A Loyal Reader
Each time I receive my new copy of Soundings, I go through it from cover to cover before sending it onto my young grandson, Charlie. He often gets excited when an envelope arrives. This photo shows what happens when his mother hands him the magazine. There is a magical “something” that seems to catch his attention. – Jim Smith
Heart of the Matter
I was impressed and moved by Pim Van Hemmen’s story A Boat for Anne (February). His brother Rik’s extraordinary creativity and his profound love for his wife is so evident in the development of their tailor-made yacht Aberration. Equally wonderful is Rik’s sensitivity to Anne’s need for engagement and stimulation. It is an approach I attempt to emulate as I face a somewhat similar situation within my own family. I am wishing the very best to Anne and Rik. – David King, Charlestown, Massachusetts
I saw this article as I was thumbing through the new issue a few days ago. At first I thought, oh, that’s nice. This afternoon I finally read the story. It’s one of the most heartwarming pieces I’ve read in a while. Thank you, Kurt Voss vIa email
Captain’s Log
I enjoyed reading A Whale of a Find (February), which detailed how researchers are combing through whaling ship logbooks in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to learn more about climate change. It brought back 30-year-old memories of my first year in graduate school at the University of North Carolina. There, I was handed my first assignment as a research assistant. Professor Robert Gallman, a notable economic historian, studied the productivity of these same New Bedford whaling ships and would go on to write the seminal book on the subject, In Pursuit of Leviathan. Gallman, with a kind smile, told me I would be reading ship logs and recording the barrels of oil, number of seamen and the like as part of his economic research. As I read through dozens of logs that summer, I became entranced with stories of shipwrecks and massive storms, along with the dry statistics. It’s wonderful to see how the careful notations of these captains have informed generations of researchers on everything from climate change to economic development. -Craig J. Richardson, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue.
