In Praise of Cold-Calling Your Friends

Nearly a year into the pandemic, these unexpected chats are my greatest joy

Joan Crawford dwarfed by a giant telephone c. 1927. Photo: John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

A friend who I am very fond of but don’t necessarily keep in regular touch with recently emailed me on a bcc-ed list with the subject line, “Your Birthdays — I need em.” She was asking for people’s birthdays and mailing addresses to add to her calendar. It was a nice…