I’ve kept this journal during an extraordinarily dense moment in U.S. history: pandemic, economic devastation, #BlackLivesMatter protests, presidential election. But much — perhaps most — of the journal has involved the personal.
When I started writing, I wanted to do nothing more than track what was happening in the world, in my household, in my brain, during what I anticipated would be a moment of intense change. I still wake up most days having no idea what I’ll write. But I often return to subjects; over 100-plus posts, themes have emerged (see below). I’ve also learned that I have an audience of sorts. Aside from perhaps The Girlfriend, none of you is obliged to read any post; yet blog statistics show many of you return regularly.
Many of you are of course family and friends; you may read strictly to keep up with news of our family. If that’s true, please tell me. Many of you may read to hear a perspective from the epicenter of the early U.S. pandemic; if so, that would be useful information. If you read because you enjoy my voice or the quality of the writing, that would also be good to know. If you’re skimming for sexy bits and zombies, perhaps keep that to yourself.
I know why I do this every day (which has changed over the months, to be sure), but I’m equally interested to know: Why do you read? What brings you back? I am asking here because I’m in the early stages of turning these months of reportage into something more coherent, complete, refined: a CoronaWorld chronicle from Brooklyn.
As I begin imagining what might make this appealing as a book, your feedback would be both useful and appreciated. For one, if you can note any subjects or themes that have struck you or that you especially enjoy, that could help me winnow 100-plus days of material.
Possible themes:
Family (The Kid/The Co-Parent; The Girlfriend/The Girlfriend’s family; Mom and my siblings)
Family history
Observations of life in Brooklyn
Oral histories of educators
Health
Job/economy
Mourning
Uncertainty
National politics
Protest
Racism
Food
Music
Any feedback, advice, critique — even if it’s just a sentence or a couple of words — is welcome. Over the past four months I’ve appreciated connecting with so many of you. I feel like we’ve engaged not just in conversation but a project of seeking meaning during a time of fear and uncertainty. That’s been of immense value to me.
You can connect with me in a few ways: through Facebook, either in response to this post or via Facebook messenger; through Twitter’s direct message system; or by writing a comment in response to this post at the blog, http://tappedoutyawning.blogspot.com/. (Blog comments don’t become public until I approve them, so let me know if you’d like your comment to remain private or be published as a response.)
To all, thanks for your feedback, and thanks for reading.
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