June Conference to Feature Historic Isle of Shoals Resort Hotels

PORTSMOUTH—
History enthusiasts and others who’ve dreamt of spending a few days on the Isles of Shoals, six miles off the New Hampshire coast, will have the chance June 25-29 when the Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association (ISHRA) hosts a five-day, four-night “Summer on the Seacoast” conference open to the public.
Those attending will journey back to the resort hotel era of the late 1800s, when the Oceanic Hotel on Star Island was built and gems like the Farragut Hotel in Rye graced the Seacoast. Speakers will include designer Robert Cook, Portsmouth Historical Society curator Sandra Rux and historian Bryant F. Tolles, Jr., author of “Summer by the Seaside.”
From a 19th-century cooking demonstration to a candlelit chapel service and an architectural walking tour of Star Island, conference guests will be immersed in the history of the Isles of Shoals. An optional side trip will visit neighboring Appledore Island, where poet Celia Thaxter and her family once presided over the now long-gone Appledore House hotel.
Conferees will stay in rustic yet comfortable accommodations in the Oceanic Hotel and surrounding buildings. Round-trip boat transportation is provided from Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon, June 25, returning midday Wednesday, June 29.
“You can relax in the rocking chairs on the Oceanic’s wrap-around porch and breathe the sea air just as the hotel’s first guests did in 1873,” says ISHRA president Joel Plagenz. Other activities include seaweed pressing, a digital photography workshop and a lecture by Steph Frigon on the natural environment of the Shoals.
Reservations are now being accepted while places remain available. For information visit ishra.org, email cook-amy@comcast.net or call (603) 431-2616.
Photo caption: The original Oceanic Hotel in 1873. (Courtesy photo)

Gen ‘X’ Messiah

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
“Nazareth, North Dakota” is Tommy Zurhellen’s first novel that spans from 1980 to present day, and depicts the lives of common people in the barren northern mid-west. The story takes a biblical spin on the lifestyles of the lower middle class American community, which invites plenty of social and political comparisons while also allowing the author fodder for clever wordplay.
The novel follows Roxy, a down on her luck ex-waitress whose poor taste in men is nearly as tragic as her inability to meet a decent man. She finds herself in Cairo, Illinois, after a baby is dropped into her care, and another loser boyfriend runs off with legal problems. Her journey with this mysterious baby, Sam, leads her to Joe, a hard working and honest carpenter.
Back in North Dakota, her family manages through life by maneuvering around corrupt town police officer Severo Rodriguez. His business in illegal stills and penchant for throwing Molotov cocktails into outsiders’ vehicles reveal how badly this town is in need of salvation. Roxy’s nephew, Jan, preaches his evangelical shtick as his mother swore he was a miracle child. As time moves along, the real miracle child presents himself above false prophets, as the oldest man in the world (who also lives in Nazareth) predicted would happen.
Written in tight prose with little flash or pretense, “Nazareth, North Dakota” is like reading James Joyce’s “Dubliners” or Louise Erdrich’s “Love Medicine.” Even if the biblical parallels are lost on the reader, the characters are interesting at how they manage through the doldrums of day to day life. As the novel seems to settle into this cozy study of small town dynamics, we see Sam develop into an interesting, misunderstood, and rebellious youth who just might change the world.
Among the interesting scenes with Sam’s transformation are a debate he has with an Ethics professor, although only this debate’s aftermath is depicted, and his friendship with Daylene Hooker. Daylene’s nickname “prostitute” hearkens readers back to Christ’s befriending of Mary Magdalene, showing one way in which Zurhellen weaves ancient characters into new ones.
Each chapter is divided like a short story, and has a date with the title. The book only runs a little over two hundred pages, and like the testaments depicting the life of Christ, it leaves large portions of time unaccounted for.
The first one hundred pages are interesting and read well, but some readers might be lost on the point for such detailed accounts of so many villagers. Eventually these eccentric stories tie into a finely woven tapestry of modern legend. To the unsuspecting reader, the leaps in time are also jarring at first. But, once the reader realizes the timeline spans in a short space, like the Bible, the story moves along smoothly.
“Nazareth, North Dakota” is a strange and fascinating trip, and an astute retelling of the story of all stories. Born in New York City, Zurhellen convincingly portrays not only small town life, but that of mid-western life with great fluency. Readers who are weary of the run of the mill bestseller, or are looking for a good story that is written well, should look for this title.
Pub Date: April 15, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-9845105-6-6. Page count: 212pp. Publisher: Atticus Books.
Photo caption: (Courtesy book cover image of “Nazareth, North Dakota”)

Prescott Park Arts Festival Announces Wednesday Night Concert Series

PORTSMOUTH—
Prescott Park Arts Festival has announced the schedule of performers for its popular River House Restaurant Concert Series presented each Wednesday night of the summer performance season at 7 p.m. Held in Prescott Park, downtown Portsmouth, the series will feature acts like Arlo Guthrie, Taj Mahal Trio, Shawn Colvin, Greg Brown and more as part of the FairPoint Communications MainStage.
The series will kick off on Wednesday, June 23, with folk legend and local favorite, Tom Rush. Credited by Rolling Stone Magazine as ushering the era of the singer/songwriter, Rush is a Portsmouth native who’s shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, sweet melancholy of ballads and passion of gritty blues.
Next, the series will feature Canada’s top multi-instrumental traditional bands, Le Vent du Nord, who get audiences dancing to the sound of fiddle and hurdy-gurdy, using an original repertoire and music that is fresh and bound to tradition. Hailing from Quebec, Le Vent du Nord have received a 2011 JUNO Award (Canada’s Grammy) as well as Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
“We’re proud and excited with what we’ll present as part of this series this year,” said Ben Anderson, Prescott Park’s executive director. “We’ve had calls from across the country from people anxious to know the schedule so they could plan their vacations accordingly. I think they’re going to be as excited as we are with what they find.”
Other acts presented as part of the series include three-time Grammy Award-winning artist (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year), Shawn Colvin on July 13; one of the most admired folk acts, Greg Brown on July 20; two-time Grammy Award winner and Blues legend, Taj Mahal Trio on July 27; the trio with heart-stopping harmonies, The Wailin’ Jennys on August 3; the popular Jonathan Edwards on August 17 who penned hits like Shanty and Sunshine; New England folk icon Cheryl Wheeler on July 6; one of the hottest new bands on the circuit filled with high-energy, David Wax Museum on August 10; and the hot and swingin’ Austin-based band, Hot Club of Cowtown on August 24.
The River House Restaurant Concert Series will close with a performance by Arlo Guthrie on August 26. The eldest son of America’s most beloved singer/songwriter/philosopher Woody Guthrie, Arlo is a natural-born storyteller whose tales and anecdotes figure prominently in his performances. With songs like Alice’s Restaurant too long for radio airplay; Coming into Los Angeles banned from radio stations (but a favorite at the ‘69 Woodstock Festival); and the definitive rendition of Steve Goodman’s City of New Orleans, Guthrie has never had a hit in the usual sense, but is an artist of international stature.
A full schedule of events and information can be found at the festival website, www.prescottpark.org, or by calling the festival office at 603-436-2848.
Music enthusiasts throughout New England have made Prescott Park a summer travel destination for nearly four decades, enjoying a variety of concerts and festivals, on top of the festival’s signature musical production.
Since 1974, Prescott Park Arts Festival has successfully reached over 3.5 million people through more than 10,000 music, theater, dance, and art productions offered at no fixed admission on the banks of the Piscataqua River. The 37th season will also feature the presentation of “The Wizard of Oz” as the festival’s musical production, as well as a variety of food festivals including Chowder Festival, Chili Festival, and the NH Fish & Lobster Festival this summer.