On March 12, 2020, the drop-in group Tube City Writers met for their final pre-pandemic session. In addition to agreeing that future meetups would need to happen virtually, they also decided a daily blog could be a good way to occupy their time. Mon Valley resident Jim Busch led the charge. For more than a year, he documented life in the shadow of the pandemic, plus one very personal loss — his wife, Glenda, was diagnosed with end-stage pancreatic cancer.
He and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Martha Rial are here to talk about the project, what it took to keep building their community online, and what they hope to accomplish next.
The Tube City Writers are hosting a reading and book signing on Friday at the Carnegie Library of McKeesport at 2PM. And they’re always looking for new members! No experience necessary. Contact Martha at mrial@pointpark.edu and pick up a copy of “The Corona Diaries” here: https://www.amazon.com/Corona-Diaries-Tube-Writers/dp/B09Q1VDNM3
Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!
