ABSTRACT
The chapter gives insight into the manifold struggles that academics encounter while writing. In the face of the first COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020, the chapter surfaces some of the lingering questions of how, when and why to write academically. The chapter traces everyday implications of COVID-19, and repeatedly strays into poetic explorations of how concerns for necessity, rigor, motivation, urgency and solidarity were reshuffled vis-à-vis the pandemic. The chapter reflects on the acute struggle, and different bodily and mental states of wanting to write, wanting to write differently, wanting to lie down, wanting to travel, move, move on from lockdown mode. In short, the chapter interweaves a critical reflection on the partially narrow silos of knowledge production via journal articles, and the desire to stay relevant in the face of global meltdowns. At last, the short contribution presents a medley of irritation and inspiration, hoping to advocate for a mindset of being [un]grounded – that is, to stay afloat amidst the challenges academia articulates from within.
