by Steve “Tuna” Tornovish
Dylan Thomas knew something about communities. The famous Welsh writer laid out this knowledge in his amazingly epic poem, Under Milk Wood in 1954. This poem is perhaps best remembered as a radio performance with a variety of actors, including Thomas as narrator, giving voice to the eclectic cast of characters. Originally titled The Village of the Mad, the rambling, rhythmic story captured a day in the life of the imaginary Welsh village of Llarggub – “Bugger all” backwards.
I downloaded the audio play with no expectations, aside from trying to find out why young Robert Zimmerman thought so much of Dylan Thomas that he would ditch the family name and become Bob Dylan. It didn’t take five minutes to figure it out as Dylan Thomas and cast guided a tour through the little village with a stunning, colorful rhythm. The joke, of course, is that Llarggub is every small town—full of scandals, gossip and struggles, victories and hope. But what may have truly hooked me was an unexpected Nantucket reference, not even five minutes into the production!
Cap’n Cat, a blind sea captain relegated to a boarding house in his later years, was dreaming of dead sailors that had served under him. One named Dancing Williams asked the Captain if he remembered him, saying, “I lost my step in Nantucket!”
The town tour continued, illuminating a village full of color: Mr. Waldo and his paramour Polly Garter, Willy Nilly Postman, Mr. and Mrs. Organ-Morgan (“he snores no louder than a spider”), Nogood Boyo, Jack Black, Butcher Beynon and the Reverend Eli Jenkins. It’s quite an enjoyable ride! Also, it’s easy to see how Bob Dylan borrowed the Welsh poet’s rhyme schemes and characters. From a princess on a steeple and all those pretty people in Like A Rolling Stone to the jingle jangle morning of Mr. Tambourine Man, Bob Dylan’s early material borrowed freely from Under Milk Wood.
I had an epiphany while guiding some very wonderful customers on a fishing trip this week. Per usual, I stopped, or was stopped by one of my fellow beach fishers as I drove my guests up the eastern edge of Great Point. My clients were forced to listen as I had a quick Nantucket gam with several other fishers on the beach. We spoke quickly, sharing fishing information, tracking tides and lamenting the fish-thieving seals.
The conversations always go like this: “Any blues?” “Some little choppers earlier, nothing big.” “I saw some bones swimming by not long ago – they’re hugging the channel close to the shore.” “Albies were crashing but they were way out, far out of reach for casting.” “I heard the bite was hot last night.” “Yeah, it really turned on around 5:30 on that dropping tide.” “Did you hear about Raf’s big striper? It was 42 inches!” “Yeah, he caught a nice albie as well.” “I lost a huge blue and got sealed on a monster albie just before dark. I should have stayed.” “Me too, but had to get home for dinner… “
This scene was repeated several times as my guests and I moved up the point. One of my clients commented on the quick, local-coded, stream-of-consciousness information dump. “This beach fishing community is amazing! You all are so very tight and truly enjoy each other.” It was then that I realized how important those chance encounters were to the guests who hire me to take them to Great Point for fishing adventures. They were getting that Dylan Thomas-esque peek into the true community of Nantucket. And they loved it.
And why wouldn’t they? After all, aren’t we all conditioned to enjoy those glimpses into the soul of a community? What made Mayberry RFD such an endearing show? How about Cheers? Even The Simpsons have been subtly feeding us memorable, relatable characters for almost 40 years now! Think about it— Moe, Disco Stu, Apu, Millhouse, Nelson—we all know people like them. Nantucket’s own and very beloved Fred Rogers took us into his imaginary neighborhood. It’s those different characters, jammed into a defined and limited location, that become a community.
I love my Nantucket beach fishing community. It’s something that I would miss forever if I were to leave the island. My relationships may be limited with the folks who are out flogging the shoreline waters, but they are deep nonetheless. It’s our own unique “Village of the Mad,” and it’s one of the very few clubs that I’m a proud member of.
It’s a joy to run into Nick and Lorraine Ferraira. They’re a wonderful couple who are out fishing just about every day, driving their bright purple Jeep. Nick told me that purple is Lorraine’s favorite color. When they went to purchase a new beach ride for Nantucket, Nick discovered that purple was not a color on the menu for new Jeeps. So he bought a white one, picked a color that would make Prince smile and told the dealership to get it painted up. The two minutes that I spend talking with Nick and Lorraine as we meet on the sand are cherished moments.
The cast of Nantucket beach characters is so immense! I love seeing Tyler O’Brian and his girlfriend Amy. They’re the ones who recently captured that amazing video of a Great White Shark having a seal for breakfast just a few feet off of the eastern shoreline of the Galls. There’s Jersey John Colton, Lois Boland, Rob Huntley, Leo, RK Russell, Pajama Josh, Neil Krauter—all great fishers, all interesting and informative to chat with and all colorful. How about the Remora? Yeah, like the little fish that follows the sharks around. The Remora would tail me and my clients all over the Great Point preserve like he was an FBI agent on a surveillance detail. It was aggravating but still funny. And then there’s my kindergarten classmate Dave Small. Or my dear brother Bill. Seeing a frustrated Bobby King coming off the beach after he’s lost a fish to a seal is comic gold! Cody Peterson, Matt Peel, Rafael Osona…all these young, determined hard chargers fish so well. These are my peeps, folks!
Yes, the Nantucket beach version of “The Village of the Mad” is captivating for my guests. And for me. I’m grateful to have found a club that would have someone like me as a member.
Steve “Tuna” Tornovish is a Nantucket native who has spent his life fishing from the beaches of his beloved island. He loves to introduce clients to the joy of fishing with his Nantucket Island Fishing Adventures: stevetuna.com
