Down to the Sea

Every summer a schooner leaves Boston harbor and, fueled by heady coastal winds, sails for Martha’s Vineyard. That image is poetry enough. But the sailors are not old salts; they are young writers. The tall ship Harvey Gamage’s crew includes the 20 teens who take the class Down to the Sea with Paper and Pen. Students not only learn to sail a ship, but also attend daily writing workshops; get a chance to film, narrate, and edit a short video; and receive one-on-one mentoring time with R. Jim Stahl ’73, the editor of Merlyn’s Pen, a magazine that publishes writings of teen authors. NMH’s director of college counseling, Peter Jenkins, coleads the week-long expedition.

Jenkins reports that the sailors saw pods of whales, swam in the ocean out of sight of land, and shared delightful writing. The 3-am watch was tough for this veteran sailor, he says with a laugh.

Jenkins has worked with young people both in and out of the classroom for more than 30 years. As a teacher, his favorite topics include film and filmmaking, modern American writers, and the English poet and painter William Blake. An expert in helping teens see their own potential, he’s coached many successful seasons at NMH of girls crew, boys soccer, tennis, and football.

Also aboard was writer-in-residence Amity Gaige, who appears on the “5 Under 35” list of promising authors selected by the National Book Foundation.