Person: hey, why are you awake?? Go to sleep?? Me: I can’t sleep because I have too much free time. I don’t do anything all day, so I’m never tired. I wake up tired, but by the time I’ve spent all day doing nothing, its 1:00 in the morning and I still can’t sleep.
What is cabin fever and why does isolation — being cooped up in one place too long — make us feel so bad? At Longreads, Kara Devlin shares six stories about loneliness and isolation to help connect us by reading.
Of course, isolation is not just found through a physical landscape. The most harrowing form of loneliness can occur in a crowded room. Edward Hopper famously explored the loneliness of living in the big city through paintings like “Nighthawks.” This ubiquitous depiction of urban isolation, a diner with no entrance and no exit, serves as a memorable illustration of loneliness. When you are inside of this feeling — the metaphorical diner if you will — there is no perceived beginning or end, and no consideration from those around you, as nothing exists beyond this world-swallowing experience.
I am drawn to the idea that reading can connect the isolated — that one story on loneliness can link together hundreds of confined minds to think, Maybe I’m not alone. The stories on this list do not just seek to analyze and dissect the effects of isolation; they serve as a powerful tool of connection.
So apparently loads of people had no idea this existed (at least not on Twitter) so I’ll drop it here again.
First, one ALWAYS needs some Arthur to brighten the day.
Second: for the Good Omens folks who wanna know who that John Finnemore is!
THIS is he: coming up with 26(!!!) weekly episodes during that first, scary, unprecedented Lockdown back in March 2020 - writing and making these litte gems that made things a bit easier, made us laugh during time we didn’t feel like it, and helped us through some very tough times!
So yeah, go and check out his things (there’s loads more he did, but this was something that apparently flew very under the radar so hopefully it can once again help and make you laugh and get to know the talented man who’s going to fulfill Sir Terry’s dream of Good Omens 2!)
And while you’re there on John’s YouTube, check out what else he’s got there! You won’t be disappointed (and the Yellow Car community will probably grow a bit bigger!)
