As COVID-19 forces us all to grapple with new living and working realities, new fears and anxieties, and new responsibilities, we’re sharing some of the things getting us through and helping us wrap our heads around what to expect and what is needed.
This Washington Post article has simulations of how disease spreads with no, low, medium, and extreme social distancing. While many of us have a decent understanding of how transmission happens, these simulations clearly show how the curves get flattened.
Annie:
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Alia:
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Emma:
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
Rachel
editor
While the book The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them) may seem like a depressing choice, it’s also a timely one. It's a great reminder that humans can survive terrible things—in this case, natural disasters—and come out stronger on the other side. Lucy Jones, the “Beyoncé” of earthquakes according to the media, gives us all a healthy dose of science, real talk, and hope in this quick read.
Mimi
editor
Pandemics have always been around, and things have always fallen apart. But things have generally improved—as in become less deadly—because people have gotten better at using our interdependencies to strengthen public health and assuage anxieties. This article illustrates how we need to do both.
Go to Mimi’s pick
Go to Rachel’s pick
With the closing of schools, kids have a lot of time on their hands. My gifted daughter created this Spotify playlist for me, titled “A Very, Merry Boomer Quarantine,” and has allowed me to share it with the world.
Favorite books for hard times
Mimi:
Straight Man by Richard Russo and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Allan
senior advisor
Go to Allan’s pick
Galina
editorial associate
Go to Galina’s pick
