Brash Coffee
After nonessential businesses shut down in late March, Brash remained my only consistent contact with the outside world for months.

Photograph by Ben Rollins

On March 11, 2020, the seriousness of the novel coronavirus—once a vague, faraway threat—started to become clearer. On that day, the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, the NCAA announced that it would host its annual basketball tournament without fans, the NBA canceled the remainder of its season, the United States announced a travel ban from Europe, and actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson revealed they had tested positive for the virus.

As these announcements came pouring in, I was sitting on a barstool in my usual nook at Brash Coffee on the Westside, watching—over the course of hours—as customers and staff became increasingly anxious.

Having worked as a freelance writer for more than a decade, I have turned to coffee shops as my second home, both temporary office space and community…



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