Though Whittier is more remembered for his abolitionist views and his crusading journalism, his first book was a collection of local superstitions. According to Dave Goudsward, who edited Snowbound — with Zombies, "By the time The Supernaturalism of New England, his second book of folklore, was released in 1847, he was an accomplished folklorist, even if the word ‘folklore’ had not come into common usage.” This little-remembered side of Whittier is what prompted Goudsward to create this anthology tales of the supernatural inspired by Whittier's works.
I took my inspiration for my short story "The Fortune Teller" from the poem Moll Pitcher, a 900-line poem Whittier wrote about a clairvoyant and fortune-teller from Lynn, Massachusetts. Born Mary Diamond around 1736, she was known for her accurate predictions, especially those concerning voyages by ship. A quote from Whittier's poem now adorns her gravestone in the West Lynn Burial Ground.
Join us Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 1-3 pm at the Whittier Birthplace, 305 Whittier Road, Haverhill, MA 01830-1738.
Other participants in the event include Judi Ann Calhoun, Tim Coco, Karen Dent, Roxanne Dent, David Goudsward, Scott Goudsward, John M. McIlveen, Gregory Norris, Faye Ringel, and Kristi Petersen Schoonover.
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