With COVID-19 cases spiking throughout the country, large swatches of the medical community, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have advised against travelling for Thanksgiving. Dinners might be smaller, or strangely Zoomified—though the amount of food, one hopes, will remain the same. In his latest cover, Barry Blitt portrays a feast in the forests of New England, where the holiday originated.
You grew up in Canada. Is there an equivalent to Thanksgiving there?
I’m reminded of the Onion headline: “Perky ‘Canada’ Has Own Government, Laws.” For the record, Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, and it’s not quite as huge a deal as its American counterpart—but then, what is? I don’t remember ever celebrating it growing up, but there are no doubt other Canadians, more patriotic and thankful than I am, for whom it’s a big day.
How do you usually celebrate Thanksgiving?
I usually celebrate by just trying to fit in, doing what everyone around me is doing. Friends generally invite us to their Thanksgiving dinners, and I’m always comforted by all the warmth and good will. For a while, anyway.
Your son is overseas while your and your wife’s families are up north. Is there a regular occasion for family gatherings?
Well, none of us is doing much travelling these days. But when we do get together it’s not usually tied to traffic-heavy holidays. Rather, we congregate around family occasions like birthdays and knee replacements, etc.
You live in rural Connecticut. Is the wildlife there as charming as what you portray here?
The wildlife is charming as heck up here—we see deer and bears and bobcats, etc. If there were a bird-watching equivalent involving chipmunks, this would be a major hub.
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