Barth Event a Smashing Success!

John Barth and Carl Grubbs

Saturday’s unveiling of the John Barth historic marker was a huge success, with hundreds of friends, family, and well-wishers in attendance. During a ceremony hosted by Library Director Jean Del Sordo and prefaced by saxophonist Carl Grubbs’s music, Barth received an honorary proclamation from the Dorchester County Council and a key to the city from Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley. The statue was unveiled by FOL President John Lewis, who noted that it reflects the community’s pride in Barth, a native son who’s won the National Book Award and various other literary prizes.

Barth and Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley

In his remarks, Barth cited the influence of “the library, the library, the library,” where he “feasted on Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and Tarzan novels.”

He concluded by noting that “Cambridge, the rivershore, and the great down county salt marshes were my life’s coordinates from birth through high school through college and my first efforts as a writer of fiction, and they remain as touchstones of my imagination.”

Barth and historic marker at library

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