We Are Living in the Uncanny Valley

A reflection on living in extended isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and how online-only interaction is changing how we relate to one another.

“Our daily walks are a form of self-care, but our respite is interrupted as soon as we see another person on the path. As we pass, I make a point to say hello and wave. But my friendliness is a lie—just like a cloth mask is a lie—a flimsy layer we put on to make ourselves feel better because it’s better than nothing. Under his breath, my husband curses at a couple who happens to be out at the same time we are—how dare they—even though they’re just like us, stretching their legs to get a break from the monotony at home. Our reactions are on opposite poles of the same brutal reality—we’re in this together—yet we both know that every person we encounter is an unspoken threat, a potential vector of disease.”

• Read the full essay in Barren Magazine.