MARCH 27, 2020

We’ve made it through our second full week of homeschooling in isolation (with many thanks to Audible Stories, and we say that’s cause for a safe, socially distant break. Perhaps something like…

A house party for the homebound

With his signature wide-brim hat and an incredible view of Los Angeles behind him, DJ DNice is keeping spirits high with an endless playlist of hits—and everyone is invited. The beloved DJ’s appropriately-titled Homeschool jam sessions have drawn more than 100,000 viewers and counting to his personal Instagram page, where partygoers have rubbed shoulders on the virtual dance floor with the likes of Gabrielle Union, Tiffany Haddish, Common and even former First Lady Michelle Obama who tapped the DJ to help her host a voter-registration party Wednesday night. We can’t wait to slip on our best sweatpants and dancing shoes to see who drops by Club Quarantine this weekend.

That Coronavirus stress? Some of it’s grief

Sadness. Pain. Compulsively imagining worst-case scenarios. And never knowing the right thing to say. As it turns out, mental health in a pandemic doesn’t just have a lot in common with grief—it IS grief, according the Harvard Business Review. The article shares tips from renowned grief expert David Kessler, whose work is included in our list of the best audiobooks on grief; he suggests that accepting this moment as temporary, acknowledging our feelings, and practicing compassion will help us reach the important sixth stage: Finding Meaning. Now excuse us while we flex our newfound wisdom with a good cry.

A writer who always fills the pantry in our heart

No one knows how to draw the levity out of the strange seasons of life like comedic memoirist David Sedaris. And this week he delivered the exact amount of laughs we needed with this surprisingly thoughtful admission of his failures…as a hoarder. And in the tradition of much of his story-telling, this essay doubled as a touching ode to his father, who would have faced COVID-19 down by buying pallets of fruit cocktail. As for Sedaris junior, his best attempt at hoarding via Whole Foods netted out with the purchase of two steaks and some dried coconut, so don't blame him for your lack of toilet paper!

Listening as an antidote to hate

We've been heartened to see how people have come together to help the vulnerable through a time of crisis: by buying their groceries, picking up their prescriptions, sewing them masks, and calling to check in on them. But unfortunately, COVID-19 has also brought about a worrying uptick in discrimination against Asian Americans. In the spirit of coming together to honor each others' humanity, we've put together a special collection of memoirs that show the breadth of Asian American experiences, including listens by Ali Wong, David Chang, Chanel Miller, and more.

Choose your own romance adventure

Last week, our editors shared the listens that are helping them through this time of isolation. If you’re someone who’s been leaning into romance while quarantining, then actress/media mogul Lena Dunham is here for you. Dunham is partnering with Vogue to write a serialized romance during self-isolation—and bonus, fans get to pick the direction the story goes.

...or a true story that’s top of mind

The new streaming documentary about legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist Madame CJ Walker may be the latest example of a book-to-screen situation that folks have found lacking. Though it’s based on the biography by Walker’s great, great granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, it does take creative liberties. But for Bundles the main takeaway is the raised awareness that many will have of her historic ancestor, and she hopes they’ll seek out more facts on their own. We learn through many avenues, right?

For more greatness in isolation: