Ella Keene holds up her copy of I Will Save You!, a book devoted to the Gay Head Light and created by Island students.
Most authors have to wait decades for their first book launch. But for students at the Chilmark School, the public charter school, and the regional high school, that milestone took place Friday afternoon.
I Will Save You!, a 65-page volume devoted to the Gay Head Light, features drawings, poems, and short stories by 60 students. It arrives in Island bookstores on Monday, and proceeds from sales of the $20 book will go towards the lighthouse effort.
Fan Ogilvie reveals first copies of I Will Save You! — Ivy Ashe
Last year, lighthouse keeper Richard Skidmore and poet Fan Ogilvie visited classrooms at the three schools, explaining the history of the red-brick lighthouse at the tip of the Island from its beginnings in 1799 to its current precarious state. The lighthouse must be moved from its current spot on the Gay Head Cliffs to a site where it is not vulnerable to the forces of erosion, which is taking its toll on the cliffs. Mr. Skidmore said that groundbreaking for the new site is expected to take place in about two weeks.