How we're living through this
Every story matters
Robert McKee is one of the most famous screenwriting gurus in the world, an expert on stories and human emotions, the narrative equivalent of a watchmaker who understands the intricacies and meaning of every tiny tick of the clock. A lot of his rules for screenwriting are really universal truths disguised as advice for aspiring filmmakers, and one in particular really applies to what we are experiencing right now.
“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure,” McKee wrote in his most famous book, Story. “The greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character's essential nature.”
This is playing out across the country, from the White House to state governments and on down to individuals in small communities. President Trump has been exposed as even dumber and mendacious than we even thought possible, while Republican lawmakers in states like Wisconsin and Georgia are working to take advantage of the virus to further suppress the votes of minorities and traditionally Democratic voters.
What’s happening in Wisconsin is particularly egregious:
This should come as no surprise, as the Wisconsin Republican Party has proven itself to be one of the most effective anti-democracy organizations in the country — it’s so gerrymandered that Democrats won the majority of the popular vote there in 2018 but hold just 37% of legislature seats; had it not been for massive voter suppression efforts like restrictive ID and poll purging, they would have likely won even more votes.
I don’t need to rehash all the awful news happening throughout the country right now — most of us have nothing else to do all day but read it and scream. Instead, I want to offer something different: Stories about how regular people are living through the pandemic.
I’ve started a new newsletter called Pandemic Stories in order to create a living history of this unprecedented time, which I believe will be a watershed moment for our nation (for better or worse). The virus has impacted literally everyone and I want to ensure that we capture and remember as many people’s stories as possible. Americans are great at pushing forward and protecting, but it’s absolutely essential we remember everything we can; everyone’s story deserves to be told, and we can’t learn from history if we don’t record it.
There are already a number of sweet (and bittersweet) stories published in the newsletter, which will be sent out several times a week. The stories will make you smile, laugh, feel some real outrage, and connect with people across the country at a time when we feel so isolated. I’d be honored if you’d subscribe, which you can do by clicking here.
Here are a few headlines:
I’ve been curious as to what the total national shutdown will mean for ballot initiatives, which require a not-insignificant number of signatures to qualify for the ballot in every state. The effort in Arizona to allow electronic signatures could point the way.
There was a significant labor win for airport workers last week.
Speaking of labor, employees at Amazon, Instacart, Uber, and other blue-collar workers at tech companies are putting their lives on the line to keep our society functioning. That they have to fight so hard for better treatment, safer working conditions, and more money is a disgrace, but their efforts are impressive nonetheless. And in many cases, they’re starting to work.
Amazon may have just committed a major error in firing a warehouse worker who started a strike in Staten Island — even the white-collar workers at the company are pissed about it.
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