You Can Send Books Secretly to Friends! (And Other Covid-19 War Tactics)

First off: love and healing to all. This is, as we are all aware, fucked beyond belief, but we are all trying to do what we can: to help our parents, our kids, ourselves, others. Here are some awesome and (at least somewhat) literary-adjacent options, many of which have been stolen from Ron Charles's delightful newsletter. I am fairly certain he won't mind my pilfering.

1) Support your favorite bookstores AND your friends! At Bookshop.org you can send, through a variety of independent bookstores, to anyone you like (or you can go directly to your own local bookstore's site—here's mine—and have them mail books to those who sorely need a lift). I have already sent someone a gift of Shining Through, and will think of more. Imagining them getting happy package makes it all even better.

2) Take a drawing class with Mo Willems of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (god we love that book). You, your kids, your parents—anyone can do these and they are so fun.

3) Awesome writing exercises abound on Lynda Barry's Tumblr, often writing and drawing together (you can search for them in her search function).

4) Listen to books! You can borrow through your library and also Audible is offering some free.

5) If you sew, you can volunteer to make hospital masks, which are sorely needed.

6) Any other ideas? Put them in the comments! And stay inside, wash your hands, don't touch your face, and be well.

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