Musings About Concord, Massachusetts

I don’t believe in muses. Writing is not a matter of inspiration. It's more of a compulsion. Think about all of the famous authors that wrote until the last shovel of dirt was thrown onto their grave. Most people retire when the get enough money. Not bestselling writers. They just keep going. They write because they loved writing. 

That said, I actually have a muse of sorts. It’s Concord, Massachusetts. Some of my fondest memories are of that historic village about twenty-five miles north/west of Boston.

Colonial Inn

I lived in Boston for three years and consulted there for many many more. When I was consulting, I frequently spent two weeks in the city. I discovered that I could catch a commuter train Friday night and spend the weekend in Concord. I must have done this dozens of times, sometimes with my wife, but often alone.

Concord was peaceful, pleasant, and friendly. I stayed at the Colonial Inn, where in 1775, rebels had hidden guns and ammunition. The shot heard ‘round the world was only a mile or so down the road. Tourists visit Concord because of its iconic place in the American Revolution. Many are surprised by the town’s grand literary heritage. Nathanial Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Robert B. Parker have all called Concord home. No wonder Henry James dubbed the village, "the biggest little place in America."

Barrow Book Store (Used)

Concord is seemingly dedicated to books. There were no chain bookstores, but there was a great independent book store on the main street, at least three distinctive used book stores, and a fantastic public library.

Concord Free Public Library

To a great extent, I research and wrote Tempest at Dawn in Concord. On Saturday mornings, I would eat breakfast with locals at a neighborhood coffee shop and then stroll down to the Concord Free Public Library. One day I found a book that was over one hundred and fifty years old that would help my research. Before closing time, I ask the librarian if there was any way I could borrow the book overnight. She told me I could apply for a library card and check out the book. I explained that I was only visiting and a resident of Arizona. She said that didn't matter; Concord issued library cards to anyone and everyone. The regional card was even valid for the Boston Public Library, which had previously declined to issue me a card. I couldn't believe my good fortune. I needed nothing more than a picture ID to take an antique book back to my room. I was careful to return it in the same condition I found it.

I no longer work in Boston, so I don’t catch the commuter train to Concord anymore. I miss the biggest little place in America.

Libraries That Are Architectural Wonders

Matador contributing editor Sarah Park has “curated” two galleries of fascinating libraries around the world. These links will take you to some interesting buildings dedicated to the written word.

Amazing libraries around the world

15 super unique libraries around the world

Boston Public Library

I’ve used the Boston Public Library to illustrate this post because I spent untold hours in this room. Actually, I found my greatest treasure in the basement of this building. I was researching Tempest at Dawn and discovered Christopher Collier’s doctoral thesis on Roger Sherman. Collier is the coauthor of Decision in Philadelphia, among other books. I was able to speak to him on the phone, and he had no idea that his thesis had been preserved on microfiche or that it was retained by the Boston Public Library. Since information on Sherman was relatively rare, it was fortuitous to find this academic profile about the architect of the Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention.

Since I’m writing about my time in Massachusetts, there were two other libraries that had an impact on my writing— the Concord Free Public Library and the Boston Athenæum. One is public and home to great literary traditions and the other is one of the oldest private libraries and cultural institutions in the country. I suggest Sarah Park do a third gallery of libraries dedicated to unique institutions in the United States.

Boston  Athenæum

Concord Free Public Library