College Relations

June 14, 2004

Jim Glynn at 978-542-7519 or james.glynn@salemstate.edu

SALEM - A new book, "Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory" explores the city's influence on American culture and explores how author Nathaniel Hawthorne and others helped create its unique identity. Each chapter starts with an epigraph by Salem's most famous son as the book takes a comprehensive look at the 400-year, multi-layered history of the city of Salem -- its people, legacies, and myths.

Edited by Salem State College professors Dane Morrison and Nancy Schultz, "Salem: Place, Myth and Mystery" is a collection of essays, poetry, and photography. There are over 40 photographs that reveal the rich textures of the city, from the Federalist era mansions to the gritty waterfront. Hawthorne's contributions to American culture are explored in several of the book's essays. There are reflections by mystery writer Margaret Press, British witch trials expert Frances Hill, poet and Salem State College professor J.D. Scrimgeour, and 10 other essayists. Topics include Native American habitation, religion, architecture, and globalization.

As the nation celebrates Hawthorne's 200th birthday, the author's hometown of Salem will host a grand celebration of the author and his novels "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables" throughout July 2004. On Monday, June 28, the Salem State College library will feature its preschool's project, "In Search of Nathaniel Hawthorne."

For more information, visit www.salemstate.edu/hawthorne or contact Morrison at 978-542-7134 or Schultz at 978-542-6105.