Two Lovers and a Photo
This photo was taken at the Americana a couple of months before the lockdown. This space used to be filled with people enjoying the fountain and shopping around. Now this space has socially distanced people trying to be cautious of the world around them.
Natalie Rajha, Los Angeles, California
happydays
I am having a hard time understanding myself.
Thibeaux Hirsh, Los Angeles, California
Time Capsule
I think there’s value in recording our own appearance, but only as something we do for our future selves. Appearance is, regrettably, the metric with which we measure the passage of time - with the emergence or disappearance of wrinkles, baby fat, adolescent acne, etc. Even if, years from now, I forget what I did or felt at this time, I’ll at least have this documentation of what I looked like on the afternoon of Friday, July 24th, 2020.
Katie Huntsman, Los Angeles, California
Waiting to Gather
The chairs sit waiting even though they know we aren’t supposed to gather. Their plight is symbolic of the nation. Just as the world waits for things to open back up again so people can gather as they once did, this inviting circle of chairs waits idly for someone to sit in their laps and use them as benches and chairs should be used. I assume that no one has ventured to congregate there because my grammy stays in her house and when I come to visit I only stare at the lonely setting, afraid that ghosts or the sacred ancestors are resting there.
Lila Ward, Los Angeles, California
Vulnerability
"Diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2018, my dad has practically beat cancer. However, with a still weak immune system, Coronavirus has posed an all-new type of threat to his life. Due to his state of health, my family has had to take many precautions, but even with all the precautions in the world, we still have to ask ourselves "What if?" - 7.3.20
Aidan King, Los Angeles, California
Monotony
As if SAT practice wasn't already boring and monotonous enough. Now add quarantine on top of that. The dark lighting and lack of color go to show my boredom throughout the day. After sitting in my room, working, and staring at the computer screen for hours upon end, I now have to go through hundreds of of multiple-choice questions.
Aidan King, Los Angeles, California