As the saying goes, “Plant a tree. Have a child. Write a book.” While at the moment I have less interest in the first two, the latter has been on my list since I realized my obsession for the written word at a young age. You see the last decade of my Nantucket life has been documented in various little blACKbooks. I have spent thousands of hours penning my love for life on the island. When the Nantucket Book Festival launched in 2012, I was elated to see a weekend dedicated to the men and women who inspire me to write even more. Enjoy six ways to do the write thing this June and make the most of the festival to awaken the writer that lives within all of us.
1. BEACH READS AT DUNE
The Blue Bistro was my first Elin Hilderbrand book. I later learned that I read the book on the same beach in Miacomet where she begins writing each of her novels. Now you can meet Elin for lunch at DUNE on Friday the 20th as she hosts “From Manuscript to Best- seller,” giving fans and fellow aspiring writers the inside scoop into book writing. Pair it with a Dune Burger and a glass of Veuve Clicquot as you get the dish on her sound advice.
2. YOU’VE GOT MAIL FROM THE 02554
Head to the back section of Nantucket Bookworks and browse their selection of beautiful cards. Send a handwritten note to someone who adores Nantucket. Snail mail from ACK is so much more personal than a text or a tweet.
3. FOR THE LOVE OF THE LOCALS
Have a Saturday afternoon in the Atheneum garden with the Authors Under the Tent. Give praise to the island men and women that took their passion for the written word and put it into action. I was so proud to see my friend Shellie Dunlap there after she self published her book, A Nantucket Experience. Just one year later, and you can pick up your own copy at the Hub on Main Street!
4. HAVE A TASTE FOR FOOD WRITING?
Nantucket restaurant hotspot CRU is hosting John Mariani, author of How Italian Food Conquered the World with a Saturday late afternoon of books, bubbles and bites on the waterfront. Get a chance to chat with Mariani and toast to this talented writer as chef Erin Zircher pairs food to complement the Italian fare he writes about.
5. LITTLE KNOWN FACT? I USED TO BABYSIT FOR JODI PICOULT’S KIDS.
Yep, when she published The Pact I was fifteen and letting her have date night with her husband while I spent the evening speed reading the novel after the kids went to sleep. This year, she’s headlining the Nantucket Book Festival and hosting a Sunday brunch at the White Elephant. This internationally beloved author is going to at- tract quite the crowd. Get your tickets early as she takes the morning to discuss the development and the depths of her research that have made her books into bestsellers.
6. LOCAL BREWS & BOOK BANTER The annual wrap party and pig roast at
Cisco Brewers is a great way to close another chapter of the Nantucket Book Festival. Make sure to see the authors autograph the Bookworks’ orange Mini Cooper while you snack on delish food from Chef Chris Morris of Annye’s Whole Foods and pair it with a Grey Lady beer.
