Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19

ALONE TOGETHER edited by Jennifer Haupt was just released last month with the intent of supporting independent booksellers in need through the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.  The submissions of poems, essays and interviews were all donated by dozens of authors (Kwame Alexander, Meg Waite Clayton, Jamie Ford, Nikki Giovanni, Jean Kwok, to name just a few). This collection is subtitled “Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19” and it so seems appropriate to chronicle and share these experiences, especially today as some of our students and our faculty and staff begin the journey of blending in-person and remote learning. Haupt has divided the writings (many of which are only a page or two) into 5 sections: What Now? Grieve, Comfort, Connect and Do Not Stop. Library Journal described ALONE TOGETHER as “A testament to the power of story in times of hardship and crisis.” Last night I read several selections and rather than being saddened, I was actually very buoyed by the uplifting perspective and feeling that we are indeed all in this together. I could definitely see this text being used to prompt students’ own reflections, particularly as we move forward in the school year. Yale University Press will publish A World Out of Reach: Dispatches from Life under Lockdown next month. Please contact us with recommended titles of other collections related to COVID times.