Linda Greenlaw
Encyclopedia
Linda Greenlaw, is a best-selling author of books with maritime themes and the only female swordfish
ing boat captain on the East Coast of the United States. She was featured in the 1997 book The Perfect Storm and the 2000 film adaptation
. Linda Greenlaw now captains the boat Seahawk on the Discovery Channel
show Swords: Life on the Line, after the previous captain died on board.
Greenlaw wrote three best-selling books about life as a commercial fisher: The Hungry Ocean in 1999, The Lobster Chronicles in 2002 and All Fishermen Are Liars in 2002.
Her books have climbed as high as No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list, with The Hungry Ocean remaining on the list for three months.
Greenlaw lives in Isle au Haut, Maine
and is the captain of a lobster boat.
. She was raised in Topsham, Maine, and her family spent their summers in Isle au Haut
, a village of 70 people off the coast of Maine. Greenlaw attended Colby College
, where she majored in both English and government. During the summer after her freshman year she became a cook and deckhand on the fishing boat Walter Leeman. She continued working on the boat during free time and vacations, and after her graduation in 1983. The owner of the boat, Alden Leeman, installed Greenlaw as a swordfish captain in 1986, when he bought a second boat.
Greenlaw wrote in The Hungry Ocean: "Being a woman hasn't been a big deal. I never anticipated problems stemming from being female, and never encountered any. I have been surprised, even embarrassed, by the number of people who are genuinely amazed that a woman might be capable of running a fishing boat."
, foundered in the Atlantic in the 1991 Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's efforts to warn the Andrea Gail about the impending storm were portrayed in Sebastian Junger
's 1997 book The Perfect Storm and in the movie version
, in which she was played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
.
Junger called Greenlaw not just the only female swordfishing captain, but "one of the best captains, period, on the entire East Coast."
In 1997, Greenlaw settled in Isle au Haut, and bought a lobster boat, the 35-foot Mattie Belle.
Greenlaw's first book, The Hungry Ocean, described a one-month swordfishing voyage, entailing, "among other things, treacherous weather, uncooperative fish, wildly entertaining shipmates, and the exhausting, mind-bending pressure of ten consecutive 21-hour days."
Kirkus Reviews
called All Fishermen Are Liars "a crackling collection of fishing yarns." The New York Times review of the book said that Greenlaw "is a terrific spinner of sea stories" but that the book was hampered by her being "awkward and uncomfortable describing her emotions."
Time magazine called her Recipes From a Very Small Island, co-authored with her mother, a "must-have cookbook
."
On May 28, 2009, Greenlaw was convicted of illegally entering and illegally fishing in Canadian waters by the Newfoundland Provincial Court. The Crown asked for a fine of CAD$53,000, while the Defence recommended a fine of half that amount. She was fined $38,000 after the judge found she did not use "due diligence". According to Greenlaw, "It's a lot of money to be writing a check ... but beyond the money, I've been convicted of two offences." She had expected to be acquitted.
Greenlaw has also recently published two novels of detective fiction, Slipknot and Fisherman's Bend, featuring her fictional detective Jane Bunker.
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
ing boat captain on the East Coast of the United States. She was featured in the 1997 book The Perfect Storm and the 2000 film adaptation
The Perfect Storm (film)
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 dramatic disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg,...
. Linda Greenlaw now captains the boat Seahawk on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
show Swords: Life on the Line, after the previous captain died on board.
Greenlaw wrote three best-selling books about life as a commercial fisher: The Hungry Ocean in 1999, The Lobster Chronicles in 2002 and All Fishermen Are Liars in 2002.
Her books have climbed as high as No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list, with The Hungry Ocean remaining on the list for three months.
Greenlaw lives in Isle au Haut, Maine
Isle au Haut, Maine
Isle au Haut is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States, on an island of the same name in Penobscot Bay. The population was 79 at the 2000 census. Home to portions of Acadia National Park, Isle au Haut is accessible by mailboat from Stonington.-History:Native Americans left behind shell mounds...
and is the captain of a lobster boat.
Early years
Greenlaw was born in Connecticut, the daughter of Jim and Martha Greenlaw. Her father was an information systems manager for Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
. She was raised in Topsham, Maine, and her family spent their summers in Isle au Haut
Isle au Haut, Maine
Isle au Haut is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States, on an island of the same name in Penobscot Bay. The population was 79 at the 2000 census. Home to portions of Acadia National Park, Isle au Haut is accessible by mailboat from Stonington.-History:Native Americans left behind shell mounds...
, a village of 70 people off the coast of Maine. Greenlaw attended Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
, where she majored in both English and government. During the summer after her freshman year she became a cook and deckhand on the fishing boat Walter Leeman. She continued working on the boat during free time and vacations, and after her graduation in 1983. The owner of the boat, Alden Leeman, installed Greenlaw as a swordfish captain in 1986, when he bought a second boat.
Greenlaw wrote in The Hungry Ocean: "Being a woman hasn't been a big deal. I never anticipated problems stemming from being female, and never encountered any. I have been surprised, even embarrassed, by the number of people who are genuinely amazed that a woman might be capable of running a fishing boat."
Commercial fisherman and author
Greenlaw was the captain of the Hannah Boden, in October 1991 when Andrea GailAndrea Gail
The F/V Andrea Gail was a commercial fishing vessel that was lost at sea with all hands during the "Perfect Storm" of 1991. The vessel and her six-man crew had been fishing the North Atlantic Ocean out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her last reported position was northeast of Sable Island on...
, foundered in the Atlantic in the 1991 Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's efforts to warn the Andrea Gail about the impending storm were portrayed in Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger is an American author, journalist and documentarian, most famous for the best-selling book The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea, his award-winning chronicle of the war in Afghanistan in the 2010 movie Restrepo, and his 2010 book War.-Background:Junger was born...
's 1997 book The Perfect Storm and in the movie version
The Perfect Storm (film)
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 dramatic disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg,...
, in which she was played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is an American actress and singer known for her role as Carmen in The Color of Money, as well as for her roles as Lindsey Brigman in The Abyss, Gina Montana in Scarface, and Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.-Personal life:Mastrantonio was born in Lombard,...
.
Junger called Greenlaw not just the only female swordfishing captain, but "one of the best captains, period, on the entire East Coast."
In 1997, Greenlaw settled in Isle au Haut, and bought a lobster boat, the 35-foot Mattie Belle.
Greenlaw's first book, The Hungry Ocean, described a one-month swordfishing voyage, entailing, "among other things, treacherous weather, uncooperative fish, wildly entertaining shipmates, and the exhausting, mind-bending pressure of ten consecutive 21-hour days."
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
called All Fishermen Are Liars "a crackling collection of fishing yarns." The New York Times review of the book said that Greenlaw "is a terrific spinner of sea stories" but that the book was hampered by her being "awkward and uncomfortable describing her emotions."
Time magazine called her Recipes From a Very Small Island, co-authored with her mother, a "must-have cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
."
On May 28, 2009, Greenlaw was convicted of illegally entering and illegally fishing in Canadian waters by the Newfoundland Provincial Court. The Crown asked for a fine of CAD$53,000, while the Defence recommended a fine of half that amount. She was fined $38,000 after the judge found she did not use "due diligence". According to Greenlaw, "It's a lot of money to be writing a check ... but beyond the money, I've been convicted of two offences." She had expected to be acquitted.
Greenlaw has also recently published two novels of detective fiction, Slipknot and Fisherman's Bend, featuring her fictional detective Jane Bunker.
Awards
Greenlaw is the winner of the U.S. Maritime Literature Award in 2003 and the New England Book Award for nonfiction in 2004.External links
- Profile in Bookreporter.com
- Linda Greenlaw website
- Reading by Linda Greenlaw in Portland, Maine, courtesy of the Maine Humanities CouncilMaine Humanities CouncilLocated in Portland, Maine, the was founded in 1975 as a private nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is one of 56 in the United States and its territories....