From the Editor

The Virus and Us

I’m writing this column from my basement, where I’ve staked out a corner for my temporary office. With its bugs, cobwebs and cracked concrete, it’s not a perfect environment. But it gets the job done, and I prefer it to my wife’s workspace in the dining room on the floor above me. She’s got sunlight and easy kitchen access, but she also has to listen to our kids play “Animal Crossing” on the Nintendo Switch all day WhAt We long. Down here, I have nothing but peace and quiet, as well as a few eight-legged friends to keep leArneD thiS Month me company. This issue, as you can gather 1 there is a stuffed pigeon named Pete in the statehouse from the above paragraph, cupola (Page 18). wasn’t put together under the most ideal circumstances. 2 traffic declined 42 percent on the state’s highways on march In early March, the Columbus 24, the first day of the stay-at-home Monthly staff and I began to real- order (Page 34). ize that the COVID-19 outbreak might force us to reconsider our planned May cover story, a 3 Columbus state’s campus is built on a pre-Civil War graveyard once known as the Catholic package of travel pieces. At first, Cemetery (Page 136). we kicked around a few lighthearted replacement ideas, but within a week, it became clear that none of those fit anymore. With schools closed, sports canceled, businesses shutting down and the city on a stay-at-home order, there was just one story for us to cover.

We’ve dedicated the May issue to documenting the local impact of the pandemic, including three features on the topic. From Arch City in the front of the book to the dining section in the back, you’ll find stories that describe how the new coronavirus is affecting Columbus.

In my nearly 25 years as a journalist, I’ve never encountered a story that has so dramatically altered life in this country. It’s also been unusually personal for us at Columbus Monthly. We’re not war correspondents. We’re not used to finding ourselves caught in the middle of a chaotic story that we’re also covering. Just like so many others, our offices are closed, we’re isolated in our homes, we’re scared for our families and friends, and we’re worried about our jobs. Because of lost revenue as a result of the crisis, our staff will need to take three weeks of unpaid furlough—one week each in April, May and June.

This is a “defining moment,” the Columbus Partnership’s Alex Fischer told me in a recent interview, and I agree with him. I’m immensely proud of the Columbus Monthly staff for rising to the occasion, pivoting to an ambitious cover topic at the last minute and adapting our intensely collaborative work processes into a work-from-home environment. I find myself thinking of the quote from Ohio’s health director, Dr. Amy Acton, on the cover of this magazine: “This is the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. And everything each of us does matters.”

With this issue, I think we’ve done our part. * * * Columbus Monthly is a finalist for two national City and Regional Magazine Association Awards. For the fourth consecutive year, the magazine is up for a prestigious general excellence honor for its circulation size, while senior editor Suzanne Goldsmith is also a finalist for profile writing (circulation less than 60,000). The winners will be announced in May.

Dave Ghose

dghose@columbusmonthly.com

Contributors

Steve Wartenberg

contributed to our feature package on the new coronavirus (Page 34). he’s a freelance writer, blogger, podcaster and former Columbus Dispatch business reporter.

Jill Moorhead

worked in the Columbus food scene for 14 years before shifting to higher education marketing. she wrote about CoVID-19’s impact on the dining industry (Page 122).

Daniel Garcia

created the illustration of urban coyotes on Page 16. his work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, GQ, Newsweek and other publications.