Often when I have a reportage job coming up, I’ll spend some time practicing on location before I start the project. This is one such drawing, made in my NYC neighborhood of Jackson Heights in February of this year. It was a cold but sunny day, and I scored a seat in the window of a local cafe. Armed with a cappuccino, a pastry, and my bottle of ink, I sat and drew the people walking by. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Looking at it now makes me miss the density and vibrancy of my wonderful ‘hood. Jackson Heights has been very hard-hit by the coronavirus, and as I type this, we are still in lockdown.
Today is Memorial Day, a traditional American holiday where we honor those men and women who died while serving in the US military on our behalf. The other day I heard someone on the radio suggest that this Memorial Day we should not only honor our military heroes, but also those who gave their lives serving others during the pandemic. YES. Doctors, nurses, EMT workers, orderlies, police, firemen, delivery people, grocery store clerks, janitors, MTA, and so many other people who have succumbed to this disease while performing their essential services, for us.
I look at this crowd of people in my drawing above, and wonder if some of them are represented there. We honor you.
