MSA SC 6364-1-1
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2022/01/31
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Maria Edmonds, created on January 31, 2022. Maria reflects on her experience as an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing groceries and supplies to people in need. She discusses becoming ill with the virus, despite taking precautions, and her subsequent struggle with social isolation. Maria also talks about her decision to get vaccinated, expressing gratitude for being able to return to work and continue helping others. Duration: 4:19
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MSA SC 6364-1-2
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2022/02/16
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Audrey and Richard Wellons, created on February 16, 2022. Audrey and Richard, a married couple, reflect on their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. They talk about the benefits and challenges of their at-home work routines and note their healthier lifestyles from cooking, hiking, and spending more time outdoors. They also mention reconnecting with friends and family, engaging with news and social media, and attending performing arts events as venues started to reopen with mask and vaccination policies. In addition, Audrey and Richard discuss their optimism at seeing the pandemic initially bring people closer together followed by their disappointment in the division that has occurred since. Duration: 29:12
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MSA SC 6364-1-3
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2022/02/18
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Arthur LaRue, created on February 18, 2022. Arthur, a librarian and professional singer, talks about the difficulty of singing while wearing a mask and his experience of having a concert canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. He also notes his volunteer work at the Smithsonian and emphasizes the need to document the “dual pandemic” of not only the virus but also racism in the United States, which came to light after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Duration: 4:26
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MSA SC 6364-1-4
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2022/02/22
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Andrea and John Roe, created on February 22, 2022. Andrea and John reflect on life during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the loss of Andrea’s father, Burt Ballanfant, who contracted the virus early on in the pandemic in Texas. They talk about the decision to honor her father’s DNR and their heartbreak that he died in isolation at the hospital rather than surrounded by family. Andrea and John also note the quality time they spent with their children playing basketball and raising chickens, forming a “pod” together. In addition, Andrea discusses her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis and navigating the medical system while helping her mother through treatment during the Texas power crisis of 2021. John recalls breaking his hip skateboarding and his reluctance to visit the hospital. Duration: 29:16
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MSA SC 6364-1-5
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2022/03/16
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Brandy and Zedekiah Worsham, along with their daughter, Sonja Rose Worsham, created on March 16, 2022. Brandy and Zedekiah reflect on their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic as a family. They talk about spending more time together, going on long drives and walks in their neighborhood, noticing the sudden quiet, and connecting more deeply with fewer distractions. They also discuss the broader societal impacts of the pandemic, including the politicization of health guidelines and the value of telework. In addition, Brandy and Zedekiah express their gratitude for the opportunity to watch Sonja Rose attend kindergarten and learn via Zoom. Sonja Rose reflects on her own experience with remote learning and talks about finally meeting her classmates in person. Duration: 55:22
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MSA SC 6364-1-6
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2022/03/30
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Hratzan Isassi, created on March 30, 2022. Hratzan, a college student when the pandemic hit, struggled to stay in school after contracting a severe case of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, which led to a two-year battle with chronic respiratory issues. She discusses her loss of appetite and hallucinations, reflecting on how her illness strained her relationship with her parents and impacted her two siblings. She talks about finally seeing a pulmonologist and being prescribed an inhaler and nebulizer in December 2020, which significantly improved her quality of life. Hratzan also discusses her struggles with mental illness and finding steady employment, expressing frustration over her parents’ reluctance to accept her disability. She looks forward to the future as her health improves and both she and her siblings enter adulthood. Duration: 28:25
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MSA SC 6364-1-7
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2022/03/30
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with Jaime Windon, created on March 30, 2022. Jaime, founder of Lyon Rum Distillery, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the transformation of her distillery into a hand sanitizer production facility, supplying frontline workers in coordination with Talbot County Emergency Services. She mentions the support she received from local businesses, organizations, and volunteers, and details the gradual return to full-time rum distilling, adapting her business for home delivery and open-air farmers markets. Jaime also shares her perspective on the media environment and discusses the challenges that service industry businesses experienced in reopening their doors while abiding by mask and social distancing orders. Duration: 29:35
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MSA SC 6364-1-8
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2022/04/04
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Michael Hayes, created on April 4, 2022. Michael, a recent college graduate at the start of lockdown, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about struggling with finances and unemployment after losing his campus job as a bookseller, noting he had a position lined up at the library, but the shutdown disrupted his career plans. He discusses his living situation with his family and girlfriend, the boredom he felt during summer, and his reliance on government programs to pay his student loans and other bills. He also mentions his girlfriend struggling with her online college courses and his entire household catching COVID-19 in November 2020, noting his father was nearly hospitalized. Finally, Michael expresses relief that the pandemic is largely over, mentioning that he and his girlfriend recently found jobs and settled down in Ocean City. Duration: 15:03
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MSA SC 6364-1-9
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2022/04/12
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with Helen Butler, created on April 12, 2022. Helen, a respiratory therapist, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses her work at one of the hardest-hit hospitals in Maryland, noting the long hours and stress she dealt with on the job. She also talks about her family, including her boyfriend, two grown children, and mother, who struggled with dementia in her assisted living facility. Helen shares her perspective on social media and misinformation about COVID-19, recalling patients who refused to be vaccinated and ended up hospitalized. She also anticipates how the virus will be managed in the future, emphasizing the need to fairly compensate essential workers in the healthcare industry. Duration: 25:03
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MSA SC 6364-1-10
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2022/04/13
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history by Sunayna Pal, created on April 13, 2022. Sunayna shares a story called "Eating Sunlight" reflecting on her life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is about her four-year-old son and the changes to their daily routine, which once included nature walks and trips to the playground but shifted indoors during lockdown. She recalls the difficulty of getting enough exercise and vitamin D, sleeping in each morning until the sun had already disappeared from her kitchen window. Sunayna decides to set an alarm to wake up on time for the sunlight. Duration: 06:32
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MSA SC 6364-1-11
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2022/04/20
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with George and Kathy DeSimone, created on April 20, 2022. George and Kathy, married for over 50 years and both retired, reflect on their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the time spent with their daughter and two granddaughters, who stayed with them for six months while their son-in-law, a naval officer, was quarantined on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which set a record for the longest aircraft carrier deployment. They talk about ordering groceries via Instacart, visiting Tuckahoe State Park, and the impact of COVID-19 on their church services and volunteer work. George and Kathy also note their reliance on CNN for public health information. In addition, George discusses his frequent use of the library for audiobooks after suffering cortical hemorrhages, which caused him to lose his eyesight for a year. Kathy mentions her distress over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Duration: 27:31
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MSA SC 6364-1-12
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2022/04/26
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with Sabine Simonson, created on April 26, 2022. Sabine, the outreach services and volunteer coordinator at Talbot County Free Library, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recalls her determination to make it through the pandemic with grace and dignity, emphasizing her drive to stay active and make the most of each day. She discusses her job managing the library’s social media during lockdown, returning to a partially staffed library to help organize their books-to-go program, and realizing her need for social interaction. She also mentions her parents living in Austria, who were each sick with COVID-19. Sabine talks about her love of cooking and many kitchen experiments with homemade breads, cheeses, jams, and pickled vegetables, sharing them with close friends and neighbors. She mentions staying active through a variety of hobbies such as hiking, swimming, kayaking, and several home improvement projects. Further, Sabine notes her desire to travel soon—both to visit her parents in Austria and to enjoy the beaches of either Mexico or the Dominican Republic. Duration: 26:33
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MSA SC 6364-1-13
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2022/05/10
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with Kristian Jaime, created on May 10, 2022. Kristian, a former Spanish translator for Talbot County Health Department, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses his near-fatal case of COVID-19, which occurred prior to the availability of vaccines, recalling his hospitalization and how the virus affected his lungs while causing his temperature to fluctuate dramatically. He also talks about returning to work at the health department and struggling with PTSD due to his expanded role tracing cases and delivering health updates to the families of Spanish-speaking patients. Kristian now works as an environmental reporter, but emphasizes the importance of not taking this period in history for granted. Duration: 32:50
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MSA SC 6364-1-14
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2022/05/11
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with J. Ann Norbury, created on May 11, 2022. Ann, a dual American-British citizen, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recalls her trip to England to collect her pension and visit her oldest son in March 2020, and the subsequent flight cancellations and travel restrictions that delayed her return to the United States. Ann also discusses the changes to her daily routine in Maryland while living with her youngest son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, who she has resided with since 2007. Ann talks about her need to stay active, including her fondness for gardening and volunteering at church and the library. She mentions she recently celebrated her 85th birthday. Duration: 22:04
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MSA SC 6364-1-15
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2022/05/17
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WAV file
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Contact the Department of Special Collections for location.
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Description
Digital audio recording (.WAV) of an oral history interview with Edward Richards, created on May 17, 2022. Edward, a retired Caroline County Administrator, reflects on life during the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about taking precautions socially and getting vaccinated, noting his increased vulnerability due to his age. He recalls worrying about his daughter, who has a disability, and son, because of his job, was at greater risk of exposure. Edward also shares a story about recently traveling with his wife on a European cruise along the Rhine River, which they booked before COVID-19 but was postponed due to travel restrictions. He recalls the daily tests they were required to take and how their trip was interrupted after testing positive for COVID-19 in Switzerland, resulting in a memorable isolation at the Evian Resort on Lake Geneva. Duration: 21:43
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