Na ntucket
10701 Charleston Drive
6 BEDROOMS | 6 FULL AND 1 HALF BATH | $6,150,000
Set on a premier corner property along the golf course in Windsor’s Village, this 7,000+ square foot residence, originally built in 1995 is well-conceived. Its welcoming entry loggia leads to a central courtyard with a large swimming pool. Expansive living, dining, and entertainment areas, along with the bedrooms, capture sweeping western views of Windsor’s iconic links-style golf course. Designed for effortless indoor-outdoor living, all ground-floor spaces and most second-floor spaces open onto deep loggias or porches.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Iremember it like it was yesterday, the Devil’s Tower scene in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
The symphony of light and Dolby Surround Sound that enveloped the darkened Morristown, N.J. theater on an early December night as the alien spacecraft descended on the 30-foot screen was almost too much for my 6-year-old brain to process.
The scene, the film and the experience resonate with me today. I can still feel the air-conditioned coolness on my skin, smell the cloying aroma of over-buttered movie-theater popcorn embedded in the threadbare fake velvet upholstery of the seats and feel the stickiness of one too many spilled sodas under my feet.
I’m a child of the 1970s and 1980s, when going to the movies was a monthly, if not a weekly, occurrence if you were lucky.
You don’t get those feelings scrolling through the streaming options on your smart TV or iPhone.
Jonathan and Jill Burkhart, founders of the Nantucket Film Festival, have been there, too. They recognized early on the collective benefit of sitting in a darkened room, surrounded by your neighbors or a bunch of strangers, seeking escape from the real world for 90 minutes.
But they also recognized something else: the vital importance of storytelling in the filmmaking process, and in a broader sense, the human condition. Most film festivals at the time – and there weren’t many in the mid-1990s – placed the actor and director on a pedestal, leaving the screenwriter to toil away, as Harry Chapin once said, in their lonely garret, far from the eyes of the audience. Jill and Jonathan wanted to see that change, and over the past three decades, they, and executive director Mystelle Brabbée, made it happen.
Their memories of the early days of the festival, celebrating its 30th year June 25-30, and thoughts on the continued importance of good storytelling in an upside-down world, can be found on page 22.
Richard Cary is a storyteller, too. Whether directing plays for Actors Theater of Nantucket in the basement of the Methodist Church, uncannily channeling Mark Twain, writing poems or playing in a band of local musicians, he embodies the idea of a renaissance man. On page 14, Steve Sheppard, himself a storyteller on the page and with a guitar, checks in on Cary at his home in North Carolina to talk about his recent book of poetry and the influence Nantucket had on his life.
Ginger Andrews tells stories of the natural world, usually through her Inquirer and Mirror column “Island Bird Sightings,” but (bad pun very much intended) she’s spreading her wings this year in Nantucket Today with a series of pieces about this fragile yet beautiful place we call home, if even for a week or two at a time. Check out her story on seals and their polarizing place in our collective community on page 52.
Another summer season is upon us. The pace of life has quickened, and there’s seemingly more to do – both work and play – than hours in the day. But there’s bound to be some rain one of these weekends. Instead of spending the day on the couch scrolling through your phone, head to the movies and maybe, just maybe, feel like a kid again.
Joshua H. Balling Editor
10 WHILE YOU WERE AWAY
One last presidential visit, loss of an icon, Island Cup victory at Fenway by Kaie Quigley
14 RICHARD MONTFORT CARY
He was the man from Nantucket . . . by Steve Sheppard
22 CELEBRATING SCREENWRITING
Nantucket Film Festival Hits 30 by Joshua
H. Balling
42 YOUR’E GOING TO BHUTAN
A photo essay by Scott Thomas 52 SHARING THE BEACH WITH SEALS
Love ’em or hate ’em, they’re not going anywhere by Ginger Andrews
58 ARCHITECTURAL ODDITY
Whalebone as building material? Not as strange as you might think by Trey Heller
WILLY LEMAY
PHOTO BY SCOTT THOMAS
Na ntucket
Published by The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. 1 Old South Road Nantucket, MA 02554 508 228-0001 nantucketmag.com
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Editor Joshua H. Balling jballing@inkym.com
BARTLETT’S FARM 33 Bartlett Farm Road July 18th - July 21st
Morning Preview: July 18th Friday 9:00 - 10:30 Benefiting the Nantucket Historical Association
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Contributing Writers & Photographers
Virginia Andrews Mystelle Brabbée Trey Heller
Show Hours: Friday 11 - 6
Saturday 9-6, Sunday 9-5, Monday 9-4
Kaley Kokomoor Willy LeMay
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Contact Us: Nantucket Today, P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554. Phone 508 228-0001. Fax 508 325-5089. Advertising and subscription rates online at www.nantucketmag.com
Kaie Quigley Steve Sheppard
Scott Thomas © Nantucket Media Group. 2025 All rights reserved. Nantucket Today is published six times a year by The Inquirer and Mirror Inc. Subscription information: Annual subscriptions are available in the US for $49. For customer service regarding subscriptions, call 508 228-0001, ext. 10. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication in any way is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA. Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1198, Nantucket, MA 02554.
CONTRIBUTORS
These are just some of the people who bring their talents to the pages of this magazine, and allow Nantucket Today to reflect genuine island life.
Scott Thomas has been a year-round resident of Nantucket since 1989. Originally from Pennsylvania, he graduated from Pennsylvania State University before beginning his career in hospitality, which ultimately brought him to the island. His first great adventure was a two-month trip to Europe in 1998 and since then he has stamped more than 50 countries in his passport. Between trips he can be found behind the bar at the Nantucket Anglers’ Club, on the beach or fostering dogs.
Virginia Andrews
comes by her love of birds through her late mother, ornithologist Edith Andrews. Ginger gives bird walks and does barn owl research for the Maria Mitchell Association, and writes the weekly “Island Bird Sightings” column for The Inquirer and Mirror
Steve Sheppard
Writer, editor, teacher, author, musician. Steve Sheppard has just about done it all in creating a life for himself and his family on Nantucket. A graduate of Bridgewater State University, he cut his teeth in journalism at The Inquirer and Mirror and the Quincy Patriot Ledger before embarking on a second career in music education while still finding time to hit the stage with his band The Shep Cats.
While We Were Away...
HAIL TO THE CHIEF
Joe Biden made his final trip to the island as a sitting president late last year during his family’s annual Thanksgiving visit, a tradition that dates back more than 40 years to Biden’s days as a young senator from Delaware. On Thanksgiving they visited and delivered pies to the Nantucket fire and police departments. The family capped off their five-day trip by meeting with Faregrounds Restaurant owners Bill and Kim Puder on the tarmac of Nantucket Memorial Airport to present them with a cherry wood cutting board embossed with the presidential seal and the signatures of the president and first lady.
BY KAIE QUIGLEY
LOSS OF AN ICON, END OF AN ERA
One of the island’s most iconic restaurants, The Downyflake, was demolished in February to make room for a massive new development on Sparks Avenue that will feature apartments, two restaurants and a bowling alley. The one-story structure, at 18 Sparks Ave., had been home to the well-loved breakfast and lunch spot for more than three decades. Original plans for the development included space for a new Downyflake, but owners Paté Kennedy and Ron Oldham said at the time the building came down they would not be returning to the new space. As we went to press, they were still searching for another island location to serve as the restaurant’s new home.
WINE FEST RETURNS
After a year of turmoil, the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival returned in May with a new look and location. Its Grand Tasting tents were moved to Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, with other events taking place at the Sconset Casino, the Nantucket Hotel, the Nantucket Inn and private residences. Left off the list was the White Elephant hotel, where the festival has been headquartered in recent years. Late last year, executive director Nancy Bean sued the White Elephant and Gordon Companies, a Boston-based wine distributor, after it attempted to host its own wine festival at the hotel on the same dates as hers. Bean and the luxury hotel later settled their portion of the lawsuit, with the White Elephant agreeing “not to conduct any event with Gordon Companies or its affiliates or any wine festival or wine and food festival in May of 2025 and May of 2026.”
The wine festival has a 30-year history on the island. It was founded in 1996 by Denis Toner, a sommelier at The Chanticleer at the time, and grew from a small gathering with a few hundred patrons at the Sconset Casino, to a regional event that is now attended by thousands in several locations around the island.
SURFSIDE CROSSING DENIED
Surfside Crossing, the 156-condominium complex proposed for just under 13 acres off South Shore Road, was denied by the Zoning Board of Appeals in April. Board members cited concerns about stormwater runoff from the development contaminating the public drinking water supply, and the town’s ability to respond to large emergencies like fires in the densely packed neighborhood. Developers Jamie Feeley and Josh Posner immediately appealed the decision to the state Housing Appeals Committee, saying the board was biased in its decision-making and that aspects of the development under scrutiny, such as the stormwater management, are up to snuff according to those who’ve reviewed it. They previously received a favorable ruling following an appeal to the HAC in 2022, but that was later overturned by a Superior Court judge, which sent review of the project back to the ZBA. If ultimately approved, Surfside Crossing would be required to restrict 39 of its 156 units under affordable-housing guidelines.
NANTUCKET’S NEW NAVAL NAMESAKE
Nantucket once again has a namesake in the U.S. Navy. The USS Nantucket, nicknamed the Grey Lady of the Sea, became the Navy’s newest warship following its commissioning at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Harbor last November. It’s the fourth ship in the history of the Navy to be named after the island. The last USS Nantucket was commissioned in 1862 to serve during the American Civil War. At 388 feet, the new Nantucket is a relatively small vessel compared to other warships in the Navy’s fleet, intended for operations close to shore. It is home-ported at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla.
WHALERS SQUASH GRAPES AT FENWAY
The Nantucket High School football team earned some serious bragging rights over their Martha’s Vineyard rivals after beating them under the bright lights of Fenway Park in Boston the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The Whalers won 22-14 in overtime to earn the right to lift the coveted Island Cup at the famed home of the Red Sox. They returned to the island that evening on the fast ferry and were welcomed by a cheering crowd on Straight Wharf.
I Once Was A Man From Nantucket
An autobiography in poems Richard Montfort Cary
STORY BY STEVE SHEPPARD
Poetry is the most personal of writing. Like the lyrics of a song, it lends itself to yearnings, or desires, or the expression of heartfelt emotions. Poems are accessible. Because many of them rhyme they are easy to remember. There’s a reason some of the first stories children learn are nursery rhymes.
Line by line, poetry draws us in. Even when it is silently read we can hear the words. Like the recalled nursery rhymes of our youth, we memorize our favorites. How many of us – inspired by Poe, Dickinson or Dylan – turned to poetry to chronicle our adolescent angst? And how many of those poems survive? How many did we save?
Richard Montfort Cary saved his, and not only his early, teenage efforts, but the poems he continued to
write throughout his life.
Spanning the years from 1959 when he was 16 to 2024, the poems collected in “I Once Was A Man From Nantucket” represent a personal odyssey through life.
“It’s the progress of a young man wanting to be a poet, with all the heartaches and joys,” Cary reflected this spring.
Although he now lives in the Appalachian Mountains in Hayesville, North Carolina with his wife Cheryl, Cary
Photo by Jack Weinhold
spent most his life on Nantucket, raising his children, Donick and Martha, and was recognized as a prominent voice in theater and music on the island.
He was artistic director of Theatre Workshop for four years and founding director of Actors Theater. He was a member of musical group, The Fishandlerz, singing and playing blues harp. He also was a carpenter and builder of custom homes.
Through it all, he wrote, and saved all his writings.
“I’ve had boxes full of poems for years,” he said. “I very seldom threw out anything.”
His instincts to archive came naturally.
“My mother was an artist and she dated all her paintings,” he said.
The cover of his book is an idyllic Nantucket dockside scene painted by his mother, June Coolidge Cary, in 1929.
“I just kept everything in a folder. I dated it all and kept it in chronological order,”Cary said. When he began the book project four years ago he had two or three milk crates full of folders.
Cary’s roots on Nantucket go back generations. Before
he moved to the island full-time in 1970 with his wife and young son, he spent part of every summer at the 1880s-era family farmhouse on Hinckley Lane.
“My great-great grandfather was principal of the high school. Every summer we came up for a week or two. I was almost born on the island. Nantucket’s always been my home base,” he said.
His deep feelings for the island are evident in many of the poems in the book:
“My wife, Altar Rock, Nantucket”
She stands by the rock.
Sand at her feet, Her face to the sun, Our son in her arms, And the rutted road
Leads to the moors in the sky.
(December 1969 – Age 27)
Cary, second from left, and The Fishandlerz, Cary Hazlegrove, Michael Kopko, Fritz Warren and Chip Plank.
Photo by Cary Hazlegrove
“There was no rearranging. I grimaced at the beginning, but realized I was a young man trying to find his voice.”
Top: Cary during a reading of his poems this year.
Right: Cary in front of the jukebox in his son Donick’s LA home filled with Richard’s 45s from the 1940s and 50s when he was a high-school DJ.
Photo by Lily Ponitz
Autobiographical writing is based on remembering, on looking back. Cary’s poems are memories of a different sort. They are preserved moments of a specific time and place. In his autobiography, Cary recollects in a very real sense.
The poems are presented in the order they were written, from February1959 to January 2024.
“There was no rearranging,” Cary said, admitting that when he was first putting the book together, “I grimaced at the beginning, but realized I was a young man trying to find his voice.”
Because the perspective is that of a person living in the moment, the result is something that is very real.
The writer can look forward, or anticipate the future, but like the narrator of Robert Frost’s timeless poem, “The Road Not Taken,” the answers will remain unknown until that unseeable future occurs. Like the narrator, we as readers wonder, too, what lies ahead.
For this reason, “I Once Was A Man From Nantucket” reads like a novel as we follow the narrator through life. Like most lives, it is full of twists and turns, of unexpected surprises, sorrows and joys.
“Hills
of Sherburne”
Dear Morning Sun
Burn through this Island fog, Dry out these pale green hills of reindeer moss, Reveal the shiny, hard leaves of hawthorn bloom, Light up the winged choirs
Of swallows, catbirds, flickers, crows, And owls that dive upon their scurrying meals.
Standing silent on these Sherburne hills, Looking eastward toward Nantucket Town, I am transported, transfixed, near tears. A spire pokes through the morning mist. My heart sings on this sea-sandy soil, Away from massive, coughing cities Where children gape through modern grit
Never to know the soothing thunder of surf.
Drenched in the symphony of passing time, I gladly hear the muted noise of history. (June 1970 – age 28)
While poetry has always been Cary’s avocation, his life’s work has taken many forms. In college, “I wanted to be an architect,” he said.
A night at the theater led to a different calling.
“I went with my roommate to see ‘Twelfth Night’. My roommate said to me, ‘That’s what you should be doing,’ and I said, ‘You’re right’.”
Cary changed his major to theater arts and was accepted into the playwriting program at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University).
Photo by Donick Cary
Upon graduation, he worked for several theater companies, including the Hartford Stage Company, where he met his first wife Mara.
Although he is a skilled carpenter, Cary is best known on the island for his 20 years as artistic director of Actors Theater, which he founded in 1984, and for his leadership at Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, where, he says, “it was such an honor to take over from (legendary co-founder) Mac Dixon” in 1980.
Bennett Hall was rebuilt into the theater it is today during his tenure there. And while he directed and acted in many plays, the role he relished most was his popular one-person show, “And Now Mark Twain!”
A talented musician, Cary was a member of The Fishandlerz for many years, playing regular gigs at The Brotherhood with Cary Hazlegrove, Michael Kopko, Fritz Warren and Chip Plank.
He’s had a varied and full life, with his poetry a distinct part of it.
“When I reflect about it, there’s so little about the theater, or The Fishandlerz, or Mark Twain. (The poems) are about the part of my life no one really knew about,” he said.
His poems are evocative, inviting, containing a coming-ofage story. Not only the evolution of a talent, but the unfolding of a life’s journey, with poems as maps: emotional markers, placeholders of the soul.
“Poems are a secret entrance into your heart. I’m so thrilled that I saved all that stuff and put it together. It’s a life’s dream,” he said.
“For My Sweet Nantucket”
Put me on this Island.
I love walking around Town
On her foggy, summer nights, Listening to my shoes
On her wet bricks, Hearing the mourn of her foghorn. Windows hang in her thick air; Dull lights fall to no surfaces.
I am a damp traveler, Adrift in her sea.
I am swallowed by her night. July 1973 – age 31
Richard Cary is at work compiling a companion book of poetry, “Sonnets & Song Lyrics & Nature,” which will be available soon. “I Once Was A Man From Nantucket” is available at Mitchell’s Book Corner, Nantucket Bookworks and lulu.com.
Steve Sheppard is an author, former journalist and retired music educator. He writes occasionally
for Nantucket Today.
Cary and his daughter Martha. Photo by Beverly Hall
Not to Miss at This Year’s Nantucket Book Festival
BY KALEY KOKOMOOR
The annual Nantucket Book Festival, June 12-15 this year, is the Nantucket Book Foundation’s signature event, where the work of island students and teachers converges with a lineup of some of today’s most compelling writers for a celebration of humanity through storytelling.
Following are some “don’t miss” recommendations from Foundation executive director Kaley Kokomoor, meaningful conversations that will reflect not only the spirit of the festival, but also the Nantucket Book Foundation’s commitment to fostering a love of literature, learning and connection.
• Start the festival with Dawn Tripp and Sara DiVello discussing “Jackie,” 10 a.m. Thursday, June 12, Methodist Church, 2 Centre St.
We are kicking off with a dynamic conversation between bestselling author Dawn Tripp and festival co-chair and author Sara DiVello, exploring the intellect and legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis – a first lady, legendary editor and lifelong book-lover. The perfect way to begin a weekend devoted to stories.
• Kim Coleman Foote in conversation with Kaley Kokomoor for a discussion of “Coleman Hill,” noon Thursday, June 12, Methodist Church.
I am thrilled to sit down with Kim Coleman Foote to discuss her powerful debut novel rooted in family history, identity and resilience with the backdrop of the Great Migration. This will be a conversation about how the stories we inherit, and those we choose to tell, shape who we are.
• Victor Luckerson and Shantaw Bloise-Murphy in conversation about the unforgettable and layered history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 12, Methodist Church.
Victor Luckerson’s “Built from the Fire” won the Museum of African American History Boston/Nantucket’s Stone Book Award and is a master class in storytelling, resilience and truth-telling. Don’t miss his expert exploration of Tulsa’s Greenwood District and its simultaneously heartbreaking and empowering history, guided by Foundation board member and the Town of Nantucket’s director of culture and tourism, Shantaw Bloise-Murphy.
• “Calling In” with Loretta Ross and Michael Schulder, 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14, Methodist Church.
This conversation promises to send you off with some of the best takeaways of the festival. Activist and author Loretta Ross offers a refreshing, hopeful approach to making change in a divided world and fighting hate with openness and connection. Her chat with Foundation board member and creator of Wavemaker Conversations, Michael Schulder, about her book “Calling In: How To Start Making Change With Those You’d Rather Cancel” promises to leave us all with new tools and the necessary perspective for tackling the tough relationships in our own lives.
• Discover Tomorrow’s Playwrights! 5 p.m. Thursday, June 12, Nantucket Atheneum, 1 India St.
Witness fresh voices take the stage at the annual Nantucket Young Playwrights event, spotlighting original works by talented local students. The program is run by award-winning filmmaker Jay Craven and performed by professional actors. These are stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
• The Next Chapter: Inspiring a New Generation with Jason Reynolds and Carl Hiaasen, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, Dreamland main theater, 17 South Water St.
Saturday night’s event at the Dreamland is more than a conversation between two literary powerhouses writing for readers of all ages. It is a celebration of storytelling across generations. Throughout the evening we will honor the winner and four finalists of our Young Writer Award and present the Tharon Dunn Scholarship, recognizing a student for whom English is not their first language. It will be a moving tribute to literary greatness and the future of storytelling on Nantucket.
• Christian Sheppard and Rob Cocuzzo talk “The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball,” 11 a.m. Sunday, June 15, Dreamland main theater.
If you love literature, philosophy or America’s favorite pastime, don’t miss Nantucket resident Christian Sheppard’s clever take on how ancient wisdom meets modern sports. A fun, thoughtful conversation that may just surprise you – and a great way to kick off Father’s Day.
Each conversation and shared experience captures what the Nantucket Book Festival is all about: celebrating stories, amplifying voices and connecting through the power of words.
Through its year-round programming, the Nantucket Book Foundation champions literacy, inspires young writers and connects our community through books and ideas.
For the complete schedule and more information on the Nantucket Book Festival, visit www.nantucketbookfestival.org
Carl Hiaasen
THE NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating Screenwriting for 30 Years
BY JOSHUA H. BALLING
The Nantucket Film Festival grew out of a simple idea hatched on the island Columbus Day weekend 1994.
Jonathan Burkhart, who grew up an island kid, and his roommate Jonathan Larsen, who would go on to write “Rent” before dying at 36 the day before its off-Broadway premiere, ran into a group of friends from New York and Los Angeles.
“Within three hours, they all said they’d just made a film and they wanted us to see it,” said Burkhart, who at the time had been working in film and TV for about a decade. “I turned to Jonathan and said we should get all our friends in film together on Nantucket and have a festival to show the art and craft of writing. Screw Hollywood, the tits and ass, let’s focus on the craft of storytelling.”
Burkhart enlisted the help of his sister Jill, who became the festival’s first artistic director, and a year and a half later, the Nantucket Film Festival screened its opening night-film at the Gaslight Theater: Kevin Bacon’s “Losing Chase.”
Current executive director Mystelle Brabbée joined the team in year two, and over the next three decades, the festival has screened world, national and regional premieres, and introduced audiences to films they weren’t likely to see in their suburban cineplex, movies like “20 Feet from Stardom,” “Whale Rider,” “Run, Lola, Run,” “The Cove” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” It annually presents a Screenwriters
Tribute, whose honorees read like a who’s who of the best in the cinematic storytelling business, from Oliver Stone and Noah Baumbach, to Aaron Sorkin, Steve Martin, James Schamus, Walter Bernstein and Ring Lardner Jr.
“I turned to Jonathan and said we should get all our friends in film together on Nantucket and have a festival to show the art and craft of writing. Screw Hollywood, the tits and ass, let’s focus on the craft of storytelling.”
– Jonathan Burkhart
“I loved those early years. It was very mom and pop back in those days, we were scrappy and younger,” Jill Burkhart said.
“I love it when things are like that. We didn’t even have the Dreamland that first year. They were not interested. It wasn’t until the second year, when they saw what it was, how it was a benefit to the community, that they came on board. We had the Gaslight that first year, and Bennett Hall. The first morning coffee had a line out the door. Jon and I looked at each other and realized we had created something with a life of its own.”
All about the story
Through it all, it’s always been about the story – and the storyteller.
“It’s crazy. Actors and directors get all the credit in this business. When writers write, we work. I’m a producer. I don’t get a paycheck if there’s no screenplay. The writers deserve all the credit,” Jonathan Burkhart said.
“The idea way back in the beginning was that writers need more say, and to be presented as important. That is the reason we are here. We knew early on that the writer ought to be presented first and foremost as the reason films are made. We just happened to come up with the idea just before about 50,0000 people across the planet decided to have film festivals. But that’s good. Let’s give these filmmakers exposure.”
“Most festivals focus on the director and cast, that’s it. The director, generally a white guy, is the one you see at Cannes, or Toronto. Nobody cared about the cinematographer, the sound mixer, the editor, the screenwriter,” Burkhart continued. “We want the writer in the room. Sometimes the writer is the director, and we win that way. Not that the director isn’t important, or the cast isn’t, but the essence of what we are doing starts with the writer.”
“When I first met Jonathan Larson in 1984 we had a house out near the sewer beds, and there was a piano in the house. He would write words and create a song.
Jonathan and Jill Burkhart
I’d never been around somebody who could write stories, and songs. It was amazing. I’ve always been fascinated with somebody having an idea and putting it on paper.”
A changing landscape
The rise of streaming services, social-media and digital hand-held technology has had a seismic impact on filmmakers and filmmaking.
“The way we consume anything these days is so fractured, we are used to 90-second increments, it’s so broken,” Brabbée said. “Going to the movies requires a lot of you, sitting for 90-plus minutes without scrolling through your phone, without texting, but what happens is immersion, forced attention. It’s not a bad thing.”
The feeling of sitting in a darkened theater, with a 30-foot screen and booming sound system, surrounded by other living, breathing human beings, cannot be replicated on an iPhone or a television screen.
“One of my fondest memories, if you’ve ever been in a theater where the audience jumps up when the credits are rolling and gives a standing ovation, the feeling is palpable. It’s a shared experience where everyone is delighted at the same moment. That was ‘The Full Monty’,” Brabbée said.
“People are never going to tire of coming together for a
shared experience. Our habit, the muscle memory of going to the movies, is never going to change. Cuddling up on the coach with a laptop is attractive, but it’s never going to replace the live experience. That’s what keeps festivals alive, and keeps live cinema going.”
For Jill Burkhart, watching a film in a theater provides a connection often lacking in today’s digital world.
“It’s a more visceral, connected experience. There’s something so magical about sitting in a movie theater with an audience experiencing something for the first time. Hopefully that never goes away,” she said.
That’s why there will always be a place for festivals – not just for the audiences but the filmmakers themselves – Brabbée said, and the Burkharts agreed.
“Filmmakers want that festival experience. It’s their only chance to connect with their audience. Streamers have over the last 10 years gobble films up during or right after they premiere at a festival and dump them onto their platform, bypassing the remainder of the festival experience,” she said.
“As a festival organizer, it’s a terrible move for the film. A film is a big deal at Sundance, a streamer picks it up and doesn’t allow it to go to other festivals. We know it would play so well on the festival circuit, which would give it energy and buzz. Now it’s forgotten. Nobody ever talks about it again. Films are often buried. They’re not curated. People need something to
From Left: Jonathan Burkhart, Will Conroy, Rob Morrow, Fisher Stevens and Jace Alexander
Festival Executive Director Mystelle Brabbée.
Jerry Seinfeld and Colin Quinn at Ben Stiller’s Comedy Roundtable.
Ben Stiller and Chris Rock at Stiller’s Comedy Roundtable
guide them on what to watch through the year.”
Likewise, there will always be a place for writers.
“I’m not worried about less writing happening. Anybody, whether it’s a kid or a teenager or a young adult, the act of writing something down is never going to go away. But the physical product, in its final form, there’s less and less content today,” Jonathan Burkhart said.
“But the art form of communicating is not going to go away. It still happens. So many kids go into some form of communication. If it’s not writing, it’s law, science, medicine. But it needs to be articulated. I’m not worried about the art form going away, I feel good about that.”
Movies are a medium for the masses,” Brabbée said. “Storytelling is what makes us understand our humanity. It’s where we’ve come from, it’s where we’re going, it helps us understand our existence. Movies are a medium that is digestible. Why go to the movies? It’s the literal shared human experience. Take it to the next level with a film festival, where you get to pause and share that experience you just had.”
“The world’s in such a challenging place. Film festivals aren’t all fun and light, movies aren’t all fluff. If it’s something dramatic and heavy that triggers something in you, there’s something therapeutic in it all. But hopefully some of it is just fun, just a good time. It’s so desperately needed in the hard world we live in. Some of it is about finding yourself not
so alone, some of it opens windows into another world and broadens your world view.”
Jill Burkhart agreed.
“We updated our mission recently, to incorporate more than just screenwriting. It’s now to ‘celebrate the vast diversity of human experience through the art of screenwriting and storytelling.’ We were very much about celebrating screenwriters and the art of cinema initially,” she said. “But it’s about the human experience, and you realize that by sharing stories, how universal things are, how we are culture-wise, race, religion. Ultimately we’re all human. It’s interesting to think about given the current climate in the world. We are one, really, at the end of the day. Film is a way, maybe, to bridge those gaps.”
In the end, Jonathan Burkhart summed it up more simply.
“To this day, nothing happens unless it’s written. Storytelling will not go away. Film, music, poetry, journalism, there’s still a need to communicate through words that’s not going to go away.”
The Nantucket Film Festival runs June 25-30. For more information visit www.nantucketfilmfestival.org Joshua Balling is the editor of Nantucket Today and executive editor of the Nantucket Media Group, which includes this magazine, The Inquirer and Mirror, www.ack.net and a variety of
Jim Carrey and Spike Jonze
Tina Fey
A young Jonathan Burkhart
Winona Ryder
Director’s Picks:
Mystelle Brabbée’s favorite moments from 30 years of the Nantucket Film Festival
The Films
- The Cove: This is the film about dolphin hunting in Japan. I’ve never experienced such a gripping call to action in my life. I was devastated – and so moved – I made it my mission to get famous people to watch it and get involved.
- Run Lola Run: I vaguely remember the story, but I’ll never forget the feeling. It was kinetic, inventive and wildly alive, a film that plays with time and never stops moving.
- Life According to Sam: This documentary about a boy with Progeria syndrome (the “Benjamin Button” reverse-aging syndrome) deeply moved our audience. Sam attended the screening, and his resilience stayed with me long after the lights came up.
- Porcelain War: I’ve rarely seen the act of making art captured so beautifully on film, especially against the backdrop of war. That contrast made the work even more powerful. The filmmakers left their Nantucket screening and flew straight back to Ukraine, which all felt very emotional.
- Riding Giants: Pure exhilaration, an ode to the audacity of chasing something bigger than yourself. And so much fun to have Laird Hamilton with us, riding kids on his surfboard in the waters off Cisco.
- Whale Rider: A luminous coming-of-age story. I may not remember every detail of the film, but I remember exactly how it made me feel: deeply moved with the beautiful girl riding the giant whale’s back.
- Beasts of the Southern Wild: We were all wowed by the magic realism of this film. It was also grounded in raw truth told through the eyes of a fierce little girl.
- Ma Vie en Rose: I’m noticing a theme. So many of my favorite films center around children. This one gave voice to childhood identity with both humor and so, so much heart.
- Three Identical Strangers: I couldn’t stop talking about this film for months. The story of triplets separated at birth, raised apart. Stranger-than-fiction with jaw-dropping revelations that made you question nature vs. nurture long after the credits.
- Buck: A perfect opening-night film: Quiet, powerful and a moving reminder of the healing potential of trust and gentleness, especially through the majesty of the horse.
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor? This one was beloved by the whole island. Whether you grew up with Mr. Rogers or not, it was balm for the soul and a reminder that kindness is, in fact, radical.
- 20 Feet From Stardom: A joyful and long-overdue spotlight on the women whose voices shaped the soundtrack of our lives, yet we never knew their names.
The Cove
Whale Rider
20 Feet From Stardom
Buck
The Moments
(in no particular order):
- Steve Martin interviewed by James Lipton: James repeatedly said Steve was the one guest he could never get on “Inside the Actors Studio,” until Steve said yes to NFF. That moment on our stage was fantastic.
- Stories told by Tina Fey and Jim Carrey at Late Night Storytelling: I mean, come on. That’s the kind of thing you never forget. Unfiltered, hilarious and totally electric.
- Opening night of “Life, Animated:” The subject of the film –a young man with autism who learned to speak through Disney films – was surprised on stage after the film with a live song from his favorite Disney composer, Stephen Schwartz. His face was pure joy. The whole room felt it.
- Staged reading of “A Confederacy of Dunces:” Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd headlined this dream lineup, and one actor after another kept saying yes to our invitations. The energy at the high school when the reading began was electric, one of those “only at NFF” moments.
- Ben Stiller’s Comedy Roundtable: With Zach Galifianakis, Andy Samberg and Sarah Silverman, probably the most side-splitting lineup we’ve ever had.
- Teen View milestones: Every few years we get to watch some of our Teen View students go off to top film schools like NYU, Wesleyan and Emerson and it’s a proud moment. That’s the future of storytelling right there.
- Opening nights that brought down the house: “The Full Monty,” “Buck,” “Life, Animated,” “20 Feet From Stardom.” Each one ended with a standing ovation. As festival organizers, those are the nights that make it all worthwhile.
- Robert Benton’s Screenwriters Tribute speech: It felt like church, in the best kind of way. He spoke so beautifully about why storytelling matters. With credits like “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Places in the Heart,” the man knows.
- Brian Williams hosting the Tribute: He brought his dry wit and even jumped into voiceover roles mid-ceremony as if auditioning for a Ken Burns doc. It was unexpected and pitch-perfect.
- Anne Meara and Peter Farrelly at Late Night
Storytelling: Every year Anne and Peter would host together. She was sharp and blue; he was warm and game. The two of them set the tone for everything that followed.
- The very first Late Night Storytelling: Rosie Perez, Alan Cumming and Kristen Johnston shared stories on stage, then ended the night bartending at The Pearl. True story.
Mystelle Brabbée is executive director of the Nantucket Film Festival. She’s been with NFF in varying capacities since its second year.
Lorne Michaels and Steve Martin
Sarah Silverman and Andy Samberg
Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara
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Nantucket Lightship Baskets
The Nantucket lightship basket is known the world over for its unique and tight weave. The basket is woven on a mold with a wood base, staves of rattan and weavers of cane. The craft is now experiencing a new wave of designers, re-inventing the tradition in jewelry and accessories. We invite you to add a piece to your collection.
Sylvia Antiques
Sylvia Antiques is celebrating its 98th year in business on the island. It has the largest collection of Nantucket lightship baskets, from antique to contemporary and always has a great selection of Nantucket art, marine related antiques and folk art. (508) 228-0960, 15 Main St. www.sylviaantiques.com
With black leather handles and a plaque that can be personalized. Small to medium tote: Starting at $3,200
With many wooden plaque options, Burled maple, ebony, mahogany and rosewood, and a large collection of
“Con Con”
7” Slim Nantucket Friendship Basket With wooden plaque options of ebony or rosewood. The most popular cocktail basket we sell: $3,200
Nantucket Friendship Basket Tote
Nantucket Friendship Basket Clutch
Nantucket Bracelets basket purses, bracelets
Custom lightship basket purses, bracelets and classes by second generation basket maker Caitlin Parsons. Handmade on island at the Basket Shop. The Basket Shop 80 Old South Road • 508-332-0208
Michael and Marcia Kane Fine Jewelry
Jewelry is made with 14k gold and precious stones
Michael started doing jewelry 13 years ago when he made the first woven Nantucket bracelet with the medallion in the center, continuing to use oak staves and the tight weave he is known for and used in his baskets.
Bracelet size matters, please try to get an actual measurement with a soft tape measure. 38 Vestal Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 lightshipbaskets@gmail.com www.michaelkaneslightshipbaskets.com 508-228-1548
Also available at Anderson’s, 29 Main Street, 508-228-4187
Ackwoven
Tuckernuck Double Bangle
Inspired by the beauty of Tuckernuck, this 1/2” bangle features a double weave pattern, easily adding to your bracelet stack or wearing as a standalone statement piece. Handcrafted on Nantucket Island. Ackwoven.com @ackwoven Ackwoven@gmail.com
Why Buy Antiques?
BY LESLIE LINSLEY
With all the newly-built houses on Nantucket, is anyone still buying antiques?
If the answer isn’t yes, it should be. Professional dealers and interior designers say it isn’t just early homes that benefit from good pieces. An antique dresser, a folk-art whirligig or a lightship basket in a modern setting infuses a home with character and connects it to the island’s past. New, younger homeowners are also using antiques in an updated way, mounting an historic map of the island in a modern frame or grouping carved shore birds against a white or gray background. Tony Sarg prints are as whimsical now as they were when first created.
The Antiques Council is a nonprofit organization of highly regarded, well-vetted professional antiques dealers. Since its inception in 1990, it has been educating potential buyers by hosting antique shows in historic places.
Its Nantucket Show (thenantucketshow.com) will be at
Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm July 18-21.
“Our mission is to help facilitate the purchase of antiques by imparting solid information to homeowners in historic places about what to buy, how to determine what things are worth and the importance of connecting their homes to where they live,” says Kaye Finnegan, promotional director for The Antiques Council.
“A home, in a wonderful place like Nantucket, shouldn’t look like it could be anywhere in the country. A good antique piece will elevate a home and reflect the history of the island.”
Show attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about different pieces, how to evaluate their worth and get advice on starting a collection.
“Appreciation for antiques is growing, especially among
Photo courtesy of The Antiques Council
younger homeowners interested in Art Deco and mid-century modern,” says Trudy Dujardin of Dujardin Design Associates, known for her iconic Nantucket-designed homes.
“We’ve introduced unique accessories made from architectural elements such as contemporary looking lamps made with 19th century balustrades from Paris, early doorstops, old trunks as coffee tables,” says Price Connors, Dujardin’s senior designer.
“To warm up a white room we might incorporate an early wooden farm table and use white vintage textile for a table runner or pillows.”
Connors suggests creating a “shelfscape” in a built-in bookcase with early collectibles to reflect your personality.
Dujardin likes blue and white accessories like porcelain to reflect the surrounding water.
“Decorate with things that are practical as well as reflective of Nantucket’s history, like an antique telescope or a cranberry scoop to hold magazines,” she says.
Michael Kane has been making Nantucket lightship baskets (www. michaelkaneslightshipbaskets.com) since 1969 and now, along with his wife Marcia, is seeing many of those baskets coming back for repair and restoration.
“So many of the old-time basket makers are retiring, and their early baskets have often been passed down to the next generation,” Marcia says.
While they no longer take new orders, the Kanes receive Michael’s early baskets to re-sell or to personalize with new carvings on the top or inside for the current owner.
“We love restoring a beautifully-made basket or purse and educating the next generation about this iconic Nantucket treasure. As long as it’s Nantucket made, we’ll repair it. Sometimes hinges need adjustment, or the weaving needs repair, or the basket needs a good cleaning. If necessary, we reapply stain to match the original basket,” Marcia says.
Michael Kane began making Nantucket lightship baskets in 1969 and today offers repairs and restoration.
While they no longer make baskets, Marcia’s woven bracelets (some with a gold medallion in the center), earrings and wedding rings are sold through Anderson’s gift shop on Main Street.
Nantucket auctioneer Rafael Osona and his wife Gail had been selling antiques at their popular Saturday auctions in Legion Hall to generations of Nantucket collectors until the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person business practices changed.
The couple turned to a different selling model: online auctions. Now rafaelosonaauction.com reaches customers worldwide.
Weatherly Design
Showcasing one-of-a-kind objects, many from owner Mary-Adair Macaire’s travels, from Mid-century to Art Deco, Modernism, Bauhaus and Minimalism.
“This opened a world of buyers interested in Nantucket memorabilia, as well as unusual, quality antiques. The market is robust right now. Different items come in and go out of fashion, but current buyers are extremely discerning,” Osona says.
“People who bought Nantucket houses might buy six bureaus. Now they buy fewer, but better quality. There are certain items that sell consistently well. The paintings of early Nantucket artists, long deceased, continue to bring high prices. Their works are timeless and tie your home to Nantucket’s past. Paintings of iconic buildings, streetscapes and lighthouses are popular because they’re recognizable island symbols that never change. An example is Orange Street with the church clock in the foreground. A Robert Stark painting, ‘Red Sail Rounding Brant Point’ increases in value whenever it comes up for auction. Beautifully crafted Stephen Swift furniture remains contemporary looking in any home.”
Paintings by Bobby Bushong and watercolors by Doris and Richard Beers remain relevant. A Jose Reyes bread basket is quite valuable and considered a status symbol. These iconic items are connected to Nantucket’s history and elevate a home, quietly reflecting the sophistication of the homeowner.
“Buy the best quality you can afford in any category and you will never go wrong,” Osona says.
Mary-Adair Macaire, owner of Weatherly Design at 1 Federal St. showcases one-of-a-kind objects, many from her travels, that make a home distinctive.
“People with an interest in history or other cultures buy antiques with a family story. They appreciate quality and sustainability,” she says. “Mid-century has had a sustained popularity in the last decade, as has Art Deco, Modernism, Bauhaus, Minimalism, etc.”
“Brown furniture” still has its challenges, but Macaire sees its appeal slowly coming back with Gen Z who care about sustainability and quality workmanship. Ethnic items like textiles and rugs have appeal.
Weatherly Design customers are looking for something that speaks to their passions: color, provenance, comfort, status or a souvenir of happy times. They’re curatorial.
Macaire encourages her clients to buy what gives them pleasure, represents their values and interests and creates a story to share with guests.
“Trends come and go, but a desire for quality
workmanship, value for investment and informed and honest customer service are consistent,” she says.
John Sylvia, owner of Sylvia Antiques at 15 Main St., is a third-generation antiques and art dealer, highly respected and knowledgeable about Nantucket pieces. He has a lifelong relationship with customers who keep coming back to add to their collections of lightship baskets, canes, furniture, nautical, Americana and decorative art and paintings.
“American folk art, especially from Nantucket, is very much in demand. It’s amazing how many exceptional craftspeople were here a century ago. These pieces, like lightship baskets, whirligigs, carvings and paintings, are sought after because of their fantastic quality and good design. These items deserve to remain on Nantucket,” he says.
“Antiques are not coveted as they once were. That’s just a cultural shift, and at some point, the pendulum will swing back. There’s been a little trend upwards, especially with younger buyers. They aren’t buying say, a Queen Anne highboy, but they’ll buy a painting or an interesting decorative or folk-art piece. With interior design you need contrast, and antiques can easily provide this. They add character with a sense of timelessness and individuality to a new home.”
Michael & Marcia Kane
customers worldwide, connecting buyers interested in purchasing Nantucket memorabilia.
Rafael Osona ~ Nantucket Auctions rafaelosonaauctions.com reaches
Nantucket House Antiques & Interior Design Studio
Antiques that honor tradition and interior design that embraces the present.
Like many professionals in the business, his advice is to always buy something that speaks to you. If you’re on the fence, walk away. What you buy will almost always appreciate, but no one should buy purely for investment.
Nantucket House Antiques & Interior Design Studio at 2 South Beach St. has been serving the island since 1973 with antiques that honor tradition and interior design that embraces the present. The antiques business, which owner Michelle Holland called “part curiosity shop, part timeless antique,” is the retail anchor and an island institution. The design studio sits within.
It would be impossible to recreate the patina of a shop that has grown alongside a family over five decades.
“We work hard to honor both the history of a house and a family in our designs, while creating a modern, functional home. The perception is that the younger generation only wants modern,” Holland said. “In my experience, however, they want the classic things they grew up with, but updated with clean lines, natural materials, color and contemporary art. The challenge for us is to stay in touch with Nantucket’s tradition while adding our own. It’s a fascinating balance to work with every day.”
Leslie Linsley is the author of “Nantucket Island Living” (Abrams).
• An interior design studio with a focus on residential & commercial projects for Coastal, Country & City environments.
• A curated retail space with a focus on unique decorative items: antiques, exclusive collaborations & bespoke. Furnishings, framed items, jewelry, soft goods, lighting, textiles & carpets.
Climb the Stairs at 1 Federal Street & Let Us Welcome You. Tuesday through Saturday 10am - 5pm or By Appointment
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Celebrating 20 years of partnering with community leaders to address our Island’s most critical needs.
Our e orts help provide a ordable access to childcare, after-school programs, behavioral and physical health services, safe shelters and food for those in need, and transportation for our seniors.
Through generous donations, CFN works with 160+ local organizations by providing critical grants. With your support we can do more.
To keep Nantucket thriving visit CFNAN.org or scan here
From left: Deb DuBois, The Warming Place; Rachel Mandle, Sherburne Commons; Jamie Foster, Nantucket Boys & Girls Club; Sunny Daily, CFN; Jennifer Frazee, A Safe Place.
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Dhaka market
The crowded Kawran Bazaar in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, offers all manner of products including household goods, local fruit, fresh ground spices, rice, fish and meats – not to mention some curious looks from the workers.
Surprise! You’re going to Bhutan
PHOTOS AND STORY BY SCOTT THOMAS
What would you say if you were offered the opportunity to join a trip to somewhere you had never been, but wouldn’t know the destination until just before you left, and even that was a ruse?
I said “yes” when I joined a “surprise” tour last November, a 12-person adventure offered by U.S.-based operator Wandering Earl Tours.
While there were some clues – the first turned out to be complete misdirection as the final destination was ultimately changed due to instability in the region – and some packing and weather guidelines, it was just three days prior to departure when I was informed the destination would be Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh.
While the first several days offered insight into this crowded South Asian city, it was on the third night we discovered the actual, surprise destination was the country of Bhutan, nestled in the majestic Himalayas and bordering Nepal and Tibet, where GNH index stands for “Gross National Happiness,” and they mean it.
Bhutan has some interesting similarities to Nantucket. Landing at the small international airport felt a lot like flying in from Boston, although the plane was a bit larger and we glimpsed the Himalayas in the distance, not the south shore. There was a palpable sense of relief upon arrival. It was serene and uncomplicated. Our group of 12 were the only people in the airport terminal.
The capital of Thimphu feels like a small village. There are no traffic lights or high-rises. There are signs of Buddhist culture everywhere, from giant gold statues and stupas – mound-like or dome-shaped Buddhist monuments – to elaborately-decorated temples and monasteries. And miles of prayer flags.
The countryside is lightly connected by roads that hug and occasionally traverse the non-Himalayan but nonetheless formidable mountains.
Electricity only became widely available in the early 1990s. The fertile valleys are home to rice fields, cows and yaks.
The host population was incredibly courteous and happy to see us as visitors. Our accommodations were lovely by western standards and meals consisted of red rice, lots of spicy vegetable stir-frys and a sampling of meats. There was even some local wine and a blended scotch whiskey named K5 in honor of the Fifth King.
The king leads a constitutional monarchy and is highly revered. He had just announced a plan to build a new city powered almost exclusively by hydroelectricity and designed to foster crypto mining and AI. His government conducts a survey to measure the happiness index of his subjects and help direct policy and economics. It has improved with each survey since its official inception in 2008.
Scott Thomas has chronicled his journeys for Nantucket Today to Iraq with Wandering Earl in March 2022 and as a solo traveler to the Balkans in January 2024.
Golden Buddha
Buddha Dordenma is a towering statue set high on a hill overlooking Bhutan’s capital city of Thimpu. In the base of the Buddha is a small temple filled with art and spiritual artifacts. We were privileged to be able to visit early in the morning and enjoy breakfast on the grand plaza.
Thimpu Looms
At a women’s cooperative in Thimphu we tried our hand at the loom, which looked a bit easier than it actually was. Later we colored silk thread using plant-based dyes.
Girls on the bus
Tourists are not a common site in Bangladesh, as demonstrated by the expressions from these girls on a passing bus.
Dhaka market
Tigers Nest
Perhaps Bhutan’s most famous – and spectacular – site, the 400-year-old cave temple complex rises 10,000 feet above the Paro Valley. It is quite a hike both up and down but there are mules and horses to help with the first half of the journey. The second half is your own two feet. The complex contains eight temples built into the rock of the mountains.
Boats on the river
Small wooden boats ply the Buriganga River in the southwest corner of Dhaka. Some carry goods, but most taxi locals from one shore to the other where the most common activity is actually breaking down old ships and ferries for scrap parts.
Grand buffet
Our guides help prepare our first lunch buffet. Everyone in Bhutan, including schoolchildren, wears a similar style uniform while working. The men’s version is a wrap robe with black knee socks and the women wear long dresses. But after hours, Western-style garb is common.
Lunch plate
Our meals generally started with a soup course, local red rice, spicy stir-fried vegetables, a meat course, often chicken, and various preparations of tea or fruit juice.
Kids at the market
At the Thimpu market we were greeted with the smiles of these lovely children. This market visit was a much more orderly affair than our similar visit in Dhaka.
Peppers on the roof
The Bhutanese cuisine is generally spicy and to this end it is quite common to see red peppers drying on tin roofs. This was spotted on a hike just outside Thimpu.
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Seals
“I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.”
– T.S. Eliot
Love ’em or hate ’em, They’re not going anywhere
STORY BY GINGER ANDREWS
Seals are now part of everyday Nantucket life. We see them resting on the jetties, hauled out at Great Point, swimming around the shoals off Madaket.
Gray seals, also called “horseheads” with a scientific name that translates as “hook-nosed pig of the sea,” are the largest. Harbor seals, favoring more sheltered waters, are smaller.
Seals have some surprising abilities. They can stay submerged for long periods. Like birds, they can sleep with half the brain while the other half stays awake.
Seals have been the stuff of folklore: mermaids or mermen, singers luring unwary fishermen, helpers – or harmers – of seafarers.
For a time they were not so common, either in our neck of the sea or on the European side of the Atlantic.
Once they were abundant off both continents, hunted for fur and blubber. Historically, seal skin was used for many things, even medieval book covers in one French monastery.
Evolutionary history
On our side of the Atlantic, seal bones are found in Native American middens – trash piles – along the coast from
Maine to Cape Hatteras. But arriving European settlers hunted seals relentlessly through the 19th century, without a thought to their reproduction.
Paleontologists say seals have been around for somewhere between 25 and 50 million years. They evolved from four-legged aquatic carnivores, somewhat related to weasels, in cold northern seas.
As recently as 2008 a fossil dubbed a “walking seal” was found on Devon Island in Arctic Canada. Feet became flippers, thus giving them the classification “pinnipeds” or “fin feet.”
Of more than 80 fossil seal-like organisms, 30 or so remain today. So, in some form, they have survived many a cataclysm.
Hunted to near extinction
By the early 20th century, already declining seal populations were deemed destructive to fish stocks and seals were classed as “vermin.”
No connection was noticed between the decline of riv-
er-spawning fish and the damming of rivers, draining of wetlands and burgeoning industrial pollution.
Fish hatcheries were built to replace natural ecosystems, but in over 140 years these attempts made little progress. And with the finger pointed at seals, visible consumers of fish, they were an easy scapegoat.
By the middle of the 20th century, gray and harbor seals were nearly extinct, not only in the northwestern Atlantic but on the eastern side as well.
American hunters were offered a cash bounty between $1 and $5 per seal. Maine and Massachusetts paid out some 40,000 bounties.
Subsequent researchers now discount bounty payments as an indication of population numbers, due to rampant cheating.
Proof was established by showing a nose or a tail,
but several tails could be constructed from one cleverly skinned pelt, increasing a hunter’s profit margin.
A Nantucket story recounted the efforts of five local hunters who came back from a long day at Muskeget, having each finally managed to get, with tremendous effort, one seal. A nose was worth $5. They arrived at the town clerk’s office with a large bucket containing the noses packed in seaweed.
“Don’t you bring those smelly things in here,” the clerk reportedly shouted. “Take them outside and put them under the window where I can see them.”
They complied and he looked out.
“Alright, how many you got?” the clerk asked.
Bravely, they said, “Twenty-five,” and were paid accordingly.
Eventually the state stopped the payment of boun-
Sharks are seals’ natural predators, another reason not to swim with them. Don’t let dogs interact with them. Seals are warm-blooded mammals like us. And they are subject to some of the same health hazards: flu strains, viruses, parasites.
ties, whether out of ecological concern or simple thrift is unknown.
But by 1965, bounties were unnecessary as seals had become very rare in Cape and Islands waters.
Seals were soon covered under the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
Return to prominence
Even before protection, researcher Valerie Rough had become interested in reports of gray seals wintering on Muskeget.
Although Muskeget in the 19th century had been popular with sportsmen, with year-round use of as many as 19 different hunting and fishing camps, they had been mostly abandoned or washed away by the mid-20th century.
Muskeget was quiet, and a handful of seals hauled out to mate and drop their pups. Observing this remnant population, Rough could recognize individual animals. A seal tagged on Sable Island showed that Muskeget was getting recruitment from Canada.
At the same time, the nascent environmental movement began to make progress, beginning to push for efforts like the cleanup of Boston Harbor, once so polluted by sewage and industrial waste that no form of life could survive in it. This improved food webs nurtured by river systems.
More seals moved south. Three colonies developed: Muskeget, then another on Monomoy Island off Cape Cod, and more recently at the tip of Great Point.
The great debate
From the beginning of their resurgence, there was disagreement. To some, seals were a tourist attraction. Others forecast total loss of beaches and the imminent death of the tourist economy.
The stage was set for inter- and intra-species conflict. But along with sparsely deployed environmental officers, local marine mammal protection groups formed almost immediately. They helped rescue stranded whales, dolphins and seals and educated the public.
Still, as the population expanded, resentment from commercial and recreational fishermen grew against seals and the regulations that protected them.
In Chatham, a “seal abatement” group formed. Many vocal fishermen demanded relief. The idea of seals-asvermin was resurrected. Tempers flared. Seals were shot. Some people used wave-riders, called “floating chainsaws” by some environmentalists, for harassment.
Researchers stepped in to cool tempers with actual data. Seals in the northwest Atlantic drop their pups in winter, thus spending less time on summer beaches.
Ocean ecosystems are complex. Seals have a varied diet, including many things that people will not eat: so-called “trash” fish, tunicates (rubbery marine invertebrates), bivalves, even the occasional seabird.
The Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium currently works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, studying population numbers, health and other factors. The local volunteer group Nantucket Marine Mammal Alliance also works with NOAA.
Conflicts can be reduced by understanding seal behavior and observing common-sense precautions.
Do not feed seals. This trains them to associate humans with food. Don’t treat them like pets. Swimming or playing with a creature that can dive to 250 feet and stay down an hour is a recipe for disaster.
Sharks are seals’ natural predators, another reason not to swim with them. Don’t let dogs interact with them. Seals are warm-blooded mammals like us. And they are subject to some of the same health hazards: flu strains, viruses, parasites.
They have now become important for us in another way: as collectors of information. Plastic makes up 80 percent of marine litter. Microplastics are ingested directly by filter-feeders like copepods, bivalves and baleen whales. We now know that microplastics are in us, too.
Seals act as ocean-going bio-accumulators for contaminated prey. Microplastics are found in the gastrointestinal tracts of mackerel, cod, herring and other fish.
Recently, researchers analyzed seal scat from Great Point. Hard fragments, foams, films, tire pieces and fibers of cellulose acetate, cotton, polyester and nylon were found in 100 percent of the samples.
Seals are our ambassadors from deeper waters. Unlike the T.S. Eliot poem, if we listen to these mermaids singing, they can tell us things we need to know.
Virginia “Ginger” Andrews writes the “Island Bird Sightings” column for The Inquirer and Mirror and is a frequent contributor to Nantucket Today.
Seals hauled out all along Great Point.
TOWN · 35 WEST CHESTER STREET · $4,400,000
Antique house and garage on an elevated oversized lot.
Turnkey four-bedroom residence in a prime location.
TOWN
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BRANT POINT · 20 EAST LINCOLN AVENUE · $3,800,000 Expansion opportunity offered with adjacent 13 Cornish Court.
CLIFF · 60 CLIFF ROAD · $7,950,000
This well-maintained six-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home with an attached studio and garage is set back from Cliff Road on a significantly sized double lot allowing for potential subdivision or expansion. The first floor features a beautifully updated chef’s kitchen and several bright, open living spaces transitioning to the private backyard. The thoughtful layout of this home offers privacy and comfort.
Architectural oddity
Whalebone as building material? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think
STORY BY TREY HELLER PHOTOS COURTESY OF NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
On a recent re-read of “Moby-Dick,” my interest was piqued by a passage about the mighty Pequod.
When Ishmael first lays eyes on the Nantucket whaling ship, he is struck and somewhat terrified by what he calls a “cannibal of a craft.”
The vessel’s bulwarks are adorned with the teeth of sperm whales, harvested from previous whaling voyages.
Whalebone and ivory are well-documented as materials for the island’s decorative arts – scrimshaw is one of Nantucket’s most distinctive and enduring crafts.
But as a student of the island’s historic buildings, this passage from “Moby-Dick” about the structural use of whale teeth led me to wonder: As on the Pequod, were whale materials ever incorporated into the architecture of Nantucket?
Part of the answer to that question can be found in the hamlet of Quidnet, on the island’s east end.
Here, there is historical record and archival imagery of a gate made from the jawbones of a whale.
Located on the north side of Sesachacha Pond, this massive arch once loomed over the area’s sparse landscape. Now lost to time, it was last documented in the 1940s.
There have
been other arches on the island over the years. In the 1970s, a home overlooking Children’s Beach featured a set of jawbones.
Surrounded haphazardly by a try pot, an anchor, oars, weathervanes and whirligigs, the massive mandibles were part of an amateur whaling museum full of artifacts amassed by the homeowner.
Another set could be found on Friendship Lane up until its removal a few years ago.
These fossilized arches are not unique to Nantucket. In whaling communities across New England and all over the world, whale jaws have been used as driveway entrances and seaside landmarks.
For seafaring people whose economies, arts and histories were so deeply intertwined with the tradition of whaling, these imposing arbors memorialized the sheer scale of the endeavor.
Shore dwellers who enter the jaws of the leviathan are struck with a sense of humility in the shadow of nature’s design.
Beyond their ephemeral effect, these arches are also just a resourceful use of excess material.
On Nantucket, the use of whale materials for architectural purposes extended into the home. There are many well-known examples of whalebone household
Whalebone fence post
Beyond their ephemeral effect, these arches are also just a resourceful use of excess material.
An unidentified woman standing next to a whalebone gate in Quidnet.
items – like swifts and pestles and napkin rings — but what is less well-known is how island craftspeople and folk artists adapted the natural material for structural elements and hardware.
The Nantucket Historical Association’s collection has many such examples, from clasps to door latches to clothesline winders to fence posts.
Perhaps the most famous use of whale material in Nantucket interior architecture is the mortgage button, a tradition dating back to the 17th century.
Once payments were complete on a residence, a hole would be drilled into the central staircase’s newel post. Homeowners would roll up the lien and place it inside.
Some would burn the document and pepper in the ashes. The hole was then crowned with an ivory top – called the mortgage button – inscribed with the date and the proprietor’s initials.
It served as a verification (and a little bit of a boast) that the house was bought and paid for.
From detailed household embellishments like these buttons to large-scale, sculptural arches, whale materials are undoubtedly a part of Nan-
tucket’s architectural past.
But despite these moments, it might be a stretch to consider whalebone as integral to the materiality of the island’s historic buildings.
There do not appear to be any examples where whale materials were used for intensive weight-bearing purposes, say for a wall or a column. This is for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, there was of course a scarcity of whalebone relative to other more common building materials like wood. Not to mention a far more complicated means of sourcing.
The form of whalebone is also difficult to work with, especially for builders who were inexperienced in negotiating natural curves.
Crucially, the material itself is not the most reliable for structural purposes. Even whalebone door latches tend to be finicky. Those on the island have been required to be decommissioned and archived.
Not all whale materials are the same, however, and have various levels of density that might be better suited for different levels of stress.
Whalebone gate posts in Quidnet around 1920.
mortgage button
, a tradition dating back to the 17th century. Once payments were complete on a residence, a hole would be drilled into the central staircase’s newel post. Homeowners would roll up the lien and place it inside.
Scholars and historians distinguish between three distinct categories of bone for whales.
Ivory is the hard, dense material found in the teeth of sperm whales. This is what mortgage buttons are typically made from.
Baleen is the keratin-base material found in the mouths of baleen whales. Whalebone is all varieties of skeletal bone, including the jawbone used for arches.
Even if none of these whale products were used for heavy construction purposes, it is a testament to the creativity of early Nantucketers that they were able to find so many design uses for so many different parts of the whale.
Nothing went to waste. The ivory, baleen and whalebone that weren’t used for household purposes or arches were used as a canvas for scrimshaw arts.
Whalers would pass the time on long voyages engraving elaborate images. These folk works are definitive of Nantucket, and even though they might not be structural elements, they are part of the very foundations of Nantucket’s mythology.
It is interesting to consider what a true whalebone architecture would have looked like, had the material been more extensively infused into the buildings of early Nantucket.
Would scrimshaw etchings have decorated the walls like expansive murals? Would the forms of our buildings have been more organic, curving elegantly? Would shingles be replaced with baleen bristles?
Trey Heller is an architecture writer based in New York City and a longtime Nantucket visitor.
A mortgage button on the newel post of an historic Nantucket home.
Whalebone door latch
Whalebone arches outside a cottage on Harbor View Way near Children’s Beach around 1970
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Discover the charm of Nantucket living at this meticulous two-bedroom, two-bathroom four season cottage nestled on just under an acre of land in the scenic serenity of the island’s western end. A newly designed four-bedroom septic system, and additional ground cover allows considerable expansion potential.
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PINE VALLEY
A charming single-family home in Pine Valley offers both privacy and convenience in a truly spectacular neighborhood. On over a half-acre of land, the extensive back yard with raised patio and newly fenced in yard allows for privacy and pets. A finished lower-level living space and kitchenette with private entrance and designated yard allow for many different living and rental options. Close to Cisco Brewery and Miacomet Golf Course and the NRTA shuttle stop is available near the entrance to this neighborhood. Trails leading through Land bank property abut this subdivision taking you all the way out to the water’s edge. Additional ground cover is available to expand the main house or add a potential second dwelling.
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FISHERS LANDING
Fishers Landing is a charming neighborhood, offering a blend of natural beauty and recreational amenities. Residents can enjoy a scenic path through conservation moors, leading to a serene beach along Nantucket Sound with gentle surf. The community features a common area with a tennis and pickleball court, as well as a space for storing small boats. Surrounded by extensive conservation land, Fishers Landing is an ideal retreat for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. This 4-bedroom, 3.5 bath home is located on 1/4 acre, and is offered furnished. The abutting .23-acre lot at 36 Ridge Lane can be purchased with the house for an additional $1,495,000.
$3,895,000 | Linda Bellevue
NAUSHOP HEART OF TOWN
Conveniently located in Naushop, the house boasts an updated kitchen (2014); three full bedrooms and bathrooms (two of which are ensuite); a flexible open living, dining, and kitchen area; and a partially finished basement with a game-room, laundry and storage zones; and a new roof (2019). This property has a private yard with a storage shed and access to the community pool and tennis courts. Seller prefers to close August 1, 2025.
$1,995,000 | Meg Ruley
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$3,750,000 | Penny Dey
MID-ISLAND LOT
Centrally located, this Residential Commercial lot allows 50% ground coverage with town water and town sewer available. Great for a small business, shop, duplex or single family home. Near to bike path and NRTA shuttle.
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STORY BY JOSHUA H. BALLING
PHOTO BY WILLY LEMAY
Laura Gallagher Byrne
has spent her life on the stage – or near it. Today, the Dreamland’s director of theater and education is sharing her love of the performing arts with the next generation, and teaching life lessons along the way.
Q: Is there a typical day in the work of the Dreamland’s director of theater and education?
A:
“I think it’s fair to say there’s no such thing as a typical day. My work varies from creative planning, education, instruction and all aspects of rehearsal to performances. Add in the mission of The Dreamland, and the spaces are alive with activity. At any given moment, there’s myriad things happening, from an event Katie is planning to an educational program Sassy is spearheading to a band Josh has booked. It’s a constant coordination of moving parts. There are also many people behind the scenes who keep everything humming, including Alicia Carney, the executive director, who oversees the organization. I’m always amazed by the superstar front-of-house team who welcome the hundreds of guests through the doors with kindness and a ready smile.”
Q: What did you do prior to joining The Dreamland?
A:
“Mine is the story of a little girl who performed in local theater productions and never looked back. I always knew what I wanted to do. I grew up about an hour outside of New York City, and my family had the tradition of attending at least two Broadway shows a year. In high school, I’d go to the city with my theater friends to see shows and, later, for auditions.
THE QUESTIONS
I earned my undergraduate degree in musical theater from Shenandoah University, and performing was my career from the moment I graduated. I literally took off my cap and gown and drove straight to Baltimore to begin rehearsals for my first professional show.
Later, I earned two master’s degrees at Emerson College, one in theater in education and an MFA in applied theater. Those experiences deepened my understanding of how theater can be used in communitycentered and educational settings.”
Q: Music and the arts are often the first programs eliminated or cut back in the public schools when budgets get tight. How do you feel about that?
A:
“I think we are very fortunate on Nantucket that we have a thriving arts scene. That said, I believe it’s crucial to keep reminding the community of the skills embedded in music and theater: collaborative problem-solving, selfconfidence and self-awareness, empathy and connection to something greater. We can keep those conversations alive by ensuring we have a robust set of offerings year-round. In 2019, I was honored to serve on the team to revise the Massachusetts Frameworks for Theater, so I remain keenly aware of the policies around the arts.”
Q: Who or what inspired you to become an arts/theater educator? Who or what inspires you today?
A:
“My paternal grandfather was a pianist, organist, choir master, radio host and the executive director of our local library. I grew up watching him direct multi-generational shows, conduct choirs, accompany professional artists and still make time to host weekend movie nights at the library for his 18 grandchildren. When I’m in rehearsal, I often picture him beside me, watching with a keen eye and a wide smile.
Today, I’m inspired daily by my students, watching as they take risks, support one another and seem to transform before my eyes. This was profoundly felt during our recent attendance at the Junior Theatre Festival, JTF, as it’s called. I’ve wanted to
attend since the festival began in 2003, and finally experiencing it with my students, the level of joy for all of us was profound. We went in without any expectations, and the faces of our kids when we won an award for Excellence in Ensemble is something I will never forget. JTF has now secured a permanent place on my calendar.”
Q: Where do you hope to take the Dreamland Stage Company/ youth theater program in the next decade?
A: “I see youth theater becoming an essential part of our community, a place where young people discover their voice, their confidence and their courage. That’s why I’m committed to creating a company that offers professionally-polished productions alongside high-quality theater training for all levels.
It’s the work I’ve devoted my career to, and the space where I feel most called to lead. I’ve witnessed time and time again how theater can change the course of a young person’s life. I vividly remember one of my middle-school students, cast in a lead role. He was so nervous his hands shook, and I watched from the light booth holding my breath. Then he started to sing. You could feel the audience lean in, and in that moment, everything changed. He was proud, fearless and shining. It was a moment that reminded me, this is what theater can do.”
Q: What books are on your bedside table?
A: “My Bible, Revised Standard Version, travels with me wherever I go. Right now, I’m reading “Crafted Prayer,” a tiny but impactful book by Graham Cooke. My journal – currently a beautiful one from Parchment – is always there with a pen for late-night musings. I always have several scripts from shows I’m either considering or hoping to see. And typically a novel, which could be anything from a twisty mystery to a frothy beach read.”
Q: What is your favorite play?
A: “This is such a hard question. I used to answer, “the one I’m working on,” but if I had to pick, it would be “West Side Story.” I played Rosalia in summer stock years ago. While it’s not a big part in the film, it’s a beautiful role on stage. She sings the famous ballad “Somewhere.” I’ll never forget standing beside the conductor, watching the dream ballet while I sang that iconic song. It’s a show that’s still on my bucket list to direct.”
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from your productions?
A: “I think of this in two parts: The experience the audience has, and what the actors give back because of it. There’s a true communion between the two. I want audiences to become so invested in the characters and story that it lingers with them, leaving them with new perspectives. Atticus Finch’s line in “To Kill a Mockingbird” articulates it perfectly: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” To me, that’s the essence of the theater experience.”
Q: You’re hosting the ultimate dinner party. What five guests, living or dead, would you put at the table?
A: “As a musical theater person, it goes without saying that Stephen Sondheim would be at the head of the table. Playwright Sarah Ruhl, whose work I admire, I’d ask her if she’d consider using Nantucket as a setting for a future play. The brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, because, well, “Hamilton,” and my students would be thrilled to hear everything he has to say. Viola Spolin, the queen of improvisation, so I could soak up her wisdom. And I’d want my grandfather there. I know he’d take a seat at the piano, ready to play for the sing-along that would inevitably occur.”
Joshua Balling is the editor of Nantucket Today and executive editor of the Nantucket Media Group, which includes this magazine, The Inquirer and Mirror, www.ack.net and a variety of specialty publications.
BY
PHOTO
LINDSAY PYKOSZ
