The Journals of the Constant Waterman
by Goldman, Matthew
pub. by Breakaway Books, Halcottsville, NY 2007 -       isbn 978-1-+891369-73-5     some line drawings by MJG - a few line drawn maps     336 pages.
This is a collection of very small vignettes about waterbourn events in the life of Matthew Goldman, from a very young age up to nearly the time of publication. At time of publication Goldman seems to be 67 years old. He has had plenty of time to develop into a proper water rat.
He starts with events in his childhood and early life, especially on the Connecticut River. He constructed a camp or cottage on an island he owned in the river. He did it without benefit of power tools or the use of motorized boat transport... just for the fun of it.
Later in life he had adventures on larger boats, almost all set between Maine and Long Island, New York... well one further south into Chesapeake Bay. Later in the boat he describes working as a boat repair person for a boat building and repair outfit in Noak, Connecticut.
A few of these short stories are absolutely poetic in format. Good reads in every sense of the word.
At the end from pages 323 and 336 there is a useful Glossary of terms. The first page of which has a diagram of a sailboat, with each part identified.
I bought this book, and a few others while visiting Old Mystic in their bookstore/gift shop. The bookstore manager suggested leaving it with him and having the Constant Waterman sign it. Which he did, and it was mailed to me in McAllen, Texas. ... signed in fine block printing Constant Waterman.
~3013-06-27~

to Books index page.

-