The Vineyard was the place to be this summer, or so it appeared.

The outpouring of love, respect and admiration for Wes Craven from colleagues and fans has been so heartening for our family.

Editor’s Note: What follows is an edited version of opening remarks delivered by the author at the annual Hutchins Forum at the Old Whaling Church.

Hearth and chimneys remained/when the remote cottages succumbed/to unreachable fire and scouring salt./Stout, alone, together, they stood,/sentinels on the sandy tail of the island.

In the 11th grade at a decent public high school in Memphis, I ran into extraordinary good luck. A brilliant young man in his mid-twenties, named Hazelwood, had arrived on our scene.