Every 50 days of the pandemic, I’ve tried to shine light on the stuff that’s been guiding Nicole and I through these ever-more difficult days. It’s hell out there so it’s hard to see that little glow at the tunnel’s rear….

BEST ANTI-COVID-BLUES RECORDINGS:

Belle & Sebastian: What to Look for in Summer (this summer? One hopes!)

75 Dollar Bill Big Band: Live at Tubby’s (Big band? Yes, big band!)

Madvillain: Madvillainy (it’s more about heroics….)

BEST ANTI-COVID-BLUES SHOWS:

Small Axe (a stone masterpiece in five installments)

All Creatures Great and Small (PBS reboot–definitely in our wheelhouse; hell, in our house!)

The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

BEST ANTI-COVID-BLUES BOOKS:

Mary Gabriel: Ninth Street Women

Wright Thompson: Pappyland – A Story of Fine Bourbon, Family, and the Things That Last

Various Writers: The Decameron Projects – 29 Stories from the Pandemic

BEST ANTI-COVID-BLUES EATS:

India’s House (The Columbia curbside stars of our isolation!)

Bangkok Gardens

Pasta La Fata

I told a friend yesterday: “Great art is definitely the best and most reliable escape right now. It’s really not even an escape.” That, and great food savored in a sliver of time. I hope art and food have helped others, too; feel free to share your award-winners.

Streaming for Strivers:

For my friends Ben, Vance, and…all of us? The most curious kind of bears.