Eleanor Lerman

The nine stories in The Game Cafê explore the lives of people living in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The characters include a security guard, a mother with a far-away daughter, a ham radio operator, two strangers playing a board game in a café, a woman driving from Los Angeles to Manhattan who makes a stop in Winslow, Arizona, and an unemployed airport worker who has an unexpected reconciliation with his brother. While the stories are primarily set in New York, they also explore how living in modern-day urban environments in the United States can shape the fate of people going through difficult times. The stories show how the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges of living in an urban environment, such as loneliness, isolation, and financial insecurity. However, the stories also show how people can find strength and hope in each other, even in the midst of a crisis.