I thought my beard was more Leftovers than Apur Sansar. I was wrong. Credit: HBO / Criterion

At 5 PM Saturday, March 21, Governor J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 Executive Order No. 8, aka the Stay at Home order, took effect. Here’s a daily-ish journal of how Reader staff, our friends, family—and our pets—are spending our time.

Day 52: May 11

What we’re watching:

  • The Leftovers
  • The Apu trilogy
  • Borgen

What we’re reading:

  • On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
  • My Year of Rest and Relaxation
  • Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion

What we’re not playing:

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Only accepting invitations to party on your island if you invite my friends Lakitu and Dry Bones.)

What we’re not doing:

  • Why aren’t we shaving? Because of “rugged” masculinity? Boredom? Season 3 of The Leftovers? If you’re reading this it’s too late: I now have a mustache.

What has given us hope that civilization will return to whatever it was before:

  • The south Indian state of Kerala may have flattened the curve, but now there’s something else to fear: a masked flasher. My dad explains in a text message: “He walks around once darkness falls. Knocks on doors and just terrifies people by exposing himself … he is nude.”  v