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Hamptons.com
May 20, 2021

INTERVIEW: Author Amanda M. Fairbanks Talks “The Lost Boys Of Montauk”

T.J. Clementeby T.J. Clemente
in Entertainment
Home Entertainment

East End-based journalist Amanda M. Fairbanks has written her first narrative nonfiction book, The Lost Boys of Montauk. In an interview with Hamptons.com, Fairbanks went into great detail how it all came about. She is a Smith College graduate, a school with strong literary routes nestled up in the Northampton, Massachusetts. She has a strong, clear speaking voice and presence. Perhaps one day she may find herself working for Sixty Minutes, or a show like that because she is also a compelling journalist.

It’s always interesting how an author finds a story for book. The genesis behind this book is pure both East End of Long Island and detail oriented – and Fairbanks shared it. She said, “This book actually started taking shape when I was a staff writer. I am a longtime newspaper, magazine writer, and I have worked at all different places. For a few years, I was happy to call The East Hampton Star my home, and I worked there as a staff writer for about three and a half years. The book actually started taking place, although I didn’t really know it at the time, in the winter of 2016. I was having a sort of brainstorm conversation with an editor, Biddle Duke, who is also in the book, who had recently joined the staff to launch East Magazine. During this conversation, he started describing to me what he quoted as ‘the great untold story of the so-called Hamptons.’ He sat up a little taller in his chair and his eyes widened as he started talking to me about this fishing boat, Wind Blown, that had gone off the coast of Montauk in 1984 with four young men aboard.” They crossed path with a nor’easter and neither the boat nor the men were ever found.

The Lost Boys of Montauk. (Courtesy Photo)

She continued by saying, “During the same conversation, and this is what really piqued my interest, he started talking to me about Mary Stedman, who is the widow of the captain. He explained for the story I would need to get Mary’s blessing and participation. So, I reached out to Mary, but the timing wasn’t right. My family and I moved to California (where Fairbanks is from) and stayed loosely in touch with Mary. It wasn’t until the following summer that I had the pleasure of sitting down with her. Mary, who has a photographic memory, and by spending three to four hour chucks of time on the phone, after every one of those conversations, she would pass me five sources and then five more after that. Pretty soon I had tens of thousands of interview notes. It was at that time, I realized it just wasn’t a newspaper or magazine story I had at my hands, but the beginning of a book.”

Fairbanks, then using what she called “a whole lot of gumshoe reporting and hard work thereafter,” put The Lost Boys of Montauk together as book. When asked what the veteran reporter learned while doing this project, she said, “I think one of the surprising things I learned is just how it is that tragedies live with us, whether we were intimately involved with various people or it occurred in the town in which we live in. For instance, it wasn’t just the survivors of the men and the families left behind after this tragedy that obviously remember this very closely, it was the folks like the lighthouse keeper, meaning everyone that was living there at the time. It was like it was a local version of 9/11/2001. They know where they were standing when they heard the news. They recalled the date that the boat had gone down, even though it was now 40 years in the future. That was quite surprising to me. Just the lasting effect of this one incident over such a long span of time.”

Fairbanks said she has no target audience noting the book is “for men as well as women.” She added, “There is a fair amount of fishing, surfing and issues relating to fathers and sons that I think will be compelling for all readerships. I wrote it for people like myself, who live here on the East End, and absolutely love this place, but I also wrote it for the reader in Iowa, who has never and likely will never set foot here. I tried to bring them along on the story as well, because I do think it is indicative of many small towns in America and class divisions. I am hoping it will have some national appeal.”

She is excited to be doing some local promotional appearances and talks about the book, including at the Montauk Lighthouse on Thursday, July 1 and at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Sunday, July 11. There will also be a virtual BookHampton talk on Tuesday, May 25 at 5:00 p.m., virtual East End Libraries (Mattituck-Laurel Library + East Hampton Library) book event on Friday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m., and Fairbanks will join Hampton Library’s virtual Fridays at Five series on Friday, July 9 at 5:00 p.m.

Fairbanks is a masterful storyteller with a distinctive, clear voice. More great things are surely in her future. Her talent is a refined ability to connect, either by print or with the spoken word.

For more information, visit www.amandamfairbanks.com.

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Arts and Archives presented by Springs Historical Society and Community Library, Opening Reception, September 13 Ashawagh Hall

September 12 @ 01:00 PM - September 14 @ 03:00 PM
Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hamton
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Toy Story 50th Anniversary Screening 

September 12 @ 01:00 PM - September 16 @ 07:00 PM
Southampton Playhouse, 43 Hill St, Southampton, NY
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Surf Movie Night 2025

September 12 @ 05:30 PM - September 12 @ 09:00 PM
Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Ln., Southampton, NY
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Limewired Live at Meschutt Beach

September 12 @ 06:30 PM - September 12 @ 09:00 PM
90 Bishop Pl, Hampton Bays, NY 11946
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Willie Nile Band

September 12 @ 08:00 PM - September 12 @ 08:30 PM
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INTERVIEW: Chloe’s Co-Founder Chloe Epstein On The Tasty Frozen Treat, Flavor Inspiration, The Hamptons, And More

INTERVIEW: Chloe's Co-Founder Chloe Epstein On The Tasty Frozen Treat, Flavor Inspiration, The Hamptons, And More

  • The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF Hamptons) hosted the Bow Wow Meow Ball in East Hampton. The evening’s honorees, Ellen and Chuck Scarborough, were presented with the Champion of Animals Award, recognizing their more than twenty-five years of support to ARF. ⁠
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Over 400 guests celebrated ARF’s remarkable work with cocktails, followed by dinner catered by Olivier Cheng. Peter Marino, accompanied by his daughter and ARF Board Member Isabelle Trapnell Marino, presented the Scarboroughs with their award. ⁠
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📸: Patrick McMullan/PMC⁠
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Check out the full gallery at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#arf #bowwowmeowball #hamptons #animalrescuefund #animalrescue
  • Make sure to add this event to your list for next summer
#Seafood #localeats #mtk #montaukgreen
  • I recently toured the new Rolex Boutique by London Jewelers in East Hampton, and it’s one of the most beautiful retail spaces I’ve ever stepped into. Located on Newtown Lane, the boutique is set inside a restored historic home that dates back to 1897, originally designed as a summer cottage.⁠
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From the outside, it has that classic East Hampton charm, cedar shingles, white trim, and lush landscaping. But once you step inside, it’s all about quiet sophistication.⁠
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The space is warm and welcoming, with walnut wood paneling, soft neutral tones, and beautiful textures throughout. There’s a fluted marble wall in a rich green Verdi Alpi stone that immediately catches your eye. It’s one of those details that’s understated but unmistakably Rolex.⁠
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Read the full article at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#rolex #easthampton #hamptons #luxury #watch⁠
  • 🎾 Men’s US Open Final Viewing Party⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 2–5PM⁠
📍 Canoe Place Inn, Hampton Bays⁠
Watch the riveting Men’s US Open Final with drinks, grilled classics & fellow tennis fanatics in the lush garden.⁠
⁠
🦞 Montauk Seafood Festival⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 – Sun, Sept 7 • 12–5PM⁠
📍 On the Green, Montauk⁠
The ultimate seafood event in the Hamptons! Lobster rolls, fish tacos, chowder, oysters & more 🐚🍤⁠
⁠
🩰 Master Class w/ Kat Wildish⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6⁠
📍 Hamptons Ballet Theatre School, Bridgehampton⁠
Open-level adult ballet class with world-renowned former NYCB & ABT dancer Kat Wildish. One day only!⁠
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🎶 Hamptons Festival of Music⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 • 7PM⁠
📍 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Hampton⁠
THFM’s MainStage Festival Orchestra featuring The New American Sinfonietta 🎻✨⁠
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🌾 Outstanding in the Field (Sagaponack)⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 3PM⁠
Dine where the food is grown! Guest chef Jason Weiner returns for his 19th year 🍽️🌱⁠
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😂 Samantha Bee Live⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 • 8PM⁠
📍 WHBPAC, Westhampton Beach⁠
Award-winning comedian Samantha Bee brings her one-woman show to the Hamptons!⁠
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🍴 Stirring The Pot: Andrew Carmellini⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 11AM⁠
📍 Guild Hall, East Hampton⁠
NYT’s Florence Fabricant interviews star chef Andrew Carmellini about his restaurant empire.⁠
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🌕 Full Harvest Moon Hike⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 7:30PM⁠
📍 Meet at SOFO Museum, Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Tpke⁠
Walk under the moonlight with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt 🌙✨⁠
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🎨 Style Beading Workshop⁠
📅 Fri, Sept 5 • 1PM⁠
📍 Nathaniel Rogers House, Bridgehampton⁠
Join Indigenous artist Savannah LeCornu to learn traditional beading techniques.⁠
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⛳ A Legendary Day at Sebonack!⁠
📅 Tues, Sept 9 • 8:30AM–5PM⁠
📍 Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton⁠
An unforgettable day of golf supporting Westhampton Beach PAC 🌟⁠
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👉 Which event are you going to this weekend?⁠
⁠
Check out more events at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#community #entertainment #hamptons #usopen #golf #comedy #seafood #montauk
  • Hamptons fashion week was hosted at Zoe Hospitality Private Membership Club, featuring designer Johnny Was, Porshia Swim, Vernice Holmes, Atelier H, Cesar Galindo, SixyByVenice and Ines Hernandez Hats.

#hamptonsfashionweek
  • As the summer comes to an end, it’s time to find out what everyone was reading this summer.
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