Nantucket: Classic American Style 30 Miles Out to Sea

Liza, your images are beautiful. Can you tell us a little more about your photography and what your goals were when shooting this book?

Thank you so much. It was essential to us that the images tell the Nantucket story as much as the text. We carefully thought about topics that we would describe in prose versus imagery that was compelling enough to share the essence of the island in a single frame. Including photographs of multi-generations was as essential as including people from every walk of island life. Texture is a large part of Nantucket decor, down to the cobblestone streets and ruddy shingle exteriors, so capturing that was as necessary to inform the reader’s eye as anything and everything else. It was a joy to photograph a place and people that I hold so dear to my heart. 

Did you come across any unforeseen challenges? What about photo shoot miracles?

The biggest miracle was the last day of the season! I’d really wanted to do something special with the word Nantucket and had been dreaming of photographing the lifeguard staff. Of course, because they manage many beaches and are absolutely essential all day on the job it was quite difficult to schedule. At last, the season had slowed down and we had about 17 minutes to get everyone onto the sand spelling out the beautiful island name. So much thanks to Aiden Bourke, our wonderful intern, for his help with that!

Carrie, we loved reading through your and Liza’s stories. What were some stories that stand out to you from your research and writing?

I loved the poetic stories of people like artist Melissa McLeod, who had been sailing around the West Indies when she sailed into Nantucket harbor and jumped ship to stay. Many islanders talk of being drawn to the island by unexplainable forces. As someone said, the island repels people who don’t belong, but things fall into place for those who are destined to be there. Jean Roux, one of Liza’s interviews is an island environmentalist, who found a bike, job, and house in the span of an afternoon when she arrived. For her, the island was meant to be. That magic alchemy rang true for us and this book project as well. 

We also appreciate the determination of Nantucket’s many entrepreneurs, who must work hard during their very condensed earning period, such as Captain Jim Genthner who runs tours on a beautiful sailboat he built and aptly named The Endeavor. There is a widespread feeling that it is a gift to be on Nantucket and most everyone works very hard, not only to be there, but to make it a culturally rich place, and to uphold its history and landscape. Not many places in the world have such passionate guardians. 

Did you learn anything that surprised you along the way?

The island’s long history of female entrepreneurship dating back to the whaling days when women ran the island while the men were out to sea for years at a time. The island continues to be full of women-run businesses from shops, to artists, hoteliers, and restaurateurs and they feel a comradery with one another, and a connection to that incredible 200-year legacy. 

Also, the island’s early history of Quakerism, which served as a breeding ground for a leading suffragette and female scientist, and laid the foundation for today’s progressive social landscape on the island. 

Will you be hosting any book events?

We have begun a “Nantucket Talks” Instagram Live series of interviews with some of the influential and interesting people in the book. And plan to have a few other virtual events through the summer. Sadly, we had to cancel a whole host of events we had planned along the East Coast and on the island this spring/summer. We are postponing our live events to this winter and summer 2021.