May 2, 2017 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:
The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center presents Author Talk with Rachel Rowley Spaulding on Thursday, May 11th at 7:00 p.m. during AHA Night. Ms. Spaulding will share how Arthur Moniz’s painting of the F/VEllen Marie inspired her to learn more about the vessel which led to her book, In Search of Ellen Marie. This free presentation will be followed by a Q & A and book signing.
In Search of Ellen Marie is the true story of a painting-inspired, passionate pursuit to locate a fishing vessel. It’s really about life, a boat’s life, but also about lives of people and their power to affect others: the fisherman in South Bristol, Maine who put his work on hold to chat and share an important phone number; Ellen Marie’s Captain of the 1960s and ‘70s in New Bedford, Massachusetts who challenged her stereotypical thinking about fishermen and took her on an imaginary trip to Georges Bank; and the nose-ringed bartender in Newport, Rhode Island who gladly put up her poster and gave her a drink on the house. Spaulding says,”It’s about being human and experiencing the psychological defense of denial when I didn’t want to believe something, and experiencing compassion when I heard the grief of loved ones left behind when fishermen lost their lives at sea. It’s about the awe-inspiring realization that I had been injected into the historic era soon to be lost forever of wooden commercial fishing boats manned by a unique breed of courageous fishermen.”
Born on Cape Cod, Rachel Rowley Spaulding holds a business degree from Boston University, and has worked primarily in the financial field. She gained her writing education from UMass Dartmouth. Rachel now lives in Wareham, her childhood home, close to New Bedford, the historic fishing port she has come to love.
The Center is open Thursday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. Located at 38 Bethel Street in the heart of the National Park, the Center is wheelchair accessible with free off-street parking. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through archives, exhibits, and programs. For more information please contact the Center at programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.