Emersonians Share Their Coronavirus Experiences Through Emerson Endures

Will the isolation due to the novel coronavirus result in award-winning novels? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Emerson Archives & Special Collections, is asking the community to submit works of how the virus is impacting our lives.

The project, Emerson Endures, has gathered poetry, fiction, and discussions of dystopia; featured family members in the health care professions; a faculty and staff Zoom Pet Parade, and more.

Kali Van Dusen ’21 made a video about her time back in antiutopic Pasadena, California, where she reflects on bare streets, a trafficless trip to the beach, and whether she’s getting closer to her family after spending so much time with them.

Massachusetts native Josh Gorman ’21 submitted a photo of the hands of his mother, a lab director at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

“Melissa ‘Lis’ Gorman’s hand washing protocol is so intensive that she moisturizes her hands every night after work to repair the cracked and dry skin,” Josh Gorman wrote.

Patrick Krum ’22 has taken to the woods to hone his wildlife photography, spotting raccoons, turkey vultures, owls, and more. In his video, Krum reflects upon humanity’s impact on the environment

“During the outbreak of this virus we’re being asked to be conscious of our behavior[s] and to consider how they affect not just ourselves but other people,” said Krum. “Being more conscious of our behavior will positively impact animal life, too, as our actions have a significant impact on their habitats.”

Thomas Lee ’21 quickly fell in love with Los Angeles thanks to the taco trucks, the warm weather, friendly people, and the amazing internship opportunities afforded by Emerson LA.

But forced to go home to Bergen County, New Jersey, the Garden State’s coronavirus epicenter, pushed him into a new reality. He wrote about his experience of leaving Emerson LA in “Coming Home to a Different New Jersey”.

“One of my friends recently told me that his uncle has it. And his mother’s friend’s mother does too, and has already developed pneumonia. Suddenly, when he told me that, the danger felt closer,” wrote Lee. “At times, we as humans choose to ignore the weight of certain situations because of how remote they appear. This truly can’t afford to be one of those situations. If you don’t yet know somebody personally with COVID-19 or at least know somebody that knows somebody, that soon will change. As time goes on, it is inevitable.”

Isabel Miranda juxtaposes her reality and macabre news footage in her video, “A Prayer for Protection”. Utilizing a song, Miranda and her roommates go food shopping wearing masks and gloves at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and CVS. She spliced in news footage of unsettling images of HAZMAT suited health professionals caring for patients and removing deceased individuals. Miranda made the video for her documentary production workshop class with Associate Professor Marc Fields.

And there’s still time for Emersonians to submit to Emerson Endures. Submissions are being accepted from students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Please take a moment to review specifications and helpful tips for submitting to Emerson Endures 2020. To submit, you must log in using your Emerson credentials.

Please remember that all submissions will be publicly available on the College’s digital archives and exhibits webpages, so please do not include any information that you would not wish to be publicly accessible.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions relating to this project please contact us at archives@emerson.edu. For technical support, please contact michelle_romero2@emerson.edu.