#AllCoopedUp with Roxane Gay, Writer
Roxane Gay is an American writer, professor, editor, and social commentator. Gay is the author of The New York Times best-selling essay collection Bad Feminist, as well as the short story collection Ayiti, the novel An Untamed State, the short story collection Difficult Women, and the memoir Hunger. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel. She has several books forthcoming and is also at work on television and film projects. Caroline was introduced to Roxane through friends in the literary community many years ago. After watching Caroline's house tours on Snapchat, Roxane reached out when she was ready to put down roots in LA. After finding the perfect place, Caroline was hired to design and furnish the space. It is home to the most impressive bookcase Caroline has ever seen (and designed). - Jenna
What’s your profession, and what does your day-to-day work experience look like now?
I am a writer, editor, and public speaker. In some ways, my day-to-day work experience is the same: me at my computer, procrastinating endlessly. But normally I travel every week, and now I am decidedly not traveling, so I am going a bit stir crazy. I am doing all the meetings I would normally do at studios and production companies via Zoom, so there is a lot of staring at people in tiny computer windows. It's all pretty surreal.
Are there objects or spaces in your house that you are newly appreciating? Or are there objects and spaces you have come to loathe?
I have been doing a lot of baking and cooking, so I have a renewed appreciation for my kitchen, and especially my stove.
Describe your at-home quarantine uniform.
Let's just say I am wearing a lot of soft clothing, but I do shower every day, and I do change clothes every day — day pajamas vs. night pajamas.
Who are you quarantining with? Do you feel the need to “get away”? How do you make it happen?
I am quarantining with my fiancée Debbie, and we actually get along very well, so it has been great. There are certainly moments where we get a bit snippy with each other, but I am grateful every day that we get to do this together. We also have a pretty good-sized home, so we each have our own spaces to retreat to for personal time.
What’s the last thing you purchased online? Regret or obsessed?
A pair of Frye shoes. Obsessed.
Tell us the best shows, podcasts, or books you’re loving right now.
I am loving Money Heist on Netflix. We also just finished Unorthodox which was incredible. My partner comes from an Orthodox family, so it was interesting watching it through her eyes. I do not listen to podcasts, even though I do have a podcast. A book I am loving right now is The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal.
Do you have any new quarantine activities or rituals?
I have taken up bike riding for the first time in thirty years.
What is your favorite quarantine snack? What restaurants are you ordering takeout from?
My favorite snack is anything carbohydrate based. I just don't give a fuck anymore. I cook pretty much every day, but I do get takeout from this amazing woman-owned shop called Lady and Larder. They make gorgeous charcuterie.
What is the one item you’re glad you stocked up on? What do you wish you’d stocked up on?
I am glad I stocked up on flour and yeast. I was a baker before "The Rona", so I was not affected by the bizarre run on these items.
What is your creative outlet and how are you making space for it?
I write and I am trying to sit down and write every day. I remind myself that I will probably never have this much unstructured time again, so I best not waste it.
Describe your biggest quarantine indulgence.
Carbohydrates. It's truly ridiculous.
What are you doing for exercise?
I work out every day (cardio), and three days a week, I Zoom with my trainer.
Are you sharing recipes with friends?
Absolutely. I do a lot of baking via Sally's Baking Addiction. I am also working my way through Alison Roman's cookbooks.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you throughout this?
I am an introvert and a loner, but the isolation and not being able to go anywhere, not being able to see my parents, worrying that I have The Rona when I clearly do not, is what is really getting to me. It is ROUGH.
When this is over I cannot wait to ___________.
Go see a show, go to a restaurant, and laser pointer our cats who are in our NYC house with my cousin because it would be too traumatizing to move them temporarily (we are bicoastal).
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