2020, March 24). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 64. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200324-sitrep-64-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=703b2c40_2

World Health Organization (2021, January 25). Timeline: WHO’s COVID-19 response. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/interactive-timeline?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4cOEBhDMARIsAA3XDRgLetlE6fF3ejEd9Ig1qVLkec7ZeWWeRlPbd_Aq7524AKVhzDT7obUaArYCEALw_wcB#!

Worldometer (2020). COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

Life Writing

A Literary Métissage During A Global Pandemic