Rachel Carson - Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952–1964

Dorothy at Rachels Southport cottage, autumn 1975.

The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 19521964

Edited by Martha Freeman

In memory of Dorothy ,

with love and gratitude

All I am certain of is this:

that it is quite necessary for me

to know th at there is someone

who is deeply devoted to

me as a person, and who also

has the capacity and the

depth of understanding to share,

vicariously, the some times

crushing burden of creative effort.

RACHEL CARSON

This book could not have been accomplished without the support of many people. The encouragement of Paul Brooks, Shirley Briggs, Jeanne Davis, and Roger Christie, all of whom knew both Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, helped me to go forward. Especially, I thank Paul Brooks, Rachel Carsons editor at Houghton Mifflin, for his active interest and kind intercessions and for his introduction to this book.

Rachel Carsons letters would not have been published now without the permission of Frances Collin on behalf of the Carson estate. I wish to thank Fran for making this project possible.

I am grateful to Wendy Strothman and all of her excellent staff at and associated with Beacon Press for their enthusiasm for this book. Deanne Urmys delight in these letters, her diligence, good judgment, and gentle initiation of me into the publishing world, were a boon to me. I cannot imagine a better editorial partner. Lydia Howarths sensitive copy editing was also of great help.

Many people in Maine are responsible for this book coming into being. Without the understanding of my staff in the Maine Legislatures Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, and the support of Sally Tubbesing, I could not have undertaken this work. Without the wise legal counsel of Gordon Scott I could not have completed this book on time or with an easy mind. To all of these friends and colleagues go my heartfelt thanks.

The contributions to this book by two groups of Maine people were critical to its creation. Kristin, Shanna, and Jay Wheelock, Shirley McIntosh, and Jo Anne Erving painstakingly handled thousands of pages of stationery to produce a copy of the letters from which I could work. For their care and interest I am grateful. Linda Weston, Carolin Hanoian, Sharon Dunn, Shelley Cox, Lisa Rollins, and Tami Merry typed and proofread hundreds of thousands of words. Their tirelessness and enjoyment of the project contributed immeasurably to this book, and they have my everlasting appreciation. Linda Westons computer skills, organization of this work, and attention to detail kept us all moving ahead. I was blessed by her intelligence, care, concern, and pleasure in these letters; I cannot thank Linda enough.

The Maine State Librarys reference librarians and Doreen Christianson assisted me in my research for which I thank them. I am also grateful to Linda Lear for her review of my footnotes. Stanley Freeman, Jr., my father, helped with the task of searching through his fathers photographs to select the ones that appear here; for this I thank him.

I am grateful to many friends who over the years believed in this book and in my ability to bring it about. To name all my friends whose kind inquiries spurred me on would consume too much space; but I wish to name a few whose love and support I could not have done without. Thank you for your friendship to Linda Harvell, Frank OHara, Jane ORourke, Tim Glidden, Michael Higgins, Janice Abarbanel, Ellen Baum, Jeff Fischer, John and Jean Cole, Susan Wittenberg, Carol Stein, Elizabeth Malone, and Margaret Vaughan.

My family has lived with me and these letters for many years. I am forever grateful to my parents, Stanley and Madeleine Freeman, and to my brother, Richard Freeman, for their constant support, both practical and spiritual. I wish to extend my thanks to Sean Meehan, too. My stepsons and daughter-in-lawSam, Adam, Greg, and Ian Barringer and Jill Cioffihave displayed an interest in my doings with these letters that has been of great help. The interest of Christopher Morin and Dana Duquette has helped, too. Last, my husband, Richard Barringer, has given me love, time, space, understanding, and advice. His steadfast support for this book has been a lovely gift for which I am deeply grateful.