Articles
We stay for the history
I’d like to warn people about the potential dangers of studying history. I’m talking worse than paper cuts and eyestrain. We are shaped more than we realize by the past—events that happened long before we were even twinkles in our parents’ eyes. Once you start thinking about how things got to be the way they
Knitting knots fishermen and women’s social network
This is the story of how I became a knitter and made friends on Swan’s Island. As you may be able to guess from the fact that those stories are one and the same, I am not the island cool kid. There was a point when I first moved here when I could have made
The DIY days of lobster gear
A warning: this column contains some “back in my day” nostalgia. I’ll be borrowing it from others since my own material only covers cassette tapes, sending your film to get developed and that time when people thought Beanie Babies were a good financial investment. Once upon a time, Swan’s Islands’ lobstermen made the majority of
Some people are just born to live on islands
As someone who just sort of accidentally ended up on an island (give or take a few job interviews), I’m always fascinated by the processes that led to other people ending up on one. Even more interesting forces are at play when they decide to stay there. Bernita Joyce took the shortcut of being raised
When rock was a star on Swan’s Island
There’s an interesting phenomenon whereby places named “The _______” develop characters that overshadow whatever “______” originally stood for. Sometimes the practical use remains constant, such as when “The Dump” is where you put your trash. The fun part happens when the place or function changes and the name doesn’t. In my own childhood this place
Hamming it up way, way off Broadway
Island life leads you down the most interesting paths. Drawing from a limited population means that people are encouraged—some would say coerced—into doing things that they would never ordinarily do. I wouldn’t exactly say that standards are lower, but they’re a little stretched. One of my favorite examples of this is the Swan’s Island theater
Summer mind games on Swan’s Island
Seeing as the rain’s let up, I thought I’d provide a helpful guide to summer recreation on Swan’s Island. We offer something for everyone: sailing, strolling, beachcombing, kayaking, jogging, swimming and even (a personal favorite) sitting around just looking at things. The trick to really enjoying Swan’s Island is to befriend someone who lives here.
Hard times at Burnt Coat Harbor Light
The Burnt Coat Harbor Light, known more commonly on Swan’s Island as “the lighthouse,” is one of our key landmarks. When you’ve got a first-time visitor on your hands and you wonder what you ought to do with them, the lighthouse practically gives off a gravitational pull. Conveniently, it’s also the place you end up
There’s nothing like ‘home’ restaurant cooking
Visitors to Swan’s Island are often shocked by the lack of options when it comes to eating anything that didn’t start out in your own fridge. Restaurants here vary seasonally as well as year to year. At the moment, we’ve got a couple options for dining out. The Carrying Place Market has takeout, and the
Merriment and mayhem on the Third of July
The Fourth of July is always good proof that summer is here—with its picnics, parades and the fireworks that make it the nervous dog’s worst night of the year. Although the Fourth of July has traditionally been a big deal on Swan’s Island, I should admit upfront that I’ve never been around for one. I