In reading a New Yorker editorial in the middle of last night (not sleeping that well), I first learned about the howling. This morning, it’s front page news in our local Press Democrat. As a way of connecting with neighbors, we set up an audio uproar; in Sonoma County, it’s at 8 p.m. Like a communal OM, this sacred vibration unites us through the very air we breathe, releases stress, acknowledges our essential workers and first responders, and relieves our frustration. The kids seem to dig it.

The nightly howling, like my organizing the day around meals and online dance classes, creates a routine that gives the body something to look forward to.

We crave every act of physical pleasure at a time when we can’t hug each other as automatically as we used to, or touch our own household members if we are in self-isolation or quarantine. I’m thinking of calling into service that teddy bear I once cuddled as a prop for an acting class monologue.

Random thoughts:
The Nation magazine has generously suspended its firewall for reading online articles and I suggest you take advantage of it. Here’s a piece by one of my favorite Nation writers on (just) this week’s activities of the mad king:  “Trump, our Grifter-in-Chief is a Global Menace.”

I’m less afraid of the virus than of the machinations of banana republicans who are tolerating the behavior of  the “dear leader.”  Perhaps they are supporters of herd immunity. Just let the virus run rampant  through the population and see who’s left at the end. Force people to vote in person (as in Illinois this week) and get rid of a few more Democrats. It’s hard not to think some of the dystopian writings published over the past decades were premonitions.

Since I started this post, I’ve Zoomed and Facebook Live-d through two and a half dance classes, and tonight I’m tuning in to Left Edge Theater’s online play, “A Steady Rain.” I plan to sip some Balletto Pinot Noir and maybe discuss the performance with a friend afterward.

I wish you similar beneficial engagements on this Passover/Easter weekend. Bravo to all the creatives (the “second responders”) who are currently enriching our lives.