{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/8p5v698n3m/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Maria Terrone Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMaria Terrone is a poet and writer who has lived most of her life in Jackson Heights, Queens. She is also a former assistant vice president of communications at Queens College. In this interview, she gives her account of the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in her neighborhood, one of the hardest-hit areas of New York City. Living near Elmhurst Hospital, Maria describes the constant blare of ambulance sirens contrasted with an eerie silence on the usually bustling streets of Jackson Heights. She also speculates on the changes that will be necessary as New York City moves forward with its reopening plan, which was just at Phase 1 at the time of this interview.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Interview conducted as part of the Queens Memory COVID-19 Project."]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["March - June, 2020 (temporal)","Jackson Heights, Queens, NY; Manhattan, NY (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2020-06-09 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Maria Terrone (Interviewee)","Jean McLaughlin (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Audio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/43670"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMaria Terrone is a poet and writer who has lived most of her life in Jackson Heights, Queens. She is also a former assistant vice president of communications at Queens College. In this interview, she gives her account of the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in her neighborhood, one of the hardest-hit areas of New York City. Living near Elmhurst Hospital, Maria describes the constant blare of ambulance sirens contrasted with an eerie silence on the usually bustling streets of Jackson Heights. She also speculates on the changes that will be necessary as New York City moves forward with its reopening plan, which was just at Phase 1 at the time of this interview.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA\u0026nbsp;Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/095/501/small/Maria_Terrone_Outdoor_Portrait_Aviary.jpeg?1596187418","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - terrone_maria_QMP_CoVid19_20200609.mp3"]},"duration":2781.9885,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/095/501/small/Maria_Terrone_Outdoor_Portrait_Aviary.jpeg?1596187418","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/095/501/original/terrone_maria_QMP_CoVid19_20200609.mp3?1596187266","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":2781.9885,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Interview Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Google Voice message: This call is now being recorded.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=0.0,3.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: OK. Well, thank you so much for agreeing to be part of the Queens Library memory project, especially as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. And before we get going, if I could just have the spelling and pronunciation of your first and last name.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=3.0,19.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Sure. It's Maria, M-A-R-I-A Terrone T-E-R-R-O-N-E.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=19.0,27.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And we have a consent form. And on the consent form, they just want to know if you are 18 or older that you can legally consent to this.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=27.0,34.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yes, that's true.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=34.0,37.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And then, um, is there any sort of follow-up contact information that you would like to supply us with?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=37.0,45.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Uh, well I filled out my email address and my phone number on the consent form.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=45.0,53.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: OK, great. Uh, and then if you don't mind, what neighborhood in Queens are these stories related to.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=53.0,60.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Oh, Jackson Heights, New York where I have lived my whole life except for five years. Yeah. Yeah. My parents moved here when I was six months old.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=60.0,74.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: A long-term resident then.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=74.0,76.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yes, absolutely.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=76.0,78.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And then there's just this formal language here about the consent form. It says, do you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the Queens Memory informed consent and copyright permission form that either myself or Lori shared with you over email?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=78.0,93.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yes, I do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=93.0,94.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: OK, great. So we're ready to get started and you know, just some sort of open-ended questions and kind of start with when did you, when do you feel like you first heard about this novel Corona virus?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=94.0,109.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Uh, well, I, my whole background is in communications, so I've always been, you know, a big media consumer and, you know, I have digital subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post. So the New York Times began reporting about the virus over in China, in January -- I think it was more towards the end of January. So I became aware of it then. Um, and then of course, when it moved over to Italy, that was very much in the news. And, you know, I am Italian-American, so I, you know, was very interested in reading what was going on there. It was really very frightening and terrible. Uh, and then of course it did eventually jump the ocean and there was that huge outbreak in New Rochelle. Uh, actually before New Rochelle, I remember it had hit the Northwest. I think it was around Seattle, I believe.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=109.0,168.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Yeah, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=168.0,169.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Right. And then, and then it hit New Rochelle, so then it was really close to home. Um, so, uh, yeah, that seemed to be the progression.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=169.0,181.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And when do you feel for you that it became, when did you feel that, you know, it became serious?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=181.0,189.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, actually this, it became really serious in March -- early March, early to mid March. Um, it really hit home when the restaurants closed completely and all of the other retail operations that were not essential. I have a very close friend who also lives in Jackson Heights and her birthday is I think the 12th of March. And, I was going to celebrate with her by treating her to lunch at a very special place in Manhattan. I made that reservation, and then, as things started heating up, shall we say, it seemed to get very dangerous to ride the subway. So I canceled that reservation, made one for a restaurant in Queens. And at that point, the mayor was saying, he went from saying, \"It's fine to go out and eat, you know, we're New Yorkers,\" to saying, \"well, restaurants can stay open,\" but I believe he was saying, only at half capacity.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=189.0,267.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: And, yeah, so I made a reservation for us and it was the last day before restaurants then had to close entirely. And my friend just didn't feel comfortable in that situation, knowing it had gotten so serious that, you know, the very next day, they were going to completely close down throughout the city. And I, you know, of course I agreed with her. So then I canceled that reservation. So that was all around mid-March. I looked it up just to be sure before we began talking and I saw that it was as of March 17th, everything was closed. And of course that happened to be St. Patrick's Day. And of course the parade was canceled, probably first time in God knows how long.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=267.0,319.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right, right. Yes. I feel like that week between, you know, it's funny, I'm glad that you have those dates from March 12th to March 17th, 'cause I feel like things changed so quickly and in such a short amount of time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=319.0,331.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yeah. That was it exactly. It went from, \"Well, you know, things are really not that bad. You should just go about your business, you know, don't let anything change,\" to saying, \"Well, you know, if the restaurants, you know, keep to this, you know, less, less than normal capacity, then everything's fine,\" to \"OK. We're shutting down the whole city.\" So boy, that was just, you know, quite an eye opener.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=331.0,360.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. So let's, you know, if you want to add more about, you know, what happened before the city, the city shut down, feel free. And 'cause I guess my next question is sort of like, what was it, what was it like at the beginning? And, and I guess from my perspective, the beginning might be when the city shut down, but for you, it might be a different point in time. So I'll just ask open-endedly: Tell me about what you feel like it was like at the beginning of all this.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=360.0,389.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yeah, I mean at the very, at the beginning really is when things shut down for me because that's when my life really radically changed. You know, I'm used to, I'm like the ultimate city person, you know, born here, raised here. And I take advantage of all that the city has to offer. That means going into Manhattan a lot. And I'm very lucky that in Jackson Heights we have incredibly good transportation, so many subway lines, you know, come into my main stop and I could get into Manhattan in literally 13 minutes, I'm not exaggerating, three stops. So, I, you know, would meet friends or even just go myself to a museum to see a new exhibit. I take advantage of Theater Development Fund, you know, TDF, and, you know, see Broadway or off Broadway plays, movies, meeting friends for lunch or just walking around.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=389.0,458.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: I take such pleasure in being a New Yorker and it just came, all of that, came to a grinding halt. So, um, at the very beginning it was apocalyptic. I really think that's the best word to describe it in my neighborhood. Jackson Heights is a very bustling urban area, a neighborhood. And, it went from, from that to deserted streets except for the supermarkets where there would be long, long lines of people waiting to get in, just quiet, except for the sound of ambulances, which were nearly, you know, nonstop, helicopters. Uh, the media was beginning to report on Elmhurst Hospital, which was like the epicenter of the epicenter of the virus. And, you know, reading about how Jackson Heights had, was one of the hardest hit areas of the city. Elmhurst Hospital is a 10-minute walk from, from here. I know it well from my mother, who's 95 now, having had to go there many times to the emergency room. So, you know, very, very personal, that this was happening in my neighborhood, my city. And it was just, it was very frightening.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=458.0,556.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Can you tell me a little bit now, obviously this is kind of a leading question. You sort of alluded to it. Jackson Heights is right next to Elmhurst [the neighborhood and the hospital]. And you had mentioned the helicopters and the ambulances, for, you know, the documentation. Can you say a little bit more, a little bit more about that relationship between the hospital and the neighborhood since you live there?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=556.0,575.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, Elmhurst is a city hospital and it also is one of the city's authorized, you know, a level one trauma center, I think they call it. So it, you know, it has a really fine reputation for dealing with trauma situations. Um, you know, someone I know used to say, well, the police know that if one of their own, you know, is injured in the course of action, they either go to Bellevue [Hospital] or Elmhurst [Hospital], because, you know, it's known for its, its high level of professional treatment. So, it's, it is very close to Jackson Heights. There are other private hospitals, but, you know, it is, it's a huge complex. And as I said, I spent too many hours there with my mother over the years who would fall and break bones and you know, [I] know it well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=575.0,636.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Just knowing what was going on there and reading the media stories about, you know, how many people were coming in very, very ill and, and how many people were dying. They had pictures of refrigerated trucks to hold, you know, the, the bodies. There was a, a video of a doctor from Elmhurst Hospital that I watched online. At that point they didn't even have enough protective gear for the emergency medical workers. And, I think one day there were 25 people who had passed away. It was like a scene from a terrible disaster movie, that's the best way I could describe it. And of course, you know, knowing that hospital, you know, intimately myself, my mother even ended up having surgery there not too long ago -- a few years ago when she broke her hip. I, you know, it just was, was a terrible thing to know that this was going on within our midst and seeing, you know, the lines of the people outside of Elmhurst who, were probably some of them, you know, very ill, knowing, you know, what's going to happen to them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=636.0,723.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: It's just, it was a really terrible period. And then of course, you know, there's that fear factor. The whole experience of when you do go out on the street, you know, you wear the mask, you wear the gloves, they were hard to find, the masks, not the gloves, the masks. That was the other thing. Very few stores had them or they would sell out very quickly and you know, that you're always reading, you know, what do you have to do to protect yourself? How does this spread? Now the doctors still didn't know very much about the virus. There's still a lot of questions now. So that everyone is a potential threat, everything you touch is a potential source of your own contagion. So it, it really was, you know, an extremely scary period. It's, you know, a lot better now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=723.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: And then there were also, at, right before the actual shutdown of the restaurants and the retail stores, I remember very well. There are several supermarkets, just a few blocks from where I live and people were buying up things in this store as if it was the end of the world that was coming and they were stocking up for their bunkers, I have, I'll never forget it. I mean, I've been in that store when they're predicting terrible snow storms, you know, when people are trying to stock up, it was like that 10 times 10, the, even the managers were saying they've never seen anything like this. And people are, you just, you know, loading up the carts and buying, you know, huge amounts of water, which struck me as ridiculous because, you know, I think our New York City water is fine from the tap.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=786.0,850.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: But I, it was really insane. And also what wasn't good was that there were so many people in there and we already had been told that you should try to socially distance. And you know, wear the masks, you know, people were not socially distancing. It was insane. And then we went from that to, at the very beginning of the, you know, the real sense of emergency, the stores had people monitoring the lines and only a few people would go in at a time. So, the lines were going around the block and you would go, someone would come out and one person would go in, someone would come out, one person would go in. When you got inside it, you know, it was a big supermarket. You felt like it was empty because I believe they were limiting it to a really tiny number, like, you know, 10, 15 people in the whole supermarket. So it went from one extreme to the other. It's not like that now, but you were asking just about the very first days.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=850.0,926.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right, Right. And then things started to either pick up a bit, or perhaps people adjusted to a new way of living.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=926.0,938.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Um, yeah. I think people, you know, we don't have any choice. You just have to go along with it, but things did change. I believe in, in the city loosening up its, its restrictions. After a certain amount of time, the, they were letting a lot more people into the supermarket. Um, and therefore right now there are no virtually no lines or no lines at all. But for a while, stores, even the supermarkets, were limiting their hours. That was the other thing that made it so difficult. These were stores that were used to staying open and from like 7:00 a.m. until midnight, I'm not kidding. Um, till midnight. They were closing very early. And one of, one of the two supermarkets closed entirely for a few Sundays. And what made things a lot harder in terms of shopping is that, you know, there's several, you know, we call them like 99 cent stores, but they really sell everything.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=938.0,1008.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: They're like the old-fashioned five and 10, you know, like the Woolworth's of today. They were all closed. 37th Avenue, which is the main, one of the main shopping arteries in Jackson Heights was like a ghost town, with one store after another, after another shut, including those stores, which would have a lot of the things that you were then forced to buy in the supermarket because you couldn't get them anywhere else. So I think that was another factor that you only had, you know, very few places to shop.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1008.0,1044.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1044.0,1045.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Of course, people who had cars, and we do, fortunately, you know, we were able to find another supermarket in a shopping center, not too far away, where we were able to, you know, not face lines, like we had, you know, in walking distance, but at the beginning it was, it was, a battle and to just find some basic supplies, as I said, including face masks. That became a real problem.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1045.0,1077.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. So tell me how you think, you know, the closings and, you know, changes in the local stores. Like how do you feel that affects the neighborhood? Does it affect the neighborhood or does it affect the people? What are your thoughts about that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1077.0,1092.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, yes, I think during the time that most of the stores, if not all of the stores, except the supermarkets and pharmacies that were all closed, you know, I think a lot of us were very concerned about what was happening with those business owners. A lot of them are immigrants, very hardworking people, generally they're family run businesses. And, you know, without this business for months at a time, how can they survive? You know, and I was reading about how there was going to be, you know, no commercial or even private evictions for many months, for the lack of payment of rent. But still, uh, no one knew. I think the uncertainty of not knowing how long that terrible situation was going to continue, that really added to the, to the anxiety and the worry about these, these people, you know, and a lot of them we know by name and, you know, missed a lot, wondering what's happening with them. How were they, how were they handling things?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1092.0,1165.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: So I think, you know, there was a great pall over their neighborhood, as I said, it's normally very bustling, very lively. But it was heartening to see, that there were, you know, various elected officials and, you know, active community members who really were trying to reach out to help neighbors who might be in need. There's something called the Jackson Heights Families List, which has something like 3,500 people on it. It's a listserv. And yeah, it's for mainly for families, a lot of information about, you know, children's things, but there, there's a lot also that's of general interest. So, you know, I was reading about a, like a community care network that had started up of volunteers that were trying to help elderly people in this situation. And, you know, it was very heartening to see. You know, there also was, P.S. 69 is very near where I live, that's a local elementary school.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1165.0,1239.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: I saw that there were, you know, free meals being given, take-out of course, lines around the corner for that. At the same time, this is kind of interesting, one thing that I noted is that, um, you know, there, there are a lot of old- time Jackson Heights people who, you know, have other second houses, and some who, some of the co-ops, people have just like disappeared, took refuge in their summer homes, or their second homes. And then you contrast that with lines of people, you know, for free food. So it's kind of like the, the tale of two cities. Uh, I just wanted to, you know, make note of that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1239.0,1294.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. You know, I probably, for the sake of, you know, the oral history part of this, we should probably note that technically the city has, New York City, has entered into phase one with this week, which means it's, you know, it's on its way to being reopened. You can think about, you know, either at the beginning, middle, and however you want to think about it, you know, one of the questions we have here are kind of like, what are the sights, the sounds, the smells that you kind of associate with the pandemic or what you remember from, you know, earlier on.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1294.0,1327.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, you know, the sight, again, looking out my window, from our co-op and not seeing a single person on a sunny day, walking down the block, it's chilling, it was actually chilling. The sounds, the sounds were, you know, the silence of the street, the normal street sounds contrasting with the sirens from the ambulances and the helicopters, either from the media going over to Elmhurst Hospital or who knows, you know, maybe police helicopters for whatever reason. So those are the, to me, the sights and the sounds that I associate with the pandemic.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1327.0,1377.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And as you mentioned before, this is such a contrast to what life in Jackson Heights is normally like.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1377.0,1382.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Exactly. Yeah, it was, yeah, it was feeling as if, you know, it was surreal, you know, it's kind of like you have to pinch yourself, is this really happening? Am I, you know, are we in a bad sci-fi movie? That's what it felt like.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1382.0,1401.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. You had mentioned, you know, some of the, some of the things that you saw in your neighborhood, in the streets, you know, grocery stores here, they also have listed parks. Are there other, other kind of visuals that you want to add to, you know, uh, the, the oral history part of this project?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1401.0,1422.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Are you talking about the very early stages or now?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1422.0,1427.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Any [time] is fine.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1427.0,1430.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, things are definitely are opening up, you know, not back to so-called normal, not sure when that's going to happen. Even when we hit stage two, I think there are going to be a lot of, you know, a lot of changes that we'll have to adapt to. But there's one really nice thing that 34th Avenue is now closed for many, many blocks and it's a pedestrian zone and a bicycle, bicycling zone. So that was a very nice thing to take advantage of last week. I went for a walk with a friend, this is the friend I mentioned, who lives in Jackson Heights as well, who I was going to treat for her birthday. Hadn't seen, of course for such a long time. The sidewalks of Jackson Heights are basically too narrow to keep that six-foot distance between us.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1430.0,1490.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: That's one of the things that you learn when you're trying to go for a walk with a friend, because of the trees and the tree surrounds, you know, in the neighborhood, which is great, that we have a lot of, a lot of trees, but it means that the sidewalks aren't six feet across. So, we walked all along 34th Avenue and that was wonderful. But you know, you find yourself checking, going to parks, like for instance, Travers Park, not that long ago was, the city did a really nice job in completely changing it. There now is grass in Travers. So there had been just asphalt. So I wasn't sure if that had reopened, and it had, that was nice to see. There's another very lovely spot in Jackson Heights, St. Mark's Church, which is on 34th Avenue around I guess 82nd Street, 83rd Street.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1490.0,1556.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: It has a lovely garden, it's set back from the street. It's like this old English, this Episcopal church, like you could be in the English countryside on a, such a nice piece of land. And there's a lovely garden that is open to the public, but it isn't now. So periodically I'll go there and I'll see if the gates have been opened, but they haven't yet. So, you know, slowly but surely, I'm hoping things will get back to normal. But as I said, I think even when New York City does enter phase two, they're saying restaurants may only be allowed to serve people if they can serve them outdoors; otherwise, indoors they would have, people would have to be spaced apart. And again, I don't know how restaurant owners, particularly in a place like Queens, with many of them are owned by immigrants, how can they stay in business if they're only allowed to serve, you know, half their normal capacity of customers? It just seems, that seems like it's not viable, you know, as long as they have to continue to pay rent. And I know rents in Jackson Heights are insanely high.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1556.0,1638.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. So you sort of mentioned that you and your friend, you know, went for a walk during this time. How have you been staying connected with friends and family?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1638.0,1651.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, it's interesting. I find that I'm having longer conversations with friends on the phone than I ever had in the past. I guess that's because, you know, when you saw people, you would get caught up, but knowing that you're not going to be seeing them, you know, I'm having half an hour conversations, but I'm not doing, you know, Zoom or any of that. We, my husband and I, did once with a cousin's son, but he was in Canada and he has a new baby and wanted us to see the baby. But, that's the only time. I have used Zoom, you know, just to, take advantage of various cultural institutions that I belong to like the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum. They have all kinds of really interesting talks that you can take advantage of by using Zoom. So, you know, I've done a few of those, but I really have my, I'm not crazy about, you know, doing all these things virtually. I mean, I guess it's great that it's there as a possibility, but I am old-fashioned that way. There is no substitute for, you know, being with someone in person.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1651.0,1737.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. I think this goes back to, you know, some of the statements you made about how, how empty the streets were, you know, here in Queens, in New York City, there's a certain type of lifestyle where, where density and seeing people is part of that lifestyle.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1737.0,1753.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yes. Oh, I completely agree. It is. And, you know, I'm very, I'm a people person, which is why, you know, I never fled the city. And even when, you know, during the '70s, things were really bad. When I graduated from college, New York City had gone bankrupt and the city was in a dire situation. But, it's still my city and I've lived through a lot of, you know, terrible things. 9/11 of course was one of the most terrible. This, this is, is different, is unique. Yeah, with 9/11, there, you know, physically, there's a coming together. People can have, you know, ceremonies and support each other in person. And, and here it's so much more difficult with the pandemic where, you are, people are the possible source of getting the virus, you know, that's how you get it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1753.0,1819.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. Right. So you mentioned a few things that you've been doing in general. How would you say you've been keeping yourself occupied, given that most of the things you used to do, so, were getting on the subway, going places, seeing people, how have you otherwise been keeping yourself occupied?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1819.0,1836.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Well, I'm a writer. So I've been doing some writing, some of it about this experience and, you know, even had an essay published about it. That's one thing and reading, I'm very lucky to be in one of the, in the historic district of Jackson Heights and, that's known for its co-ops that have beautiful gardens, which are really like parks. So it's really been an absolute pleasure to just sit in the garden and, you know, just to be able to read. Sometimes you hear the sound of the sirens mixing in with the beautiful song of the robin. Like that's, that's the mix, you know, in Jackson Heights. And those sirens are much less frequent as I've mentioned. So that's it. And I, you know, I do have a, as I mentioned, a mother who's now 95 and a half who lives a few blocks away in Jackson Heights, has been in the same co-op apartment since 1971. And she's still living at home with aides. And you know, I have a lot that I do for her, of course. So that keeps me busy just by itself, shopping for her, you know, in addition to all kinds of other things.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1836.0,1928.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: And do you mean A-I-D-E-S, that she has home health aides?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1928.0,1931.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yes, that's right. And one of them had been exposed to her best friend who tested positive for the virus. So according to the New York State Department of Health, she immediately had to stop working and going into quarantine for two weeks and then get tested to make sure she did not test positive before being allowed to return to work. So that whole process ended up taking three and a half weeks. You know, that's the other thing, it's -- doctors aren't seeing people unless it's for an emergency, so she could not get the virus test from her regular doctor who wasn't seeing anyone or doing that. So she had to get on a waiting list with the you know, emergency medical facilities, what do you call them? You know, those walk-in MD places, that kind of thing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1931.0,1994.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: So it took her almost a week just to get an appointment. That's how crazy things were, but, you know, eventually she came back. So, you know [my] life was affected that way. Also, you know, you asked about how I was keeping busy, and I know I'm digressing a little bit, but, just getting back to your original question about how I was affected by this. I, you know, I'm a poet primarily, but I was thrilled that I have a debut book of essays, which came out in the end of 2018, called \"At Home in the New World.\" And that actually is the title essay that, that title of the book is the title essay, which is set in New York City and Jackson Heights. So, I was really thrilled that I had several readings lined up for the spring and unfortunately, as you can imagine, they've all of them been canceled and who knows when they'll be rescheduled. But, you know, that's the kind of thing that, you know, it's minor compared to how, you know, lives have really been affected in such a negative way.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=1994.0,2071.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: This is minor compared to, you know, deaths, of course, and people losing their breadwinners. One thing that, um, that little incident that I'll mention on this Jackson Heights Families list, I had read about someone had set up a GoFundMe site for a family whose 41-year-old husband died from the virus. And he lived right, you know, right here. And, it was terrible. And then it turns out that a handyman whom I know, he said, you know, he's this super, he's actually a super of the building where that family is, and the widow was expecting their second child in May, he passed away in April. So, you know, it's just like that kind of tragedy, and it's just right so close to home and you just feel so terrible for people whose lives are just changed forever because of this virus. So I feel very, very lucky that, thank God, my family is healthy, including my mother.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2071.0,2150.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. You know, it's interesting, you mentioned 9/11 and the contrast with how that affected the city versus this. I feel like with 9/11, we knew within a week or so who we knew who had died, you know, and I feel like with this, I feel like it's at least, you know, and I realize this isn't my oral history, but just as an example, like here at the local church, you know, you find out, 'cause it's listed in the bulletin, who's died, you know? And I feel like with this, I'm not sure yet how you find out who, you know, who's been affected. I'm not sure about that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2150.0,2188.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Yeah. Yeah. You're absolutely right. I just, you know, I know a few people personally who died from, I worked at Queens College and, you know, one of the alumni who I knew and had even seen in the fall, that he passed away from it. And a professor I knew had passed away from it. But this is, I had just heard about this. And as you said, you don't, you don't really know.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2188.0,2222.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2222.0,2223.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: And you feel that's part of it. You know, I think that, I think everyone was sort of coming together to mourn at the same time, and this, you just keep reading about, if it's not here, then it's moving into other states and you're reading about what's happening in other areas of the country. So you feel like it's going to be with us for a long time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2223.0,2251.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Definitely. In terms of the interview prompts that I keep, I have here, I feel like we've pretty much gone over all the areas, general areas that they wanted us to touch. Are there things that you wanted to bring up or talk about or touch on?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2251.0,2270.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Let me see. I had made a few notes to myself. Let me just see if I talked about everything I was going to. Um, hmm. I think so. Yeah. Uh, I think we've just, there's one other page here. OK. Yeah, I think you've touched on everything. You know, I think I, it just, I felt this, you know, sadness too, you know, for just what my city was going through. You know, as I said, it comes from being a diehard, lifelong New Yorker, and to see the images of a, you know, an empty city, especially in Manhattan, it's just, it's chilling and it's very saddening, but I do feel to end on a positive note and I believe this, that New Yorkers are very, very resilient. And I think that we will get through this. Um, I think in the end, you know, hope, hopefully they'll even be some changes that will come from this, that will be positive, maybe a greater sense of community because, you know, we'll have the feeling we all pulled through this together. It has been likened to a war, a war mentality. You know, I wasn't around for World War II. But, you know, it has been compared to that, you know, that what we're facing is, is a war against this terrible enemy. But you know, I do have confidence that New York and Queens and specifically Jackson Heights, I do think it will, it will survive this and still be OK.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2270.0,2406.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Yeah. It's interesting. You mentioned that New Yorkers have resiliency and I agree with that as well. But I'd like to know from your perspective, what do you think gives New Yorkers this resiliency? How do we, how do we get it?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2406.0,2418.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Huh, that's a good question. I, you know, it's almost like it's in your DNA. I don't, I don't know -- people could be born anywhere, so I guess that doesn't make sense. It's really, it's really your environment. I think that if you're in New York City, if you're lucky enough to be born here, which I feel very, very lucky to have been born here, my parents chose to remain here that shows a certain toughness of spirit. And I just think there's a whole history of New York City always, you know, like rising from the ashes, you know, things getting broken down and things being built up. And you see that and you live that. And it's just part of the nature of being a New Yorker. And if this kind of, you know, things can be difficult here. So if you choose to stay here, that means that you feel that you have the spirit to overcome whatever odds or obstacles are in your way.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2418.0,2494.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: And I think that takes a certain amount of, you know, of strength. So if you stick around then, you know, you're among the people who are fairly strong, just like the people who aren't born here, but choose to come here, boy, I really applaud them, because it takes a lot of courage to move from a familiar place to the big city, you know, with its reputation, both good and bad, and to make a life here and to deal with the sometimes crowding, crowded conditions and the competition and, you know, and all of that and to choose to stay here, because there is nothing like New York City in terms of, it's just the excitement and the energy and the intellectual stimulation, and being able to mix with people from all over the world and just be exposed to the world.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2494.0,2562.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: You won't find it any other place like you'll find it in New York City and in Queens, which as you know, is one of the most diverse places on the planet. And one thing I would like to add, I was very, I do, I had worked for many years in communications for CUNY, at Hunter and then for Queens College. And one of the professors of linguistics who I worked with recently, he told me that Jackson Heights is one of the, is the most linguistically diverse place in America, if not the world. And that's, that was a quote. And when he was working on a story, I actually got a reporter from the Christian Science Monitor interested in his research. So he came to Jackson Heights and I met the professor and this reporter, and he brought along a photographer, at 74th street in Jackson Heights.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2562.0,2630.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: And, it was really, really fascinating to me because I grew up in Jackson Heights, as I mentioned, but, you know, it's so many years earlier when the demographics were completely different. And, this, this professor from Queens College who studies languages, and a lot of them are dying languages, but not dying in Queens. They are being kept alive in Queens by the speakers who have moved here, which I thought was fascinating. And, you know, he brought me to this, brought us to this Buddhist temple, just a few blocks away from 74th Street that I didn't know existed. It was, when we walked in, it was absolutely fascinating. And I was seeing my neighborhood, you know, with new eyes. Of course, I walked down 74th Street all the time, because that's how I take the subway there. But, I would never on my own have walked into a Buddhist temple. So it was just such a fascinating thing to experience. So, you know, I'm very proud of the fact that people from all over the world come, come to my neighborhood.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2630.0,2706.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. Right. Well, that's--","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2706.0,2710.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: I was just going to say, and, and it's peaceful.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2710.0,2713.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Hmm. Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2713.0,2717.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: So, yeah. So, let's just, you know, hope things continue to get better as the city moves into its different phases. I will really be looking forward to, what's probably going to be, I think phase four, they said, that will be the very last phase when, you know, larger venues, like concert halls and theaters open up. But I, boy, am I looking forward to that!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2717.0,2748.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. Right. Right. Well, this sounds like a good spot to sort of end the interview unless other things that you want to add at this point in time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2748.0,2758.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: Uh, no. I can't believe I just looked at my watch that we've been talking for 50 minutes. My goodness. It's been very enjoyable.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2758.0,2767.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: Right. What I'll do is I'll end the recording. So it'll probably force me to hang up and then I'll call you right back just to tie up some loose ends.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2767.0,2777.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/79","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: OK. Sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2777.0,2778.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jean McLaughlin: OK.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2778.0,2779.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501/transcript/20656/annotation/81","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Maria Terrone: OK. Bye. Bye.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/28191/file/95501#t=2779.0,2781.9885"}]}]}]}