I don’t know what pushed me to even start it, but I decided to plunge head-first into the Naruto universe during quarantine. Since then, I have become emotionally invested in Naruto, occasionally binging episodes during the summer and even shedding tears over the most poignant ones.
With Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that gyms would be allowed to reopen on August 24th in New York State, relief is in sight for those whose fitness routines and physical and mental health have been upended due to COVID-19. But this announcement does not mean people can simply rush back to the gym and pick up where they left off prior to the shutdown.
In recent weeks the live entertainment industry has gone dark, including Mendelson’s own tour to support If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…, but she refuses to let that stop her from performing. She flips on her “party lights,” crystalline specks that electrify the gray curtain backdrop in her Brooklyn home, and arms herself with her keyboard, acoustic guitar and harmonica.