This Will All Be Over Soon: A Memoir

In her memoir, This Will All Be Over Soon: A Memoir, Cecily Strong, a prominent cast member of Saturday Night Live since 2012, ventures into themes of death and mourning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Written during her rural isolation following the onset of the pandemic, Strong uses a diary-like format to chronicles her journey of grieving, anxiety, and introspection, drawing parallels between her boyfriend’s battle with COVID-19, the loss of her cousin Owen to brain cancer in January 2020, and the death by COVID-19 of her Saturday Night Live coworker and music producer Hall Willner in April 2020. Strong emphasizes the significance of the pandemic as an event that demanded introspection, highlighting the interconnectedness of her experiences and the transformative power of prioritizing grief, intimacy, and personal growth amidst the isolation imposed by the pandemic.