Meet the Voices

Our Op-Ed Contributors

Island opinions, served fresh

Every island has its characters—the voices you hear at the coffee shop, the opinions shared over a lobster roll, the stories swapped on the ferry. Our op-ed contributors capture the spirit of Nantucket's colorful commentary: the year-rounders, the summer faithful, the food obsessives, and yes, even the shark hunters. These are fictional personas created for entertainment, tackling the lighter side of island life with humor and heart.

The Cast

Dotty Coffin

Dotty Coffin

The Exasperated Year-Rounder

Fourth-generation islander, retired schoolteacher, keeper of "how things used to be." Dotty has strong opinions about traffic, tourists, and why the old restaurants were better. Her family has been on Nantucket since the whaling days—and she'll remind you of that.

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Brittany Rosé

Brittany Rosé

The Bachelorette Wrangler

Professional event planner who's orchestrated 47 Nantucket bachelorette weekends and counting. If there's a bottomless brunch, Instagram-worthy backdrop, or matching pajama situation on this island, Brittany knows about it. She's literally obsessed.

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Harold Benchley III

Harold Benchley III

Traditionalist Food Critic

Retired investment banker, yacht club member, and defender of the mayo-based lobster roll. Harold has been summering on Nantucket since 1962 and believes culinary perfection was achieved sometime around 1978. His whale-embroidered pants are unironic.

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Mimi St. Claire

Mimi St. Claire

Adventurous Food Critic

Former food magazine editor who's eaten at every restaurant on the island at least twice. Mimi believes food should evolve or die, and she's not afraid to tell Harold exactly why he's wrong about everything. She carries hot sauce in her purse "just in case."

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Captain Pete Finsworth

Captain Pete Finsworth

Shark Correspondent

Retired IT consultant turned full-time shark enthusiast. Pete has invested $12,000 in shark-spotting equipment and has yet to successfully see a shark up close. He has, however, developed an ongoing rivalry with a seal named Reginald. Next week for sure.

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Barnaby Blowhard III

Barnaby "Barney" Blowhard III

Cetacean Correspondent

A 200-year-old sperm whale whose ancestors lit the lamps of Boston and London. Barney is the unofficial voice of all the whales who became lamp oil, corset stays, and throw pillow embroidery so Nantucket could build its fortune. He's everywhere now—on merchandise, restaurant signs, children's bedroom walls. He finds this... complicated.

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Sandy Bottoms

Sandy Bottoms

Beach Rules Enforcer

Former HOA president who brings that same energy to every beach visit. Sandy has a laminated card of beach rules she made herself, and she's not afraid to use it. She genuinely means well—truly—she just can't help herself.

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Trip Whitmore

Prescott "Trip" Whitmore IV

Island Insider

Third-generation summer resident (since 2009) who's basically a local at this point. Trip works in venture capital, drives a Range Rover he considers "essential," and knows all the hidden gems—like the Juice Bar, which he discovered personally.

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Sloane Carmichael-Worthington

Sloane Carmichael-Worthington

Wellness & Lifestyle Correspondent

Lifestyle entrepreneur with 47,000 Instagram followers ("a community, not an audience"). Sloane runs a candle company, hosts $350 beach wellness workshops, and believes the island has special energy that most visitors aren't "tuned in" to receive.

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Dee Bunker

Deirdre "Dee" Bunker

Staff Reporter

Former city journalist who moved to Nantucket for a quieter pace and found herself surrounded by characters. Dee interviews our op-ed contributors, asks the obvious questions nobody else seems to ask, and lets them speak for themselves. The results are illuminating.

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Culinary Contributors

Expert voices from the island kitchen

Unlike our satirical op-ed personas, our culinary contributors play it straight—sharing real recipes, genuine expertise, and practical cooking guidance for visitors who want to cook with Nantucket's finest ingredients.

Sally Scallop

Sally Scallop

Island Kitchen Correspondent

Third-generation Nantucket native, private chef, and food writer. Sally was shucking oysters before she could ride a bike, trained at culinary school in Boston, and came home because "no city has ingredients like these." Her recipes celebrate what makes Nantucket's larder unique.

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Porter Tidewater

Porter Tidewater

Island Spirits Correspondent

Brooklyn transplant turned Nantucketer after "one summer" that turned into twelve years. Porter came to pay off his guitar amp and never left. Now he's the island's unofficial Cisco Brewers ambassador, mixing cocktails with stories behind every pour.

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Browse Recipes → Browse Cocktails →

Visual Contributors

The eyes behind the imagery

Transparency matters. When you see AI-generated imagery on ACK Guide, we want you to know. Our visual correspondent handles AI-generated photos—and we credit them clearly so you always know what you're looking at.

Shutter Shoalwater

Shutter Shoalwater

Visual Correspondent (AI)

Our AI photographer who captures Nantucket the way visitors dream it. Every image credited to Shutter is AI-generated—we believe in transparency about how content is created. When real photographers contribute, they get credited by name.

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The Lobster Roll Wars

A special Point/Counterpoint series

Harold Benchley III and Mimi St. Claire have been debating the perfect lobster roll for years. Their columns appear side-by-side, allowing readers to witness the ongoing culinary clash between tradition and innovation. Topics include: Mayo vs. butter, proper roll temperature, and whether "fusion" is a compliment or an insult.

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A Note About Our Contributors

These are fictional personas created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental—though if you recognize someone, maybe don't mention it at the next cocktail party. Our op-ed section covers the fun, lighthearted side of island life only. For serious community topics, we defer to actual journalists and real islanders.