Gather ‘round, North Forkers — it’s time for our first annual Gathering issue!
The idea was born when a bunch of us at Times Review were sitting around a table together, thinking about the themes of our magazine issues for the upcoming year. We used to call November the Thanksgiving issue for obvious (if slightly unoriginal — hey, we can’t always be geniuses) reasons. But somehow, that felt a little… uninclusive. Kaitlyn Burke — one of the keen-eyed sales staff who, truly, is a reporter at heart — came up with the idea and it struck a chord.
What we really all felt that November conjured for each of us was coming together after the crazy race to do all the things of summer finally, finally simmers down. This past August, when I was still in the throes of trying to squeeze out every last drop of the season (and, quite frankly, feeling a little like a wet cat about it), I read a column in the Shelter Island Reporter by local Pilates pro and studio owner Suzette Smith entitled, “When Less Is So Much More.” The following statement really struck a chord with me:
“The simple moments aren’t interruptions to summer. They are summer.
And perhaps that’s how we slow it down. Not by trying to fit more into our days, but by being fully present for the ones we’re already living.”
It’s a good lesson for the hot months when so much is happening, but it’s also a pretty good one leading into the chaotic holiday season. Slow down, don’t feel guilty about it, be present for yourself and for the people you love.
So, yes, Thanksgiving is about bringing people to a day, a time, a place and a table, but there’s more than that. It’s the second to last month of the year; a time when we both look back and take stock, maybe get a little sentimental about people we miss and would like to spend more time with and certainly start huddling inside and firing up the fireplace (or firepit or beach bonfire, if you’re the hearty kind) with family and friends. And, like Smith says, slow down.
In this issue — a most excellent excuse to curl up in a cozy chair with a warm cuppa something — we give you lots of prompts for gathering, contemplating and just plain old noticing and enjoying the wonderful things around you here on the North Fork. From the heart of art and community at Mary Cantone’s William Ris gallery (p. tk) to the splendors of squash (p. tk) to a bevy of bespoke private dining rooms to bring your kin and kind together (p. tk) to the magic of puppets and the way marionette-maker Carmen Campos uses them as a vehicle to teach culture and understanding (p. tk). To Kara Hoblin’s Nameless Writer Salon, a wonderful reason to huddle into the Sound View’s library (p. tk), and the food-so-delicious-it-must-be-shared pleasures of Southold Social (p. tk). We’ve got tempting treats from Briermere (now that’s a method to lure friends to your table!), the glorious dark delights of Greenport Harbor Brewing’s Black Duck Porter (p. tk). We’ve got reasons, friends, lots of them, to stick around this season for … Native American Month, Veterans Day, Dia de los Muertos, Thanksgiving. Or, perhaps, just for you.
Wishing you so very well,
Amy Zavatto
Editor-in-chief
