Hey there,
Over the past couple weeks, I've noticed that "neighbors" are much more than just the people who I happen to live close to. You build a real sense of community through hardship. On my block, we've been helping each other out with grocery runs, dropping off baked goods, borrowing emergency paper products, and every night at 8 p.m., the whole street comes out to applaud and howl for healthcare and essential workers. There are some very interesting interpretations of drumming and aggressively played tambourines. After the cheer, everyone shouts goodnight to each other. And this week, one house announced they'd just become grandparents and everyone cheered for them.
Another high point in that community spirit came when an engaged couple a few blocks away decided to get married on their front lawn. Their friends and family watched over Zoom or from parked cars and the whole neighborhood celebrated with them. There was even a local news story about it.
I hope that wherever you, you're doing your best to reach out safely to the folks around you. We can't solve these problems on our own, but building solidarity and community is important and powerful too. Also, there's a high probability that one of your neighbors is baking something right now, and you can dramatically increase your odds of getting a slice.
Upcoming Events
LIVESTREAMS:
- TODAY Saturday, May 9nd at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET
COME ON DOWN, YOU'RE ALREADY HERE! Another edition of my Zoom game show where audience members from around the globe compete to win the grand prize of an autographed sheet of toilet paper. Today's show features comedians Zack Bornstein (SNL, Comedy Central) and Caroline Martin (Netflix's Astronomy Club). Link
This week’s list
GREAT:
Mimi and Brownie became best friends when they served together as Army nurses during World War II. Now, these two 100-year-olds talk on the phone every single day. Filmmaker Veena Rao tells their story in this video for Pop-Up Magazine. It's heartwarming and hilarious and a good reminder that 100-year-old women curse too. Best Friends for 74 Years (I love all of Veena's short films, which are a particularly good way to escape into other worlds. For more, check out Rebuilding in Miniature or Mumbai Mornings)
FUNNY:
Shannon Reed is a writer and professor in Pittsburgh. She's the author of a new book, coming out in June, called Why Did I Get a B?: And Other Mysteries We’re Discussing in the Faculty Lounge. As you can probably tell by the title, she's carved out a niche serving up the best comedy writing about teaching. This piece for McSweeney's is one of the funniest and most popular they've ever published. If People Talked to Other Professions The Way They Talk to Teachers
INTERESTING:
Speaking of teachers, I spent the last couple weeks helping produce this YouTube series where celebrities are paired up with high school instructors to help them make remote lessons. The goal was to, hopefully, create videos that students would get excited about watching but also stick to actual learning standards for high school courses. It was a strange experience to try and shoot a show fully remote, but I think the videos came out pretty well. More lessons to come from Janelle Monae, Terry Crews, Bill Nye, and more. First up, Ken Jeong explains the human digestive system. Celebrity Substitute
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Take care of yourselves and each other,
Chris