Laugh! Scream! Cry! Steve Capers wants to entertain you at the Strand
14 BEYOND THE FAIR
New programming helps farmers and backyard growers alike.
16 Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show & Fair.
By Thomas Humphrey17 YOM-YOM
The new owners of Yommi keep it cool with frozen superfood bars.
By Elizabeth Bennett20 SUMMER READING
What's on your list? See what our book gurus recommend.
By Susie Middleton4 EDITOR’S NOTE
5 ON THE ROCK
8 Q&A
The Impresario of Oak Bluffs: An Interview with Steve Capers
10 VINE & DINE
5 Things to Eat ... at Sandy's Fish & Chips.
24 BY THE NUMBERS
The Show Goes On
26 INSTA ISLAND
Mytoi Japanese Gardens
From the Editor
BY...
Ever wonder how August happens?
I don’t mean the hot weather or the Menemsha sunsets. I mean the festivals, the speakers, the music, the fireworks. August on the Vineyard wouldn’t be nearly as exciting if it weren’t for the people who work hard year ‘round to make sure we’re duly entertained for just a few short weeks.
In this Vine, we put a spotlight on some of these folks. On p. 8, Sissy Biggers talks to Steve Capers, who’s giving the Strand Theatre a new life and bringing you the 12th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest this month. On p. 14, we go behind the scenes at the Ag Society and find executive director Lauren Lynch and program cooridinator Lucy Grinnan working on a host of new programs for farmers and backyard growers alike. Of course they’re also planning the Fair, happening Aug. 17-20 this year.
Keeping us cool with healthy frozen pops are the new owners of Yommi, Caroline Harris and Ryan Gussen (p. 17). Filling out our summer reading lists are book gurus Molly Coogan, Dawn Davis and Laura Coit (p. 20).
When you see the folks who make August happen, give them a high-five!
- Susie MiddletonEDITOR
Susie Middleton
ART DIRECTOR
Jared Maciel
CONTRIBUTORS
Elizabeth Bennett, Sissy Biggers, Chris Burrell, Ray Ewing, Laura Holmes Haddad, Thomas Humphrey, Jeanna Shepard
PUBLISHER
Jane Seagrave
GENERAL MANAGER
Sarah Gifford
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
Skip Finley | sales@vineyardgazette.com
SALES TEAM
Frederica Carpenter, Garrett Burt, Carrie Blair, Serena Ward
MARKETING MANAGER
Alessandra Hagerty
AD PRODUCTION
Jane McTeigue, Jared Maciel, McKinley Sanders
Copyright 2023 by the Vineyard Gazette Media Group. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
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No hot summer day on the Vineyard is complete without a cold scoop of ice cream. Mad Martha’s already has stores in all three down-Island towns — and Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven residents can get home delivery! But pints of Mad Martha's ice cream are now also available across the Island at Cronig's, Chilmark General Store, The Gay Head Store, Alley's General Store, Edgartown Meat & Fish Market, Our Market, Your Market, Jim's Package Store, Tony's Market and North Tisbury Farm & Market. Additionally, the Mad Martha’s ice cream cart is available to book for events at madmarthas.com.
Specializing in unique mixological creations, Leila Gardner of the Cocktail Caravan can bring the bar to you. The mobile beverage catering business is operated out of a beautifully refurbished 1970s horse trailer. Before bringing the trailer to your event, Leila and her team consult with you about the style of party you’re planning and what drinks you’re interested in. The team will create a custom plan and coordinate alcohol orders with a local supplier (per Massachusetts liquor laws). They will cater events both large and small. Find more information at cocktailcaravanmv.com.
MVYRADIO, celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer, has been honored with its own beverage, an American pale ale brewed by Cape Cod Beer. Mindbender, named for the station’s daily trivia question, is available in cans (decorated with trivia questions!) at Jim’s Package Store and MV Wine & Spirits, and on tap at Farm Neck Golf Club.
From quahogs to bluefish to yellow summer squash, August is grilling season on the Vineyard. If you’re a seasoned pro, you might want to splurge on a new piece of equipment. Or maybe you just need a new flavor boost. Either way, products from local Island vendors can help you up your grilling game.
Pie in the sky. Available at Crane’s Appliance in Vineyard Haven and made in Italy, Fontana Forni's stainless-steel pizza ovens heat up to 900 degrees F while remaining safe to the touch outside. Portable propane models start at $1,349; a medium-sized propane oven costs $3,750.
Genie in a bottle. Our latest favorite flavored olive oil from LeRoux at Home’s signature collection is Gochujang olive oil. Try this spicy oil in marinades, dressings, and on grilled pizza, of course! Bottles (200 ml) start at $14.99. Samples are available to taste at the Vineyard Haven store.
Looking to try some local seafood this summer? Edgartown Seafood co-owner Crockett Cataloni has a few suggestions.
“I recommend our jumbo sea scallops out of Menemsha. They’re huge and I personally like them more than bay scallops — they’re like 10 bay scallops in one! Also, everyone should try the local striped bass and black sea bass.”
The Strand Theatre in Oak Bluffs has had many lives since its founding more than 100 years ago but perhaps none more vibrant than today, thanks to the passion and vision of the seasoned entertainment promoter Steve Capers and his wife Dorothy. The couple took over the historic space in 2022 after it languished empty during the pandemic years. In addition to showing films in the beautifully restored 214-seat moviehouse, the Capers host local musicians and songwriters at offseason Strand Jams. In August, eager fans flock to the Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest stage where comedian Damon Williams hosts a line-up of top comedic talent. The Capers’ latest additions to the Strand include a coffee bar in the lobby and a state of the art
podcast studio upstairs.
Steve and Dorothy Capers are two of the Island’s most passionate impresarios, with a mission to provide entertainment experiences and a special place of community. I visited with Steve on a sunny July day as he ushered families into their seats for a Vineyard rite of passage – a screening of Jaws. His wife and business partner Dorothy was off-Island.
Q. What led you and your wife to create Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest?
A. I used to work for Comedy Central where I had the opportunity to work with the Dave Chappelles of the world — Louis Black, Jon Stewart, The Farrelly Brothers and many, many of
these comedians. When I left, I started Knock-Knock Comedy Productions and from there started doing shows across the country. Martha’s Vineyard was a vacation spot for us and it was my wife who said, ‘Steve, you should do comedy shows here. Just try and if it doesn’t work, at least you can say you tried.’
Q. How did you get started?
A. In 2011 we did a whole grassroots approach. I was at Inkwell Beach passing out flyers, walking up and down Circuit shaking hands, kissing babies. I knew I could sell myself and then I could sell the comedy shows.
Q. How did Dorothy support the cause?
A. Dorothy was involved with the Polar Bears and The Cottagers and they recognized her as “the comedy lady.” Dorothy is more the socialite – she’s the hostess with the mostest. Together we just kept networking and networking and they started coming to our shows
and by year five, we were selling out!
Q. What led you and your wife to land the Strand as a venue? We used to be at the Lampost where we had some really good shows. The comedians could feel the energy, being right on top of the audience. It was hot and steamy, the air wasn’t working, but the people came and laughed. We had done a few shows at the Strand and then Covid hit. So we bounced around and when the Strand was still available, it was my wife, again, who said we should just give it another try.
Q. Who is this year’s biggest headliner at the Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest?
A. This is our 12th annual comedy fest and no doubt it would be D.L. Hughley. He was one of the original Kings of Comedy. He had the Hughley Show on ABC. This is his first time on Martha’s Vineyard. Tickets to his shows [Hyatt Presents D.L. Hughley One Night Only]
sold out in three hours.
Q. Is it easy to attract talent to the Island?
A. With our comedians, we position it as a working vacation. You’re a big fish in a small pond and we want you to enjoy the food, the culture, the music and then, by the way, come to work. We get so many comics calling us to get on the line-up. It’s a pretty selective process.
Q. Did you ever pursue a career as a stand-up yourself?
A. No, I have not been a stand-up comedian, but people say I have the mindset of a comedian. They have the guts and the courage to go on stage and they know how to turn their frustrations into an art form to make us laugh. I’m more spontaneous. My feelings would be hurt if you didn’t laugh at my joke and I still had to stand on stage! Damon Williams is the face of the festival and I’m behind the scenes.
Q. What are your plans for the coffee bar in the lobby of the Strand?
A. Our strategy is to open early in
the morning and offer coffee from a different country each week — Guatemala, Peru, Brazil. It’s a grab and go but if you want to stay, we’re going to put on daytime television in the theatre, to have a different experience – all to generate revenue to keep the theatre going. This is an expensive project, to say the least. You could even use this place to have a wedding. We have a beautiful aisle, the stage. We’re just trying to get real creative.
Q. Tell me about your investment in a podcast studio upstairs.
A. This building – this theatre – is so tied to the community, so we hear stories. One lady said she was the popcorn girl growing up, so she was thrilled. Our projectionist? His grandfather used to run the projection back in the day. We want to document this sort of stuff. We want to be a permanent fixture in Oak Bluffs and on Martha’s Vineyard. We’re going to start building content so we can create the Strand Theatre podcast. We just want to hear these stories and we want it to be professional.
Q. What’s next for the Strand?
A. Staying community focused. That’s huge. We know that it is the community that is going to lift us up. We take pride in that. There’s a lot on our shoulders, but people have been knocking on our doors saying, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sissy Biggers is a regular contributor to the Vine and a frequent contributor to Martha’s Vineyard magazine.
For me, finding Sandy’s Fish & Chips in Vineyard Haven was an accident — a happy accident. I stopped at John’s Fish Market for a piece of swordfish six years ago and stood in the “wrong” line: the line for Sandy’s, which occupies half of the space. I quickly ordered a fried clam platter, picked up a swordfish steak a few feet away, and have been coming back ever since.
Sandy’s is owned by Glenn and Sheila Pachico, who are operating the family-owned business in its 74th year. “Sandy” was Glenn’s mom, who ran the store for 40 years. Samantha Lowe now runs the daily operations; she’s the hard-working woman you’ll
see at the grill. Sandy’s is a seasonal business, usually open in late April through September. With a huge list of seafood favorites plus a full line-up of hamburgers (including the Obama Burger) as well as a kid’s menu, Sandy’s is the place to go to feed a crowd. Portions are generous and prices are fair. You can try and snag one of three outdoor picnic tables but we usually take everything home.
Choosing from the big menu can be tricky; to help you decide, I'm recommending five favorites. And don’t forget to bring cash for the chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream; you just might eat dessert first.
1. FISH SANDWICH ($15.95)
Choose from grilled swordfish, tuna, halibut, or salmon served on a brioche bun. It’s one of the freshest fish sandwiches on the Island – and at a great price. I like it “loaded:” with lettuce, a slice of tomato and citrus sauce.
2. FRIED CLAM PLATE ($29.50)
There are a lot of fried clams on the Island but Sandy’s does it right: plenty of bellies and all fried to a deep golden crispness. The plate comes with French fries, tangy coleslaw and tartar sauce.
3. FISH & CHIPS ($17.95)
As the business name suggests, you can’t leave Sandy’s without ordering fish and chips. A generous portion of lightly-battered and fried fresh cod (sometimes with a bonus of bluefish cheeks) comes with French fries, homemade coleslaw and tartar sauce and makes a perfect summer lunch or dinner.
Sandy’s lobster roll features big hunks of fresh lobster lightly coated in mayonnaise — and a generous portion at that — served chilled on a grilled, buttered roll. It’s the quintessential Vineyard treat for a summer day. It comes with a small bag of potato chips.
5. FISH WRAP ($12.95)
One of Sandy’s most popular lunch items (and mine, too), the fish wrap contains strips of breaded fresh white fish mounded on thinly sliced cabbage, topped with a Greek yogurt sauce, pico de gallo and Cheddar or Jack cheese, all wrapped in a plain, wheat or spinach wrap. Though it feels light, it’s a large portion and very filling.
5 Martin Rd. (at the corner of State Rd.), Vineyard Haven 508-693-1220
Ordering by phone is advised Cash & credit cards; ice cream cash only
Open Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. johnsfishmarket.com
Not that we don’t love our fair, but The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society has a bigger mission – and new programming – to help both farmers and home gardeners to get growing.
When you think of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, two words likely spring to mind: the fair. And there’s no doubt that the 164-yearold non-profit is best known for the four-day annual celebration of Island agriculture and community in August (see page 16).
But three years ago the society, which had traditionally depended mostly on volunteers to make the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair — and other initiatives — happen, hired an executive director. Lauren Lynch brought with her 15 years of experience
BY THOMAS HUMPHREY • PHOTOS BY RAY EWINGin the finance industry. And she, in turn, hired the society’s first program coordinator, Lucy Grinnan, last year. Lauren and Lucy have breathed new life into Ag Society programming, and in the process have helped the organization support not just farmers but homesteaders and backyard gardeners as well. Together with volunteers and board members, Lauren and Lucy have initiated a host of new educational, technical and community-building programs while strengthening existing programs, such as grants, scholarships and 4-H activities.
From the moment she started her job in 2021, Lauren was committed to revitalizing and expanding the society’s mission. She described that mission as “let the farmers farm, and we’ll do the rest.”
“I think when I started, the thought was that we could be more than just the fair,” Lauren said in a recent interview with The Vine.
If the scope of this winter and spring’s Ag Society events is any indication, they’ve succeeded in that mission: They hosted coyote expert Dan Proulx when concerns began to rise about the predators gaining a
foothold on-Island. They held a month of sheep-centric events, including spinning and shearing, in “Feb-eweary” and held a demonstration class on how to butcher a deer. Speaker panels (women farmers, for one) and livestock health and poultry care workshops were also in the mix.
“Hiring Lucy has been amazing,” Lauren said. “They’ve challenged me in a lot of ways to think beyond what we’ve been doing.”
Lucy has been working on and off in agriculture since the age of 17. She arrived on the Island in 2021 to work on the garden crew at Slough Farm and
took the program coordinator position at the Ag Society soon after.
“The Island is unique compared to a lot of places I’ve been, because the stuff that’s grown here is sold here,” Lucy said while joining Lauren on the porch of the Ag Hall to speak to the Vine. Lucy recalled that they used to transport produce grown on farms in Virginia up to Washington, D.C. farmers’ markets to be sold. The Vineyard is a different kind of ecosystem, Lucy pointed out.
A key part of that ecosystem, Lucy said, is the focus on educational and agritourism-based farming here, making the Island’s agricultural community more outward-facing.
“Direct relationships are really important to farmers here,” Lucy said. “That obviously has its own challenges, but part of what I feel really excited about is helping to continue to build those relationships between backyard growers and farmers.”
That relationship building was part of the inspiration for the tomato pruning workshop the society hosted
this season with Lydia Fischer of The Good Farm. “Lydia was like ‘I’m big on tomatoes, I could talk about tomatoes all day,’” Lucy recalled. “And I was like ‘Well, we can pay you to talk about tomatoes.'”
But while backyard growers have one set of priorities, commercial farmers on the Island have a very different wish list for the Ag Society. Help with grant writing, access to soil surveys and assistance with business and marketing all number among their requests, Lauren said.
“They want support with everything else that’s involved in farming that’s not the reason they got into it in the first place,” Lauren said.
Last year, the society began a soil health program, getting local farmers access to recommendations based on scientific soil testing. The society has given out $50,000 in grants to local farmers in the last four years, in addition to providing scholarships to students entering the agriculture field.
The society also hosted workshops
on marketing and agricultural recordkeeping this winter, aimed at helping farmers build up their non-farming skills.
This summer, a new program is in place to give seasonal Island farmworkers a chance to think more deeply about agriculture — and to learn more about Island farms. Each week (weather permitting) there is a tour at a different Island farm.
“I really care about farmworkers seeing farming as a profession, something that you can continue to grow and build skills in,” Lucy said. “I think part of that is having opportunities to step back and think about how a farm is functioning overall.”
Those tours are aimed at building community among farmworkers, Lucy said. “It gives people a chance to see how different farms operate, to meet other farmworkers often enough that they can build relationships.” The society also hosts summer and winter farmworker socials, meant to further
build those relationships.
But Lauren and Lucy both agreed that the annual agricultural fair (see next page) remains the heart and soul of the society’s mission. On the Island, unlike at many mainland fairs, the fair still retains its rural character. Island crowds still delight in old-fashioned ox pulls and gargantuan vegetables, quilt making and flower arranging.
“When I first visited the fair in August, I walked into the hall and I almost burst into tears,” Lucy said of the power of the event, admitting that they spent around 24 hours total at the fair during that weekend.
“The fair represents some amazing traditions we don’t want to lose,” Lauren said. “We’ve been here for more than 160 years, and at the very least, it’s our mission to make sure the society’s here for another 160 years.”
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 TO SUNDAY AUGUST 20, 2023
This year’s fair theme is “Grow it, Sew it, Show it.” And yep, the idea is to encourage folks (that would be you, whether or not you’re a yearround Islander) to enter vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, baked goods and more in the annual hall competition. There are hundreds of possible categories for prospective ribbon winners, from eggs to quilts, homemade pies to homegrown beets. Perhaps some of the most anticipated competitions this year are those in the poultry category, returning after being cancelled last year to prevent the spread of avian flu.
You can find a full list of fair categories and directions on how to submit an entry form at marthasvi
neyardagriculturalsociety.org. The deadline for submission is August 13 at 5 p.m.
The first fair winner was already picked, however, when Nancy Mulcahy’s design for the annual fair poster was selected from 32 submissions in a competitive process. Nancy is a teacher, artist and seasonal Edgartown resident. The judges cited her winning entry (at left) as having “timeless appeal.”
Of course the hall and the livestock barn are only part of the timeless appeal of the fair. Rest assured that everyone’s favorite carnival rides and fair food will be returning, along with skillet tossing, oyster shucking, wood chopping and more.
Caroline Harris and Ryan Gussen are the new faces behind Yommi, and they’re working ‘round the clock to keep you supplied with frozen superfood bars this summer.
BY ELIZABETH BENNETT • PHOTOS BY JEANNA SHEPARDThe thought of a sweet summertime treat on the Vineyard conjures tempting visions of syrup-drenched snow cones, a hot apple fritter crusted with a crunchy layer of sugar, or a fresh, hand-packed ice cream cone.
But what about a frozen bar made of superfoods? With no additives and sweetened only by raw honey? One with avocado blended with Peruvian cacao, orange extract, coconut milk and a variety of spices? How about spinach, mint and chocolate chips? Maybe raw cashews, ginger, cardamon, turmeric and cinnamon would be just the thing.
If that sounds good, you’re looking for a Yommi Frozen Superfood Bar. Each bar is made by hand in Vineyard Haven from 100% natural ingredients, most of which are sourced from
local farms including Ghost Island and Radio Farm as well as Island Bee Company.
Vineyarders can access the creamy, tasty and healthy sweet treats on the regular. And if Caroline Harris and Ryan Gussen, the business’ new owners, are able to achieve their goals, Yommi will soon be available at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and at outlets on the Cape and Nantucket.
In October 2022, Caroline and Ryan bought Yommi from Nicole Corbo and Adrian Johnson, the Island couple who spent seven years developing recipes for the six frozen bar flavors and establishing the brand’s visibility. Yommi’s presence at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is unforgettable: the blue vintage 1972 Boler camper that doubles as a sales kiosk is a draw and
Being surrounded by frozen treats is familiar to Caroline, who spent a teenaged summer scooping ice cream at Carousel Ice Cream Factory in Oak Bluffs. Her Vineyard roots date back to the 1950s when her paternal grandmother bought a Camp Ground cottage, the home that her father and uncles continue to share.
She recalls her childhood Vineyard summers fondly. “I learned to ride a bike here,” she recalls. “And we were like all kids in the summer: we lived on sugar.”
Caroline and Ryan met in second grade at a Weston, Conn. elementary school. Six years ago they became a couple and Ryan began his sojourns from Connecticut to visit Caroline here in the summer, since she has always worked here seasonally. Until recently, both continued working in Connecticut, Ryan as a landscape architect and Caroline as a freelance creative director in the Westport area. Much to their relief, they finally found year-round housing in Vineyard Haven. Caroline lived in seven Island
to buy Yommi.
Ryan describes himself as a customer obsessed with Yommi long before becoming the owner. (His favorite flavor: Golden Goodness.) During a casual conversation with Nicole Corbo at the end of the summer market season last year, he learned that Nicole and Adrian were selling the business and moving to Canada. Caroline and Ryan acted quickly, albeit with a full family review of the business plan, and the founders passed the torch – and the recipe book and kitchen equipment.
The same black binder of recipes used by Nicole and Adrian has pride of place on a work shelf in the basement kitchen of The Larder in Vineyard Haven where Caroline and Ryan can be found making 360 bars a day, alongside whichever family members they’ve wrangled to help them. The production process for making Blueberry Lemon Bliss, Peruvian Choco-Buzz, Golden Goodness and the other bars begins with blending the fruits and vegetables into a coconut
milk base that’s mixed with spices. The mixes are then poured into molds, which are quickly dipped into a glycol bath before being frozen at -27 Celsius. Each batch yields 60 bars. The duo works six days a week in production in addition to making the rounds of the farmers’ markets, the Chilmark Flea, the Edgartown Village Market and onIsland retail vendors.
The finishing touch is perhaps the most painstaking stage of production: each bar is hand-wrapped and sealed in papers made of natural fibers and with flowers pressed into the paper.
Caroline’s mother Sita, who was helping for the month of July, compares the wrapping to making origami.
“It should feel like a handmade present. Adrian and Nicole wanted it that way,” Ryan explains.
Caroline and Ryan laugh about deviations they’ve taken from which they’ve learned – such as the experiment using a different type of coconut milk, or what happens when too little or too much honey is part of the mix. (Too little: the mix comes out like ice and doesn’t soften. Too much: the bars melt more quickly.) Ryan is proud of ensuring that Strawberry Bee-licious bar has a visible imprint of the real, fresh berry frozen in it as well as the strawberry compote and fresh basil that give the bar a distinct flavor.
“It looks like a tie-dyed T-shirt,” Caroline exclaims on seeing a fresh bar pulled from the freezer.
In mid-July, they were about to work on a custom flavor, specially created for a private party catered by a chef from The Larder. For the Jaws-themed bar, the couple was researching the antioxidant blue spirulina as a potential ingredient.
“Of course we’ll have some red berry fruit in it, to make it look really bloody,” Ryan said. “For dramatic effect,” added Caroline.
Nicole and Adrian’s practices and standards — as well as the product — drew Caroline and Ryan to the idea of owning Yommi and they are committed to upholding those values. The new owners continue to source ingredients locally, minimize waste and create a healthy product that makes people happy.
“For me, the best part of the week is being at the farmers’ market and talking to people; seeing someone’s face light up when you hand them a bar and they really love it,” Ryan says.
Health and happiness are part of their vision for the company’s future, too. A Yommi freezer used to be in the doctors’ lounge at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; the new owners would like to put one in the chemo treatment area so that patients can experience the cooling sensation, relief, and healthy nutrition found in a bar. They dream of extra freezer space and more workers, which would allow them to meet demand from interested outlets on the Cape and Nantucket.
“Adrian and Nicole created the best product on the Island,” Ryan declares. “We’re doing a good job of carrying that torch.”
Yommi bars are available at 11 locations across the Island including Healthy Additions in Vineyard Haven, Edgartown Meat & Fish, and Aquila and Orange Peel in Aquinnah. Visit yommimv.com for the full list.
August is book month on the Vineyard. What will you be reading? Our resident book aficionados have some recommendations.
BY SUSIE MIDDLETON
Gone are the days when “required” summer reading was a burden. As grown-ups, we’d be only too happy if the universe required us to grab a morning on the beach or an evening on the front porch to dive into all the books we’ve been wanting to read. Even though some of us belong to book clubs or make a point of reading regularly throughout the year, there’s nothing like a good book, a comfortable chair (or I should say, relatively comfortable if it’s a beach chair), and a few free hours on one of those warm Vineyard days when the skies are blue and the breeze is gentle.
We hereby declare August to be book month on the Vineyard. It only makes sense since the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival happens in August (see page 21), and the Island will be awash with book authors from August 4 to 6. Additionally, both Bunch of Grapes Bookstore and Edgartown Books, as well as Union Chapel and other organizations — not to mention our libraries — have author events coming up this month.
As a book author myself, I implore you to go to at least one of these events – and to buy a book from a local source. Both the authors and the independent bookstores benefit when you purchase locally. But while we wait for
these authors to arrive and sign our books, what else can we put on our summer lists – and begin reading immediately? That seemed like a smart question to ask Molly Coogan, owner of Bunch of Grapes Bookstore; Dawn Davis, book publisher and outgoing editor of Bon Appetit magazine; and Laura Coit, head of circulation/ assistant director, West Tisbury Public Library. I reached out to them independently and was delighted to receive recommendations for an interesting mix of genres – and eight different books. (See next page.)
But before I hand the mic over to them, I have a couple notes of my own. One of the best books I’ve read recently was recommended to me by Molly. (Full disclosure – I once worked at Bunch of Grapes.) The Postcard, by French writer and actress Anne Berest, is based on the true story of the four members of Berest’s family killed in the Holocaust (and the fifth, who survived). It was a bestseller in France and the winner of the Prix Goncourt. The story and the writing were riveting.
Next, I’m looking forward to reading the new novels – both just released – by two of my favorite authors. From Colson Whitehead comes Crook Manifesto, the follow-up to Harlem Shuffle. And from Richard Russo, Somebody’s
Fool — a return to North Bath and the setting of Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool
Of course, it would be out of character if I didn’t recommend a hot new cookbook to you: Simply Tomato by award-winning food writer (and former colleague) Martha Holmberg. The book has everything you need, from toasts and tarts to sauces and salads, to make the most of those Vineyard August tomatoes.
And here’s one last pick from my household to yours: my husband, Doug Sederholm, on the advice of his son Luke, has just finished The Three-Body Problem, the first in Chinese writer Liu Cixin’s Hugo award-winning science fiction trilogy that is being adapted for a 2024 Netflix series by the creators of Game of Thrones. Not for the faint of heart, but excellent.
Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, we’re stepping into the stories of other lives, other places, other worldviews, and in the process, enriching and illuminating our own lives. Here’s hoping you enjoy your literary adventures this August.
Owner, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
by James McBrideThis is one of the summer’s most anticipated books, and with good reason. James McBride is such a warm and funny storyteller, and this novel is as rich and empathetic a tale as any he’s written. The story takes place during the early part of the 20th century in Chicken Hill, a run-down neighborhood in Pottstown, Pa., that’s home to a large community of African Americans and immigrant Jews. They live their lives side by side, sharing joys, sorrows, and secrets, and finding strength in love and community. It will be published on August 8.
By Michael Finkel
The thief in this gripping true crime story is unlike most: he steals art brazenly and frequently — sometimes with foresight, though often without — from museums throughout Europe. What drives him is not monetary gain, but the unremitting desire to possess the art he loves. He and his partner in love and crime live with his mother, where, in two locked rooms, they cover every surface with paintings, sculptures and objets — until their luck runs out and their whole world comes crashing down.
Book publisher; outgoing editor in chief of Bon Appetit; board member, Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival.
The School for Good Mothers
By Jessamine Chan
I’ll acknowledge up front that I am biased here as I edited The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan. Still, it is a book I want to thrust in everyone’s hands. It has everything I’m looking for in a novel: page-turning drama, characters who are flawed but relatable, an ending that takes your breath away and a topic that keeps you thinking long after the last page. In this case it’s about how we parent, how we judge parenting and the bonds that tie families together. Set five minutes into the future, it brings to mind Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go Editor's note: Jessamine Chan will be at the Martha's Vineyard Book festival this August.
Another novel that I shout out and recommend to anyone looking for a new book is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. The plot in and of itself may not strike you as original: a compelling group of characters who meet as children and whose lives intertwine through college
and unexpectedly exciting careers, push through the various strains of adulthood. But it’s Zevin’s spot-on, compassionate, loving touch, as well as the inside look into the world of gaming (a world I didn’t know I was interested in until Zevin busted it wide open for me in dazzling ways) that makes this so immediately winning. If you need a break from your guests, don’t want to go to another clambake, bow out and do yourself a favor: Find a quiet spot in Menemsha or at the Inkwell and let the lead characters take up space in your heart.
By Ilyon Woo
Again, I start by revealing my biases. I edited this one as well, but it made the front page of The New York Times Book Review and the [Boston] Globe Magazine so it’s not just my opinion. Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo is history made riveting by engrossing plot turns, new scholarship and writing that is lyrical and accessible. I could describe it by quoting The New York Times or NPR, but I just love that this work of history is so unexpectedly novel-like. Only here, truth is stranger than fiction. People magazine even praised it, “Wild and inspiring.” It is the true story of Ellen and William Craft, an enslaved couple who freed themselves by traveling in disguise out of the American South.
Chilmark Community Center, August 4 to 6, Free admission
A stellar lineup of authors, including the Vineyard Gazette’s editor Bill Eville (Washed Ashore), will read, speak and sign under the tents at the Chilmark Community Center for the much-anticipated biannual Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival. (The Martha’s Vineyard Author Series is held on alternate years.) The complete list of authors at press time included Nana Kwame AdjeiBrenyah, Elizabeth Alexander, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Alter, Amanda Benchley, Joan Biskupic, Douglas Brinkley, Jessamine Chan, Nicole Chung, Christian Cooper, Bill Eville, Juliette Kayyem, Tracy Kidder, Carol Leonnig, Rebecca Makkai, Andrew Meier, Michelle Miller, Gretchen Morgenson, Dr. Jim O’Connell (joing Tracy Kidder), Richard North Patterson, Ben Smith, Rose Styron, Rachel Swarns, Michael Waldman, Jeannette Walls, Tamara Weiss and Kate Zernike. Some of their books are pictured here. For more information, visit mvbookfestival.com.
Head of circulation/assistant director, West Tisbury Public Library
The Queen of Dirt Island
By Donal RyanThe Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan is one of my recent favorites. This engaging novel tells the story of four generations of women in rural Ireland, beginning in the 1980s. The author presents short chapters, each one almost a vignette, that depict life’s joys and sorrows, grief and humor, through the women of the Aylward family who share fierce loyalty and deep abiding love despite rancorous arguing. I loved it.
This big-hearted, rambling, 400-page novel also takes place in rural Ireland. The main character, Noe, looks back 60 years at the summer he spent as a 17-year-old when he moved in with his grandparents after a personal crisis. The story’s location is the tiny town of Faha where life hasn’t changed for generations, except for this year (1958) when electricity is finally coming to the village, altering everything forever. Both poignant and comic, it’s
a delightful coming-of-age story full of lyrical descriptions and unforgettable characters. What is happiness? We find the answer in our shared humanity illustrated by the foibles of these ordinary people.
At 160 pages you can read A Psalm for the Wild-Built on a rainy afternoon. The author depicts Panga, a future world where, centuries ago, robots became conscious. Liberated from servitude, they now inhabit the wilderness while humans live in a separate sustainable society created after an (implied) environmental cataclysm. The non-binary main character, a restless monk named Sibling Dex, ventures into the wild, desirous of the sound of crickets and the answer to their questions. Here Dex meets a robot named Mosscap who is also on a quest. Their friendly philosophical conversations reveal relatable insights about existence. Despite the fact that science fiction is outside of my comfort zone, I found this thought-provoking and hopeful story to be comforting. It reads like a parable on the healing powers of nature and what it means to be alive.
40,000
FAIRLY BUSY. Roughly 40,000 visitors come to see the hogs, hens and oxen at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair each year, estimates Agricultural Society executive director Lauren Lynch. This will be the 161st annual fair.
$2,600
WITH A BANG. It cost $60,000 to host the annual Oak Bluffs fireworks last year, a tradition that began in 1975. The cost to the town was mitigated by a GoFundMe campaign that raised $2,600.
HAVE A LAUGH. The Strand Theatre will host 12 stand-up comedians this summer for the 12th annual Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest, with dates stretching from July 31 to August 18.
11 guest speakers for Sunday sermons at Union Chapel.
10,000
ROCK ON. British folk rock band Mumford and Sons will headline the 2023 Beach Road Weekend, happening August 25-27. The festival boasts a packed lineup of 23 performers. More than 10,000 attendees came to the festival last summer.
9 community sings at the Tabernacle.
6 speakers at The Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center’s Summer Institute.
9 MVYRADIO Patio Concerts at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort.
A serene Japanese garden tucked away on Chappaquiddick, Mytoi is a quiet place to visit during the noisy month of August — and a great photo opportunity for Instagrammers. The centerpiece of the garden is a pond traversed by an arched footbridge. Check out turtles, frogs and goldfish. Flora includes a native pine grove as well as exotic plants and flowers. The walk around Mytoi is an easy halfmile, and from there you can follow a path to Poucha Pond and the salt marsh, where you may see osprey and other birds. A great way to visit Mytoi is by bike since there can be long waits for cars at the Chappy Ferry. @PMA.BIKE
