Myra Lopes is a writer, historian, and daughter of a fisherman. She resides in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Myra Lopes's father was Leo Powers, a captain on several fishing vessels. His fishing career began in the 1940s. Myra's ancestors are from Newfoundland and she has pride in her heritage and fishing occupation. Her father's fishing vessel, Venture I, was lost in a storm during the Cold War era, but he and another crew member were rescued by a Russian trawler. She keeps her family's culture going, and though her children went in a different direction, they carry over music, recipes, jokes, and songs.

Scope and Content Note
Myra talks about her family’s fishing history and her father’s life as a fishermen.  She also talks about the differences between fishing then and today due to regulations and materialistic culture. She talks about how the waterfront festival feels like a tribute to her father and brother and how she is proud of being a fisherman's daughter. Her father and uncles taught her to pray for the safety of fishermen every time they went out to sea, and she had a fear of bad weather because it meant danger for them. Unfortunately, her brother was lost at sea when he was washed overboard while dredging. Her father continued fishing despite many close calls, including the loss of the Venture I during a storm in 1966. The two survivors of that tragedy were rescued by Russian trawlers. Lopes says that not being able to spend more time with her father was a sad thing, but it helped shape her decision to be more present for her own children. Fishing in the 1940s was very different from today, as the regulations are much stricter now. Lopes also talks about the importance of education and how every relative was expected to go to college. She loves local history and focused on writing a history book for Fairhaven to be included in the curriculum.