Tales of Amagansett Part 1: The Smell and the Book

During 1975 and 1976, I spent two summers living in an A-Frame house in Amagansett, NY. Not exactly the whole summer, allow me to explain:

The Main Characters: myself, my first lovely wife, Susan, Susan’s twin sister Anne and her husband Fred.

The Setting: Situated between East Hampton and Montauk NY, Amagansett was, before the last Ice Age, the end of Long Island. Montauk was an Island. As the Glaciers receded, they left a small spit of land connecting Amagansett to Montauk.

Fred’s sister was married to a Watch manufacturer who, in 1975, purchased two homes in Amagansett. It was a new development off Montauk Highway Route 27 (that spit of land). There was a BIG house 1 block from the beach and a small A-Frame off the Highway (4 blocks from the beach). Fred’s job was to “Re-do the A-Frame”. We all knew it was a “gift” from his sister. Nevertheless, Fred worked 5 days a week “re-doing” things. He must have done a good job since that little A-Frame is still there. See for yourself on Goggle Maps: 1882 Atlantic Drive, Amagansett NY 11930. It used to be visible from the Highway but the trees have grown and is only visible off Atlantic Drive. I used to joke to Fred that the Driveway could hold 28 party goers but the house only 8.

Susan and I had the Loft to ourselves. It was about 12 feet by 15 feet but I could only standup in the four foot center section. We were in our mid-twenties and loved it. I never realized how much those two summers had affected me until I started piecing my life together. Amagansett kept popping up. So let’s do it – I’ve enough notes for 3 or 4 Blogs and then we’ll put an Amagansett Drawer together. Maybe with some pictures although this seems to be a “no photos, please” period of my life.

The Smell: My lovely wife, J, and I were staying at a resort on the Atlantic Ocean in January 2023. We had a balcony that opened right onto the beach. There were no people on the beach (it was January!). I slid the door opened and was greeted by a whiff of Salty Air that immediately brought back VIVID memories of you guessed it—-  Amagansett. Susan and I would pull into this huge driveway about 10pm on a Friday night.  We’d sit in the kitchen with Anne and Fred and commiserate about our week. The doors and windows were wide open and the air was soooo salty. It’s hard to explain. But the memory is vivid and happy.

The Book: There were books around the A-Frame. One was a thin book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh titled A Gift from the Sea. I was into the political novels of Allen Drury at the time, but I did occasionally pick up this little book and go sit on the beach. Its stories were unmemorable except for the rhythm of the words. Arriving the second summer, I was glad to find the little book still there. Over the years I’ve bought several copies and probably have one around the house but cannot find it for the life of me. When I heard there was to be a 50th Anniversary edition of a Gift from the Sea, I thought I’d buy a copy for J. I did. She will enjoy it. I know that even thought I haven’t read a word from this book in years. It’s that kind of book.