I was just on Cape Cod for the holiday weekend, and Linda Greenlaw was making an appearance at Booksmith in Falmouth, MA. The coincidence is that I had just finished listening to Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm on the ride up to the Cape, which is the book that first referenced Greenlaw and the sinking of her ship's sister boat, the Andrea Gail. Junger's book was later made into a movie. Greenlaw just released a new book, Seaworthy, about her return to swordfishing after ten years. She spoke about her book, and she is well-spoken and quite hilarious. She's written mostly nonfiction, but has authored two mysteries. I asked her which she preferred, and she said that she thought fiction would be easier because "you just make shit up" (HA!), but she prefers writing about what she knows. Greenlaw also spoke about the situation in the Gulf, her experiences in the publishing world, and the time she was most scared on a trip (when a crew member died onboard and had to be packed in ice in the fish hold). She's been fishing since the age of nineteen and, even though she got a degree in English from Colby College, she went back to fishing because she loves it. I admire people who have such conviction and pursue their passion! I had her sign my book and told her that she had done something much more adventurous with her English major than I had with mine, and I told her I was a librarian, to which she responded that librarians are, by far, the smartest people she knows. I couldn't believe she said that! It was so great to meet her. My dad and I had a great time and we both bought her book-- which I was originally going to get my dad for his birthday, but alas, I will have to find a different present for him.
Linda's biography and information about her books are available on her website.
Ex libris,
Marissa
