10.15.20

The 33 Project

Hello hello. It’s a beautiful fall day. Truly beautiful outside. Which is so odd because I feel so empty. It’s like the draining began in late March and I’m starting to really, really feel it now.

Covid fatigue. Feels too gentle of a phrase. There’s just nothing to talk about, except the same stuff we talked about the day before. The only thing constantly evolving/changing, it feels, is in the genre of politics. Which is to say, everything is painful and awful. I fear, every other conversation that is new or different or consequential finds itself subject to the larger realities that are linked, without fail, to the political and thus cannot be considered their own entities. How can we talk about anything without talking about its relatedness to covid, which is related to our political system.

What is new? I went to the New Museum earlier this week and I’ve told a few people about it since. The bulk of the conversations end up being about the experience of visiting a museum during covid times. For example, what’s the process for entry? For viewing the art? How does the visit feel? What does experiencing art mean/feel/matter within the context of living in the time of covid? It happened again when I went for a walk on the Highline. The timed entry, the spaced out dots for keeping distance, the empty apartments open to view. It is impossible to experience anything without the offensively bright glare of covid. What are these experiences without covid?

More distractions? Ok. This week’s recs:

1/ “The Oreo had a soul.” This is a beautiful piece by Wesley Morris. He has a real talent for personal reflection and cultural connection. An enjoyable and meaningful read.

2/ I love the variety of the animation styles in this video about Queer Heroes.

3/ Simone Geirtz’s youtube channel is a real delight. She’s very funny and creative and the projects will make you smile and feel inspired to physically make something. Check her out.