Today Raleigh, North Carolina is my home. However, I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island in the “hamlet” of Rocky Point. I spent last week in Rocky Point, which looks a lot different than it did during the New York snowstorm in February.

Over the years I have tried researching literary connections in Rocky Point history, but I’ve been unsuccessful. Long Island history involving writers, on the other hand, is much easier to tap. You have F. Scott Fitzgerald who chose the North Shore as the setting for The Great Gatsby. There’s Walt Whitman who has been honored with a mall of his own name in Long Island’s own retail-centric way. (My first writing award was from the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association.) Tennessee Williams wrote some of his plays while staying in Southampton’s windmill. Just two towns over from my hometown, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller would spend their summers together. (Remember, Marilyn was also a poet.) John Steinbeck, mostly known for his roots in Salinas, had a home in Southampton – from which he started his journey in Travels With Charley.

Those are just a few of the writers associated with Long Island’s history. Do you know of others?

For now, here’s a look at Rocky Point…

I run every morning and one day I ran down to the beach. I hate many things about Long Island, one is that you are not allowed to use a beach unless you pay. This makes me grumble! I decided to ignore this and ran on Hallock Beach – I did not see another person the entire time I was there! I figured if a permit police person showed up it would just make me run faster.

I always saw these trees around town growing up and never knew what they were. They look like raspberries and blackberries, but an Internet search has concluded these are mulberry trees.

 

The Hallock family (thus the beach above) has big roots in Rocky Point, so they have their own cemetery.

Summer on Long Island without lobster? It must be done!

With many month-end deadlines I had very little free time. I took one break to enjoy the new swing in my boyfriend’s parents’ yard.