This collection of short stories is set in the coastal Maine town of Castine of about 1950. It is a mainly fictional account, however, some of the stories are based on actual events, and some of the characters are based on people who lived there at the time. It is hoped that readers will gain a sense of what a typical coastal Maine town was like at that time.

Please give your readers a glimpse of your childhood in Castine.

In a sense, the book Salt Water Town is a look at my childhood in Castine, or better, a look at the Castine of my childhood.

At the end of World War II the town was a busy commercial center where most physical needs could be purchased. There were several grocery stores, a pharmacy, hardware store, newsstand, two new-car dealerships, barber and beauty shops, a full service hospital, and more. Many people who lived here did not have cars, and there was no public transportation, so purchases were made locally and local businesses prospered. Another aspect of the town was that the population was younger; made up of people who worked as farmers, fishermen, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, groundskeepers, nurses, storekeepers, etc. Also, most employees of Maine Maritime Academy lived in town. There were more children to populate the schools, both elementary and high school.

So the Castine of 1950 was socially different than the current version; not to say better or worse, just different. I hope the stories in this book take the reader on a mental journey to that town of seventy-odd years ago.

What prompted you to write the book?

I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, and did a lot it as part of my engineering career. That was technical writing; however, I occasionally did creative pieces. While working at an industrial research lab I found two other engineers who had a similar interest. We occasionally got together to share stories or poetry (very bad poetry), but none of us pursued that kind of writing further. My first published creative piece, in 1997, was about a winter day-trip to Vinalhaven via the Rockland ferry. It appeared in the Castine Patriot. After retirement there was more time for creative writing. I joined a writers group, learned much from that, and the book resulted.

How long did it take to write the book?

I think it was about ten years from when I wrote the first draft of the first story to the publication date. However, it was not a full-time occupation, and the book idea did not come to me until sometime after that first story. I probably spent five to ten hours per week, and I was writing other things as well, like more bad poetry.

Salt Water Town is second from the top in the “best seller” category at Penobscot Books and has been reprinted four times. In fact, the first press run sold out at the book launch. What does that say about your “fan base” and those who love Castine?

I think that the popularity of the book is partly because many people who currently live in Castine moved here later in life. They are interested in the history of the town as evidenced by the enthusiasm for both Wilson Museum and The Castine Historical Society, and this book can be thought of as historical fiction, mid-twentieth century Castine. People who lived in Castine then enjoy it because it is a nostalgic return to their childhood; a way to remember, think about and talk about that time.

I have had numerous queries about when the next Castine book is expected. I think that the appeal is not just local. A letter from a reader who grew up in the Netherlands and now lives in Pennsylvania wrote that the book took him back to his European childhood. Another person who lives in Washington State wrote of similar feelings, though she has never been to Maine. Another reader flattered me by likening the book to Spoon River Anthology. So I believe that Salt Water Town is more than a local interest book.

What are you working on now?

I recently finished editing a novel that my late wife Bary wrote in 1995. Her death prevented her from doing the revision work needed, and I have attempted to finish it for her. In discussing it with a Castine resident, a successful writer, the point was made that I need to be careful to maintain the writing in ‘her voice’. “Don’t turn it into your writing,” I was told. I hope I was able to do that. The novel is about members of a multi-generation family from Boston who have a summer house in Castine. It takes place in about 1990, and, among other things, describes life in Castine at that time from the view point of summer residents. I hope it will be published this year, 2021.

I continue to work on short stories set in Castine. There are currently seven completed that total 35,000 words. A book of these stories should have at least 50,000 words, so Salt Water Town II is not yet ready for publication. It will have a better name than that.

What do you like about writing?

It is one of a very few activities into which I can completely immerse myself. There are times when writing that I lose track of everything else in my life, and time speeds by. When I finally look up at a clock, several hours have passed when it seems like only fifteen minutes. Other events that I’m involved with and things that need to be done are forgotten. It’s as if I am part of the story, not as a character, but as a silent observer. The feeling is similar to that of reading a very good book, a ‘page-turner’. I think most of us have had that experience. Creating something original is also part of the joy. This comes to artisans of all sorts and is a prime reason for the creative part of our lives.