In this compilation of Paul Berman's crisis notebook entries, he discusses the appropriateness of the micro-essay as a literary form for the current crisis, reflects on the suicide of a doctor during the pandemic, contemplates the role of style and fashion during these times, ponders the transformative effects of the pandemic on technology and society, and shares personal encounters with the mailman and counterman.

Paul Berman reflects on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in his notebook, noting the loss of taste and smell in the city, the shocks of significant events like 9/11 and the pandemic, the significance of silence in the streets, and references to literature including Whittier's Snow-Bound and Camus' The Plague.

Paul Berman's essay in Tablet Magazine addresses concerns about the direction of the American left, focusing on the rise of charismatic female figures within it.