According to the Portland Press Herald (Dec 29, 1956) Lawrence C. Estes, Jr., (Buster) age 34, his son Steven age 13, and Buster’s nephew Harry Jewell, age 16, went duck hunting two days after Christmas. Their destination was the ledge to the east of West Brown Cow Island. They did not return. Lawrence C. Estes, Jr.’s body was recovered. The boys’ bodies were never found.
Inspired by the event in the waters off Harpswell Neck, Lawrence S. Hall, Professor of English at Bowdoin College, wrote “The Ledge,” a short story. The ledge where they drowned was not far from Hall’s home on Orr’s Island.
The Hudson Review published “The Ledge” in its winter 1958-59 edition.
In 1960 “The Ledge” was awarded first place in the O. Henry Prize Collection. It was subsequently anthologized in over forty short story collections.
In 1993, Lawrence S. Hall died in his home on Orr’s Island.
From October 1994 to April 1995, the playwright rented Hall’s home on Orr’s Island where his presence was felt and heard — but not seen.
The stars were absolutely brilliant.
In 2013, the playwright met Lou and Loretta Ward, of Harpswell Maine. Lou Ward is Steven Estes’ first cousin. Lou and Loretta live across the road from the Estes’ homestead. Lou gave Bird of Passage his blessing. A retired lobsterman, Lou took the playwright out in his lobsterboat. They headed south to the ledge where his cousins and uncle drowned. Lou Ward died on May 18, 2019.
The playwright located the children of Lawrence S. Hall who gave their permission, as well.
In the summer of 1988, the playwright rented a cottage next to Geoff Morris of Fos-y-Rhiew, Bettws-y-Crywn, Newcastle-on-Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire, U.K., a small farm on the Welsh border. The character of Sonny in Bird of Passage is based on Geoff Morris.
The playwright returned to the Welsh borderlands in the winter of 1993-94.
That winter Geoff Morris ate a roast chicken cooked by the playwright and contracted salmonella poisoning. He did not die, but he could no longer live alone at Fos-y-Rhiew and moved to Bishop’s Castle where he was cared for until his death in 1999.
Ozzie Morris (Geoff’s cousin) very nearly died of salmonella and lived longer than Geoff.
Geoff Morris left the playwright one thousand pounds in his will which she requested be given to Ozzie Morris. She did not inherit Fos-y-Rhiew.
Fiction
Ginny is able to see Larry but the playwright never did.
Larry’s former cleaning lady who stopped by was not named Rose and was not forgetful and was not stealing vodka.
The real estate agent was much nicer and she did not conceal the rumors of a ghost.
Hall’s house was not neglected. It was well cared for.
There was a land line phone.
The wood stove was not pot-bellied.
The gas stove worked. There were no mice.
Confession: the playwright took a copy of “The Best Short Stories of the Modern Age” (Fawcett 1962) and has it now in her possession.”The Ledge” is the second to last short story (after “The Lottery”) and is considerably marked up and annotated – by Hall or someone else.
The Fishouse wasn’t down on Reed Cove. It had been given to a poet who moved it to his property. Nobody emptied it out. It’s still full of Larry’s belongings (see Gallery).
Nobody bought Larry’s house that winter.
The only person who saw Larry’s ghost was a former tenant.
All Ginny’s boyfriends are well disguised.
Larry’s writing about Steven’s life, his girlfriend, his marriage was never written.
There were no squatters on Orr’s Island known to the playwright.
The store near the bridge was not called Biddy’s and the coffee shop was not called Pete’s.
Orr’s Island is more populated — summer and winter — in real life.
Sonny is a fictional character very much based on Geoff Morris (see Facts).
