Kirsten Imani Kasai
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You are unfolding the origami of me
​with deft and simple turns.

The New York Times Opinion Essay
Are You Dreading a Return to ‘Normal’? You’re Not Alone.

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​As the pandemic winds down in the United States, people are emerging from their cocoons, all fired up and ready to celebrate in a communal explosion of relief and pent-up desire. The sense of anticipation is so great that some, with lusty hope, have called the coming months “The Summer of Love.”

Kirsten Imani Kasai, a novelist in San Diego and self-described introvert, describes how she found comfort and safety in the relative quietude of the past year — and fears the return of a noisier, more-demanding world. Emily Ladau, 29, a disability rights activist in Long Island, N.Y., says she worries that the shift back to in-person interactions will force her, once again, to navigate environments that weren’t designed for the physically disabled. And for Michael Reid, 67, a retired Episcopal priest and former professional dancer in Santa Fe, N.M., the shutdowns unexpectedly gave him sanctuary from everyday racist interactions.
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As the nation reckons with the collective trauma of the pandemic, they suggest, we should find lessons in it that will help shape a better society for everyone.


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"Kirsten Imani Kasai makes the macabre beautiful."
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In which we encounter ghosts.
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