From the essay:

When I tell people I write about the history of AIDS/HIV in the US, I’m often asked how I process and grapple with such a devastating and depressing topic. There is no easy way for me to answer that, but I can tell you for certain that the end result of doing these interviews has truly changed me.

Documenting these transformative experiences from people who have survived through crisis, as well as those who have not, has taught me the importance of depth and intentionality in my connections. I’ve learned that whichever collective “we” we belong to is better together. Not necessarily as a united, agreeable front, but in a way that allows us to beat isolation in moments of catastrophe and grief, which might in turn ensure some form of survival.

Read the rest of the essay here.