Creative Writing Commons^™

Strawberry Ghosts: Lore, Loss & Licentiousness In A 400-Year-Old City, Ella Wheeler Mcgrail

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Old New England towns are viewed as bastions of American History, but most narratives promoted by such places are highly selective, and tend to showcase the white, male, settler-colonial perspective. In this collection of stories, vignettes, personal accounts and historical snapshots, the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire is portrayed through the voices of residents past and present, real and fictional. It seeks to examine the city's history through a deconstructionist, anti-colonial lens and to ultimately tell a story that reflects the true beauty, shame, and complexity of this extraordinary coastal town.