Illustration: Carolyn Figel

There Are Two Americas Now, the Sick and the Bored

The art of balancing immense grief with a rich indoor life

A month ago, I had plans. I had a calendar filled with events I looked forward to: a friend’s DJ set, a reporting trip to the Pacific Northwest, a dinner party with my cookbook club. I was feeling burned-out from a dating life that seemed to be going nowhere, but energized…