J.D. Scrimgeour ’86

Even though he’s lived in Salem, Mass., for 30 years, poet J.D. Scrimgeour ’86, GSAS’87 hadn’t really dug into the history of its infamous witch trials until recently. But as the city’s inaugural Poet Laureate, he feels a responsibility to think about their legacy in present contexts.

“We have this story about unjust persecution and a kind of hysteria,” says Scrimgeour, who has ancestors who were involved in trying the accused and who were victims themselves. “We probably should always be talking about it somewhat to allow people to consider the ways it might reflect our present situation.”

Even before being appointed to his two-year term in 2023, Scrimgeour used his work to explore his Salem experiences, from coaching Little League to teaching English at Salem State University. His book of poetry and essays about the city, Poet in High Street Park, was released last December.

“The book has much more about Salem’s grittiness and issues of class and race — those have been my concerns,” Scrimgeour says.

His duties as Poet Laureate line up with the work he already does — composing his own poetry and essays, of which he’s published eight collections, and organizing readings and other events to promote poetry and writing. Scrimgeour says he is especially proud to have had a role in bringing the Massachusetts Poetry Festival to Salem since 2011 and encouraging writers from all over the country to come to his community for the event.

His biggest role-based project has been editing Pieces of Salem: An Anthology of Salem Voices, a compendium of writing about the city from more than 130 of its residents. Scrimgeour has been encouraged to receive submissions from people of all ages, and he’s gotten most of them to participate in the public readings he hosts. He hopes the book will capture the essence of present-day Salem for future generations.

“It’s going to be part of the historical record, so it feels good to have made something that is a little more lasting,” he says.

— Emily Driehaus