Cartoonist Julia Wertz Illustrates Her Covid Pregnancy Journey

Cartoonist Julia Wertz joins host Alison Stewart to discuss her new graphic memoir, Bury Me Already: It's Nice Down Here, a candid and humorous exploration of her unexpected pregnancy, miscarriage, and the challenges of becoming a mother during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Wertz reflects on the isolation of giving birth amid lockdowns, the loss of traditional milestones like baby showers and in-person support, and the emotional weight of missing out on communal experiences. Through a blend of polished illustrations and raw, stick-figure diary comics, she captures the surreal, chaotic, and often absurd reality of parenting while navigating mental health struggles, postpartum hair loss, and the collapse of her previous life as an independent artist. The conversation expands into broader themes—how the pandemic reshaped family dynamics, the inadequacy of traditional parenting advice, and the systemic failures in childcare access and support. Listeners share their own pandemic births, revealing shared grief over lost rituals, trauma from medical emergencies, and unexpected silver linings in isolation. Wertz ultimately finds quiet joy in small, intimate moments—like her partner reading to her son—while acknowledging the lasting impact of that extraordinary time.