‘History Of Sound’ Author To Speak At Chatham Historical Society Annual Meeting

CHATHAM – A prize-winning short story writer preoccupied in his work with “conversations between past and present” will be the keynote speaker at the Chatham Historical Society’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

 Ben Shattuck, 42, author of the highly acclaimed collection of short stories “The History of Sound” (Viking, 2024), will address the historical society (CHS) following a brief business meeting.

 During a telephone interview last week, Shattuck said he plans to read excerpts from the fourth short story in the book, “Graft,” set in the late 19th century, and excerpts from his first book, “Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau” (Tin House, 2022). Then he will talk about the varying roles of historical fiction and historical non-fiction. Finally, he will engage the audience in a “robust” question and answer session and then even offer a “very short craft talk — some insider tips and hacks” for writing historical fiction.

 So, what does writing historical fiction mean to Shattuck?

 “It’s a dance between past and present,” says Shattuck, a graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. “We create a companion to our own lives.”

 He adds that while you can read a history text that will “give the facts,” “fiction or literature creates an invisible contract with the reader” in a different way. For example, if you read historical fiction about a passenger on the Titanic, the writer “can invent a whole life” for that character. And perhaps that character has experienced heartbreak in a way that you have, making you identify with the character. But that character will also have a radically different experience from yours, bobbing in the frigid waters after the ship goes down.

 The 12 stories in “The History of Sound” span 300 years. Some of the stories are paired. As you read the stories, you’ll discover that certain characters are related, and certain characters, houses and themes recur. The reader who rereads the stories will profit by perceiving all of the interconnections.

In the first, title story, a 17-year-old named Lionel falls deeply in love with another student, David. They are both musicians enrolled at the New England Conservatory. It’s 1916. Three years later, after World War I, the pair devote August and September 1919 to touring Maine, lugging around “a new phonograph prototype.” It is Thomas Edison’s wax cylinder recording device. The pair record folk songs everywhere they go. They record the ephemeral.

 In the book’s final story, “Origin Stories,” we meet up again with Lionel. It’s 1983, and he is an old man who appears on a public TV interview program. Not to give too much away, but those wax cylinders again crop up, as does someone from David’s early life.

 The two paired stories were made into a 2025 film called “The History of Sound” directed by Oliver Hermanus, for which Shattuck wrote the screenplay. He is currently writing the screenplay for “Graft.”

 Several of the stories have Nantucket and Cape Cod settings. Shattuck says he got to know the Cape while researching, writing and illustrating “Six Walks.” The first of the six walks followed Thoreau’s 1849 walk along Cape Cod. Shattuck subsequently taught workshops at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. He also served as a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association.

 The world Shattuck inhabits is steeped in history. Shattuck grew up in Dartmouth, Mass. in a dance hall that his great-grandfather built, now converted to a residence. He still summers, with his wife Jenny Slate and their daughter Ida, in that house while the family spends the bulk of the year in Brooklyn, N.Y. Shattuck also owns and runs, with his brother, what is billed as the “oldest general store in America.” Davoll’s General Store was established in 1793 in South Dartmouth. The store carries groceries, flowers, fruit and even has a bookstore, café and pub within it. Shattuck has noted that his great-grandmother shopped at Davoll’s, and that he and his brother bought penny candy there as children.

 Shattuck founded and directed the Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency which ended after 10 years.

 “The History of Sound” won the Story Prize Spotlight Award and the 2025 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. It was also placed on numerous “best books” of 2024 lists. Shattuck received the PEN Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers and a Pushcart Prize. Shattuck will sign copies of “The History of Sound” after the meeting.

 During the 20-minute business side of the annual meeting, CHS Board Chairman Michael Woehler will greet attendees. CHS Executive Director Liz Rabideau will then highlight upcoming events. The agenda, treasurer’s report and changes to the organization will be posted on the website. 

The annual meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26 begins at 5 p.m. in the Mural Barn of the Atwood Museum at 347 Stage Harbor Rd. While the free event is now full, the CHS is maintaining a waiting list. For more information visit chathamhistoricalsociety.org.