Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19

In this anthology of short essays, poems and interviews, 91 authors respond to the pandemic with their diverse perspectives, insights, humor, and heartbreak.

We are beginning to see the first titles emerge in what will undoubtedly be a bumper crop of books reflecting on and attempting to find meaning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As difficult as this time has been (and continues to be), there is some comfort to be had in knowing that others are sharing this experience.

And that’s what Alone Together and its editor, Jennifer Haupt, succeeds in doing so well. Ninety-one authors (91!) respond to the pandemic by offering their diverse perspectives, insights, humor and heartbreak through short essays, poetry, creative nonfiction pieces, and interviews. (Apparently the print version has only 69 and there are another 22 in the e-book and audio editions. My copy was an e-book from the library.) Even better: all proceeds from Alone Together are being donated to the Book Industry Charitable Fund (BINC), a nonprofit organization that coordinates charitable programs to strengthen the bookselling community.

Alone Together is divided into five different sections (What Now?, Grieve, Comfort…