New York Times bestselling author Tayari Jones says her orchid plant is a memento that encapsulates the year 2020.
Before the pandemic, Jones would buy an orchid every month as a treat to herself and she’d throw it out once the petals had fallen off the flower. Then, this year, she stopped herself from throwing out her orchid because she saw parallels between herself and the plant.
“I feel like this is perfect for the moment because I’m not blooming right now,” she said. Nevertheless, Jones said she and the plant deserve care, and she touches its leaves to remind it that “it’s O.K. We will bloom again.”
Photo courtesy of Tayari Jones
The PBS NewsHour asked 11 artists and writers about which memento best expressed their experience this year. Here’s what they said: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/mementos/
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