NY Dispatch: Fall is one of my favorite seasons in the northeast. The days are sunny and brisk, the nights are cool and crisp. Trees explode into an artist’s palette of colors, deep orange, yellow, and red that paint the landscape in rich hues. Apples are ripe on the trees and pumpkins decorate our doorways. Best yet, you get to wear layers of clothes, which helps hide the extra layer of skin you may gain over the holidays. Autumn is Mother Nature’s reminder that we need to get outside as much as possible before winter sets in, and we have all become more acquainted with the great outdoors this year.
It is a little harder to relax and enjoy the changing leaves this fall. We are facing one of the most controversial presidential races in our country’s history, tens of millions are struggling to get by, the GOP is stalling on another stimulus bill to help Americans and businesses, which may trigger a recession, and there is a possibility of an armed insurrection if the president loses, which is looking more likely, or an international day of mourning if he wins.
The more distracting news is the spike of COVID-19 cases in many countries around the world. In less than a year we have already passed 40 million cases and 1.1 million deaths globally; many more are anticipated because we have failed to curb the transmission rate. This year we are going to have to adjust our annual traditions and not gather around the table to share a meal with friends and family, unless they are already in your social bubble. Thanksgiving is the most travelled holiday in the US, but this year we will need to be thankful over Zoom. Until we have a widely distributed vaccine, and people take it, the best thing we can do is stay home and limit the spread of this incredibly contagious virus. Let’s plan to get together in 2021, but to do that we have to stay healthy and sane. Wear a mask over your nose and mouth, keep your distance, and avoid crowded indoor places. We have done this since March, what are a few more months?
Today I am grateful for Jameson Currier. After I read his book, Where the Rainbow Ends, a beautiful and heartbreaking novel about love and loss during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s, I wanted to meet the author. He lived in New York and we were introduced through a mutual friend in publishing. Jameson has long been a mentor to gay authors and publishers; he gave me sound advice when I was trying to break into the game and launch my online magazine, Velvet Mafia. He quickly moved from mentor to friend. Jameson has published four other novels and several collections of stories, capturing the evolution of gay relationships, sexuality, and historical moments, and has explored the unknown in series of ghost stories. A glutton for punishment, he has also run his own press and magazine. Please join me in wishing him a belated happy birthday. Cheers, my friend!
The Green Economist 