a quarantine zine
welcome to “interim,” a collective quarantine zine compiled during the 2020 covid-19 outbreak. when a pandemic was declared on march 11, i had a gut feeling that life was going to be disrupted for the considerable future. march 12 was my last “normal” day. from march 13 onwards, i had the privilege of working from home full-time and stopped any unnecessary outings, spending entire days in my 450 sq ft studio apartment. suddenly, i had a lot more time on my hands. i spent a lot of time journaling, reflecting during walks around my neighborhood, cardio kickboxing, listening to music, and recovering creative energy that had been put on the back burner during my first months working a 9-5 corporate job. i knew i wasn’t alone in this abrupt change to my lifestyle and adoption of coping mechanisms to avoid crumbling in the face of uncertainty and isolation. reaching out to friends over facetimes and texts my friends, i was interested in how everyone was processing and reacting to quarantine and the pandemic in such different ways. i wanted a way to collect and preserve the human experience of this pandemic in a sort of time capsule that i could reference down the line, when this pandemic is a distant memory. i also wanted that time capsule to mirror the sense of community and closeness i felt with my friends during this time, when we came together and supported each other despite not being able to physically be close. a quarantine zine made sense to me as a collective project that would also be easy to share and keep for future reference. over the course of a few weeks, i received a variety of zine submissions from 22 friends quarantining all over. these submissions are sorted into four sections: “pause,” “progress,” “reaching out,” and “looking in,” which i view as the four quadrants of the quarantine experience. i am beyond thankful to my friends for their unique, thoughtful submissions and for supporting this project. i hope that this zine will remind us all of the discomfort and growth we underwent during this time, and give those curious in the future a peek into quarantine life. – mika
PAUSE even though we’re no longer running around and making plans, the current frenzy of doom and gloom headlines, weird quarantine instagrams, the politicization of a health crisis, and other chaos necessitates moments of pause. these moments can make space for contemplation and gratitude, or even escapism. this section gives insight into how my friends are taking a pause right now.
First Spring Light Most people who see this painting comment that it’s a rather odd choice of composition. The perspective from above enlarges his face in a somewhat unflattering way. What attracted me to painting this image, though, was the moment it represents. It was captured in an empty bluebell field, with him sitting on a lone bench in a narrow trodden path surrounded by the flowers. In the midst of the chaos of our current world, this first sight of spring and the warmth of unobstructed rays was a moment of stillness that I want to hold close.
Tilda London, UK
Quarantimes – Songs Carrying Me Through Iso XS – Rina Sawayama, SAWAYAMA Dark & Handsome – Blood Orange + Toro y Moi, Angel’s Pulse The Difference – Flume + Toro y Moi Let’s Stay Together – Al Green, Let’s Stay Together forever – Charli XCX Elephant – Tame Impala, Lonerism Complicated – Mac Miller, Circles Str8 Outta Mumbai – Jai Paul, Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) Blue World – Mac Miller, Circles New House – Toro y Moi, Outer Peace
David Wollongong, AU
a lil india ink + crayon sketch of the most romantic n beautiful spot in my neighborhood, it's hidden in the trees along the creek. i go there often n sit and gaze at the chairs. when there isnt a pandemic i hope people kiss there.
my biggest stupid fear of the pandemic is getting prayed by the skunks in the woods behind my house and then being too anxious to go to the grocery store to buy tomato juice for the deskunking : (
Tori Athens, GA
nooch popcorn has been made almost every weekend (sometimes multiple times a weekend) and usually after a corona-related cry session. let’s just say that it has evolved from a delicious, addictive snack to a remedy for our worries and anxieties!
Priya Chicago, IL
Brick – Olivia’s “dramatic, quarantined dog” back home in California
Olivia Bakersfield, CA
Stay Inside Boogie – i’m lucky to be surrounded by people that love and support me and that’s how i’m going to make it out of here Dmitri – Action Bronson + The Alchemist, Lamb Over Rice Orlando – Blood Orange, Negro Swan WHOLE WORLD – Earl Sweatshirt, Maxo Time (You and I) – Khruangbin Brandi - Dwele + Slum Village, Sketches Of A Man You’re Too Precious - James Blake You Know - Jme All Night Long - Mary Jane Girls, Mary Jane Girls We Can Move - Free Youth Dangerookipawaa Freestyle - Ab-Soul
My favorite part of spring in Edinburgh is when the trees start blossoming pink. It’s the tiny window when the weather is good in Scotland.
Cilantro lemonade spiked with vodka for my nightcap
Ares Edinburgh, SCT
this encapsulates the two things that i am totally feeling for my lockdown vibe: sleeping and drawing. crucially, neither of these activities require you to be out of bed.
Perdy Cirencester, ENG
PROGRESS the progression of time during this period of lockdown has been surreal. at first, the weeks seemed to crawl by, until it was suddenly may, and i’ve had trouble keeping track of the day of the week. small things like reading, youtube workout videos, and 7:30pm calls with friends give me the illusion of variety and forward movement, even though life seems stagnant. many of my friends have also grappled with time and how to pass it during this time. some are seeking solace in progress, turning to new activities or revisiting old hobbies.
spring? at a time like this?
Bry Chicago, IL
For the last month and a half, I’ve been working from home. At the end of each workday, I send an email to my boss chronicling all the work I did during the day and my plan of action for the next day. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been adding little anecdotes or stories to the end of these emails. I’m pretty sure my boss ignores them. Here’s a selection of a few of these dispatches. Thursday, April 2, 2020, 3:37 p.m. Today I tried to make sourdough bread and failed. Wednesday, April 8, 2020, 4:59 p.m. John Prine’s songs were a gift to every community he touched. It pains me so much to lose him to this terrible virus, as it does so many others. “Then as God as my witness, I’m gettin’ back into showbusiness I’m gonna open up a nightclub called “The Tree of Forgiveness” And forgive everybody ever done me any harm Why, I might even invite a few choice critics, those syphilitic parasitics Buy ‘em a pint of Smithwick’s and smother ‘em with my charm.” -”When I Get to Heaven,” 2018, John Prine Here’s to hoping The Tree of Forgiveness is hopping today. Monday, April 20, 2020, 2:54 p.m. The pace is glacial. – I made latkes and banana bread (at separate times). I downloaded about a dozen journal articles from the Journal of Urban History – Currently reading about “The Guardian Angels” of Koch-era NY fame. Bill Withers’ Live at Carnegie Hall album is incredibly good. Monday, April 27, 2020, 4:34 p.m. More Journal of Urban History readings, remembering how good Michael Jordan was, learning that Dennis Rodman dated Madonna and Carmen Electra, watching MJ tell the story of having to pick up Dennis from a hotel in Vegas after he went AWOL for a couple days. The Last Dance is a lot of fun.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020, 4:12 p.m. Today, I learned a lot about the Arverne neighborhood in Queens, New York, as the address of [redacted] is located there. The neighborhood has perhaps the largest remaining tract of unimproved land in the city and has a fascinating history. The Atlantic-fronting part of the neighborhood swung from a status as one of the many summer enclaves for the wealthy to that of a shantytown where coldwater workers cottages housed large families. In the 1960s, with the assistance of the federal government, the City smashed the neighborhoods of coldwater cottages and intended to build affordable housing. The financial crisis in 1975 prevented that. For decades, much of the land ensnared by the confines of the A train, the Atlantic Ocean, Beach 73rd Street and Beach 32nd Street was vacant, left for the sandpipers and herons to roam in the patchy grass. In recent years, developers have begun to build some beachy two-family homes, renovate a former Mitchel-Lama project, and build community amenities like a grocery store and YMCA. Yet the eastern portion remains untouched. About a year ago, when we were allowed to do such things, I strolled on the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk with an old friend, passing blocks of this unused land. In a place like New York, where land is so scarce that multibillion-dollar projects are pioneered over active railyards, it was frankly astounding to see so much open land waiting for something to happen. Thursday, April 30, 2020, 4:43 p.m. Dutch baby pancakes are so much easier to make than normal pancakes and have such a wonderful form factor. Highly recommend. Friday, May 1, 2020, 9:37 a.m. How is it May? It’s Day 47. Friday, May 1, 2020, 5:31 p.m. I repeat the question I had this morning: how is it May already?
Ethan New York, NY
Making Lahmacun for my dad’s birthday because it’s his aunt’s (we call her Lolo Tantik) special dish.
And here is me discovering my inner yogi with Gurlfriend.
Marko Istanbul, TU
Jeremy Melbourne, AU
Neriya Cincinnati, OH
Individual and societal experiences of existence parallel each other, in my opinion. I learned to crochet at a time when an injury, my first major experience with illness, left me stagnant in life. Crocheting provided the ability to visualize productivity and forward movement while staying in the stagnant position needed to rehabilitate and eventually move forward. When COVID-19 hit, I had an overwhelming urge to crochet again. Perhaps this is because society is experiencing a parallel situation: the first (and hopefully only) pandemic of our lifetime. Similarly, in order to rehabilitate, we must feel stagnant for a while. Spinning yarn through a needle into blankets for my closest friends has brought me back to my prior individual experience of our current societal existence and has reminded me of the hope for recuperation. In my individual experience, my rehabilitation became a gift, setting me on a far better path than I was originally on. It is my greatest hope that this is also true for the societal injuries we are currently experiencing – that eventually we will look back and see that this challenging time was a catalyst for change, healing, and equitable forward movement.
(this is a time lapse of sorts)
Sarah Baltimore, MD
REACHING OUT weirdly, (although i don’t think i’m alone in this) i’ve felt more connected to people during this period, when i’ve spent more time by myself than ever before. forced to abandon my formerly frenetic socializing to fill up evenings and weekends, i’ve had more energy to facetime and call friends, both old and new. these intimate, 1:1 conversations about our mutual boredom, despair, uncertainty, and hope for post-quarantine make me feel lucky. this pandemic has not only proved the significance of human connection, but has also reinforced that reaching out to friends and family is truly a lifeline during times of crisis.
my virtual date set-up, pretty weird way of meeting someone new :)
Alex Chicago, IL
“at-home prom for my sister”
“my brother and sister on a walk. quarantine has us really spending time with nature.”
“this quote & meme sum up my feelings about this time of our lives i think. are these the kinds of images you were looking for?�
Amani Princeton, NJ
I finished my dissertation and I’m now revising for exams. Me and Ares hang out on an evening and play Xbox and chat. I’ve been having daily calls with my family who have had to self-isolate. I call my friends once a week for a trivia night/afternoon. I watched the entire of Community and all the Marvel Movies. Every weekend I reward myself with some vitamin T (Tennent’s).
Michael Edinburgh, SCT
these pics are showing my silver lining of everything that is going on: (veerrryyy) late nights staying up to shoot the shit with people no matter where they are in the world and feeling like we’re back in the same years and places that our friendship began!!
Rema Cary, NC
Peter Dallas, TX
LOOKING IN spending five consecutive days alone (i stay with my family on the weekends) has given me a lot of time to nitpick and obsess and think until i’d rather do anything than think anymore. i’ve had the privilege of experiencing this pandemic as an abrupt pause, which i’ve used to dig inside myself for answers to questions that have only set in now that i have nowhere else to go. think reflections on fulfillment, self-compassion, relationships, and social performance. while these sometimes neurotic meditations have tested my patience, i’m also grateful to have a reason to spend this time with myself. this section shows how some of my friends are looking inwards and negotiating their identities throughout this difficult time.
here are 2 things that make me feel normal — going for a drive with the windows down and cutting my own hair
Fran Lutz, FL
I’ve been playing stupid amounts of Witcher 3 lol
This is something as well
Petar Darien, IL
I’ve been thinking about what “getting dressed” means to me in quarantine. Pre-quarantine, personal style was my medium of choice for conveying myself to others, to speak out even when I was too shy to say anything. This was especially important to me this past year as I started work at a corporate advertising agency – band t-shirts, funky color combinations, chunky shoes, and oversized fits felt like a coded way of communicating myself to my colleagues as I waded through new lingo, etiquette, and processes. I’ve been stuck at home for weeks now, acclimating to human interactions taking place behind a screen. Zoom meetings and video chats have dislocated my face and upper torso from the rest of my body. It’s disconcerting to feel like I’ve become a body-less avatar. This dislocation affected my motivation to get dressed, beyond a pair of wide-leg jeans and loose sweater or t-shirt. What was the point of doing so when no one would really see what I was wearing? At first, I felt liberated from a self-inflicted pressure to put together unique looks and an external pressure to “look good.” This led to me questioning the authenticity of my personal style. How much of it was a product of joyful creativity and how much of it was an identity performance in pursuit of the validation of others? Was expressing myself through personal style as important to me when there was no one to receive or appreciate that expression? I deleted and redownloaded Instagram over and over in an attempt to avoid feeling the pressure to perform with fit pics. I let myself wear the same comfy clothes, with a day or two of “regular” outfits whenever I was struck with a desire to channel normalcy with a look. Maybe it’s because the Chicago winter is finally fading away, but I’ve found myself more inclined to creatively dress again these past few weeks. In a period when many joyful activities aren’t safe anymore, I find myself turning to my closet to find joy in new combinations that I never would’ve worn into my office or a coffee shop. Getting dressed has become a selfish activity in the best way, as I choose clothes based on my mood and whims without worrying how others will perceive me. In quarantine, I am my own audience and my own source of validation.
Mika Chicago, IL
If you have a pet, thank them. Give’em a kiss.
I miss nature so much.
I have a theory... meditative practices of creative ideas and feelings (such as painting) are a form of prayer.
Edom Chicago, IL
I’ve spent most of quarantine getting back to my roots and doing things I used to enjoy when I was in high school or younger! I saw this tweet that was like everyone is reading and watching things from when they were young because it takes you back to simpler, more comforting times and that’s exactly how I feel. : ) I reread some twilight, watched YouTube videos and fancams of bands I used to be obsessed with, caught up with old friends, and took really long walks like I used to do. But also used it as an opportunity to do things I’ve always wanted to, like learn guitar or get a cat or learn new makeup techniques or cook Indian food. Overall, quarantine has been chaotic, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to actually get in touch with my personality.
Anupriya Durham, NC
Five estrangements First - an estrangement of appearances I have no desire to look into the mirror only to see what feels like a more muted version of myself. I am increasingly bodiless - zoom calls allowing me to be perceived from the shoulders up. I am the person mediated through my webcam. Clothes are now senseless combinations of comfort - I’ve shed all attempts at externalizing who I am through them. I do not engage with creating myself every day to be presented to the world, to my life. Second - an estrangement of work What do contractual obligations mean when the world is falling apart and people are hurting. How do systems insist on capital over care? What does it mean to continue to labor in an online manner when people down the street are on the front lines as essential workers? What alternate, out-of-touch life are we forced to live in? What does it mean when collectively we are going through a meltdown - a crisis of living… and we are still “going to” work, having meetings, maintaining the status quo while our foundations quake? Third - an estrangement of self I feel confused. I am no longer surrounded by the project that was building out my life/my identity post-college. I am now in a house with my mom and her boyfriend, playacting a guest - allowing my emotional swings to drown in my depths for the sake of composure for however long I am here. I am sitting in the middle of the issues I wish to not deal with. I feel like a clone of myself - forced into exile while the other basks in the summer of Chicago. I have her memories, but I am not her, in action. I am no longer her ambition, her movements, her autonomy. I am a sitting blob.
Fourth - an estrangement of world This world no longer feels like home. Whatever naive idealism I’ve had has come crashing down. Moving forward, living feels like a fight for survival. This world is irrational. It was not meant for you and me to aspire to change it. But that’s what has to happen - that’s where hope lies. These ties to capitalism are choking us, asking us to persist even when the system begs for change and reflection. Our history, our reasons to fight have been swept out from under us when we were just learning to stand. Who’s world are we really living in? Can I exist in another? Fifth - an estrangement of time I am in limbo. A detour from my original timeline. For someone that thrives on visions of the future, my senses have been warbled from day after day of uncertainty. That original timeline and the path back to it grow increasingly murky day after day. What life story am I sustaining when past, present, and future seem in a flux. How much of my life has always lived in anticipation? I’m slowly coming to accept my place here in the now - however uncomfortable and claustrophobic focusing on the present feels.
Jasmine Big Arm, MT
june 2020