Nervous about the storm but whenever I go on Instagram and see all of the memes about Hurricane Dorian, jokes about familiar places around Miami, I feel a great sense of community. Consolation. Salvation in humor. Solidarity.

            Wondering what books I should take to my dad’s place. I figure there’ll be several days with nothing to do but sit around and read, write.

            Should I take easy reading?

            Should I use it as an opportunity to plow through one of these behemoths I’ve been neglecting? The Steve Jobs or Lyndon Johnson biography, Infinite Jest, the oral history of Saturday Night Live?

            Stephen King or Pynchon? Maybe now’s the time to finally get through Dune.

            Keep thinking about checking the various forecasts and storm trackers, but what’s the point? Dorian keeps veering in different directions, strengthening. Meteorologists are being uncharacteristically candid about just not knowing what’s gonna happen or how even to guess.

            News outlets from other states project doom.

            The president projects doom.

            Here on the ground, everyone’s telling jokes, wishing each other well, offering help.