The University of New Orleans’ Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies, in collaboration with the New Orleans Jazz Museum and OffBeat Magazine, is joining Arizona State University to create Journal of the Plague Year, which will archive the global COVID-19 crisis. Citizens of New Orleans are encouraged to be a part of the archive by submitting their stories- text messages, blog entries, cancellation notices- any material representative of the impact COVID-19 has had on them and the cultural community of New Orleans.

Journal of the Plague Year strives to keep a record of the experiences of New Orleanians during this unprecedented time. The project emphasizes their interest particularly in the experiences of  people involved in the city’s cultural industries- musicians, artists, hospitality workers, and family businesses. Stories should reflect how the pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, whether it be something mundane, meaningful, or sensational. Stories to share include images, audio clips, videos, links to relevant material, text excerpts, and files like emails, announcements, text messages, documents, and flyers. The journal is meant to become a diary shared with hundreds of others who lived through and documented life through a pandemic. 

Those who would like to participate in the archive can do so by clicking here.