In 2016, we spent our 10-year wedding anniversary on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The minute I arrived, I was completely absorbed in its charm. The rhythmic crashing of the waves that could be heard from every street, the weather-tinted cedar shingles on homes, and the rich aroma of seafood drifting through the air. But more than anything else, I was completely and utterly captivated by the fact that my favorite movie – Jaws – was filmed there.
It was M’s idea to stay on the island – we really could have gone anywhere. Tropical weather and pool-side cocktails? Nope. I love being married to someone who gets me like that. And as I wondered up and down the beaches, I couldn’t shake the thought: He could be in this very water. The shark, I mean. Bruce. Like a starstruck fan chasing a celebrity, I imagined glimpsing him just beneath the surface.
While I love everything about the film, it was the book that captured my imagination. Jaws was built on such a simple yet terrifying concept – you never know what’s lurking beneath the water. Even when I swim in lakes in my home state of Michigan, I often catch myself wondering…could there be a freshwater shark below me? A few summers ago, we watched Jaws at dusk in my in-laws pool. And even then, I was certain to keep all appendages on the float. My fear still surfaced. It’s a fear that will never fade. It lingers in the back of my mind every time I approach the water. That’s the power of incredible storytelling.
I recently found out I was awarded a Poet & Author’s Fellowship from the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. I will travel back to the Vineyard in June and collaborate with other writers and editors for a week. Just as Peter Benchley drew inspiration for Jaws from the infamous series of freshwater shark attacks along the Jersey shorline in 1916, my current writing project is also rooted in a true story – one that I’ve reimagined and fictionalized. This opportunity is incredibly exciting for me, as I believe it will allow my creativity to thrive in new and unexpected ways. Writing in the evocative setting of Martha’s Vineyard, a place so deeply connected to cinematic and literary history, this seems especially fitting. I can’t wait to bring my story to life and to see where this journey takes me.
Runs Through Life 