Cara Natterson's Blog, page 6

What School Might Look Like

Hi, summer. You look different. Did you get a new haircut? You just don’t feel very familiar this year. Maybe it’s that the cadence of your day is, basically, identical to the rhythm of a few weeks ago, when everyone was still in school (was it really only a few weeks ago?!). Maybe it’s the absence of all group socializing – no barbecues, no kids cannon-balling into a pool filled with slightly too many other kids. Maybe it’s the bizarreness of walking on a beach or through a park, masked, dodging people left and right, wondering if this is fun yet ...READ MORE

A Temporary Pause

I took a pause from this newsletter for a week, because other voices felt far more salient than my own. As cities filled with protestors, social media threads swelled with lessons about the past and dreams for the future, stories and notions that needed to be front and center and, frankly, must remain there until injustices are resolved. In the background, coronavirus seemed to pause, too, falling away from the headlines as cities began to open to shoppers, diners, and activists alike. But this is turning out to be a short-lived pause for both coronavirus and me: today we’re reappearing on your radar and, I fear, in a...READ MORE

Looking Three Weeks Into the Future

If your email inbox is anything like mine, it is overflowing with deep sadness. The voices of peaceful protesters across the country are, at times, drowned out by looting, anger, and fear. But chants against systemic racism grow louder each day, bringing with them voices from all…READ MORE

The Power of Personal Experience

This month's letter was intended to be a reflection on graduation season during a pandemic, but I confess that I find it difficult to think of much else beyond what has been happening over the last few days in my state. To have an issue besides COVID-19 dominate our thoughts and headlines is really quite telling…READ MORE

The Calm Before the (Next) Storm

My last dispatch was on the eve of Memorial Day weekend. After pressing send on the newsletter late in the afternoon, I drove my son down to the beach. The plan was as follows: my son would meet up with his good friend while the mom and I would take a walk. The two boys were fully prepared to wear their masks down to the water, only ditching them while bodyboarding in the waves. Meanwhile, the other mom and I would walk up and down the beach, each with an eye on the boys and masks on our faces. The rules in LA have been advertised widely – you can go to the beach but only for exercise, not for…READ MORE

The Unofficial Start to Summer…Really?

It’s Friday, so I am opening with a movie of sorts – an amazing TikTok film in the style of Wes Anderson. It has nothing to do with coronavirus, but we all need a break from that content, right?

Alright, now back to the virus. It’s been a while since we have talked about testing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get a zillion questions about it. And…READ MORE

How to Socialize Safely

How to socialize safely? It’s the loudest, most commonly repeated question these days, especially as some areas open up while others remain in an evolving state of shelter-at-home-but-it’s-okay-to-go-outside-so-long-as-you-are-moving-around-and-masked. The rules vary...READ MORE

The Zoom Boom

This week, I experienced a full-on collision of worlds, thanks to Zoom. Over the past nine weeks, since coronavirus first started to spread like wildfire across the U.S., we have all to some extent become Zoomers. But this week, I had what I can only describe as a Zoom boom. I was…READ MORE

Is It Only Monday?

Starting off with gratitude. Not just for the Mother’s Day wishes – those were awesome – but also for the forwards. I read every link you send and laugh at (almost) every meme and gif. No fewer than half a dozen of you sent me this article on Saturday, which is no wonder because it is one of the best reads on the math of coronavirus. Even if you’re not one to click on links, read this one.

On a related note… What’s the connection between porn and coronavirus? Nope, not increased screen time. (Okay, well maybe yes that’s true, too – but not the connection I am going for today.) Two decades ago, HIV forced changes within the porn industry, driving STI testing and the development of private databases. Now, some public health officials are looking to this as a model for managing the spread of COVID.

Another approach to slowing the spread of the virus is the development of an effective, safe vaccine. But there are some mounting (false) hopes about just how fast one will make it to market. This STAT... READ MORE

Kids Back in the Spotlight

Kids have suddenly found themselves very much in the spotlight of coronavirus-related conversations. One BIG topic: school. Or said another way, will it ever resume? Another major subject surging to the top of your news feeds: looks…READ MORE