Welcome to Viral Stories, a living history about the deadliest pandemic outbreak of the last century.
In today’s edition, I speak with Taylor Lorenz, a New York Times reporter who is covering the pandemic while quarantined in Brooklyn.
If you have a story you want to share, email me at JordanZakarin@gmail.com.
There is likely not a person alive, from Silicon Valley CEO to teenager posting their TikToks on Reddit, who better understands the social internet than Taylor Lorenz. As a reporter for the New York Times’ Style section (and at The Atlantic and Daily Beast before that), Taylor has her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in both the deepest corners of the internet and the big businesses that have come to dominate our lives.
What's your quarantine situation? Are you in the city? Do you have roommates/live with a partner? Are there open stores around your apartment?
I live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in a very tiny one-bedroom apartment by myself. I've been working from home for five weeks and stocked up on a massive amount of food right before I went into hiding so I'd have to go out as little as possible. I feel like I live in a little pasta box bunker now.
2. How often do you get to go outside? When was the last time you went out?
For the first three and a half weeks, I didn't go outside once. I was really scared, and I'm one of those people that's very "better safe than sorry." Eventually I started to go a little insane and after a chat with my friend Jesse I decided to go for my first socially distant walk in Fort Greene Park. Truthfully it was a game-changer. Since then I've gone outside about five times. I just try to wait until it's night time so fewer people are out and I stay very far away from everyone.
How has the quarantine changed your daily routine?
Well like most people it's completely destroyed any sense of a routine. I normally wake up at a certain time to catch the train at a certain time to get to work by a certain time so I can leave by a certain time. Now every day and every hour all bleeds together. I don't know what time or day it is and I'm sort of just in a constant state of stress or working.
The Times has been doing amazing coverage of COVID from all angles, here in the epicenter of the virus. As a Styles and internet reporter, did your section make coronavirus coverage the mandate, or is that just where all the stories are?
Truthfully, it's just where the stories are. I think when there's something so massive as this pandemic it ends up touching nearly everyone's beat in some way or another, so people have been filing stories on all angles.
Everyone has a story now and everyone is sitting online (hence this newsletter). Has it been easier to find stories or harder?
It's been about the same. I never have an issue with a lack of ideas or an inability to find stories; the only reason I don't write more is that I'm lazy and procrastinate writing them. I keep a Google Doc of ideas though and just write down stuff as I see or notice it.
How do you stay so productive while stuck indoors? Are you able to take breaks?
I don't think I've been as productive as I could be. I actually wrote a story last week on why everyone should stop trying to be productive. I definitely take breaks. I feel like I waste too much time online on social media. I just feel very distracted and it's hard to concentrate. I have pretty severe anxiety issues and this whole pandemic and work/life situation haven't helped things.
When home becomes the office, work-life balance becomes really hard. Have you struggled with that or can you draw a hard line at night?
I don't generally have a strong line between work and non-work time even normally, which is why going to an office is so helpful for me. This whole working from home situation has obliterated that line so I never feel like I'm really 100% at work and I never feel 100% off of work.
Do you Zoom all the time with friends? What do you make of the rise in that? Do you think it will stick around?
I saw this Reductress headline, "Woman Regains Sense of Normalcy by Canceling Zoom Call with Friends." That's me. I've had a couple good Zoom calls with some friends and other internet culture reporters. But overall I'm way too anxious to socialize. I hope people keep Zoom calls going though as a thing post-pandemic. I think it is a great way to catch up when you're all in different places, so I hope people stick with it. I think I'd like Zoom hangs better during normal times.
What's the first thing you're gonna do when the city opens back up? How about the first fun thing?
I'm a very anxious and cautious person so I'll probably continue to self-quarantine for another 4-6 weeks after the city opens back up just to make sure it's safe to go outside. Then I'll spend a day in Prospect Park with my friends. That's really my favorite thing to do and I can't wait to be able to do it again.
What have you been watching on TV?
I watched all of Tiger King, caught up on Ozark. Aside from that, I have been watching a horror movie per day. This week I'm rewatching The Purge series. I like horror because it's a reminder things could always be worse.