William Baldwin
The Saltwater South: Charleston
Here are the stories of men and women who make their living working on the waters of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Shelley Chance, ProDocs
William Baldwin is a poet and retired shrimper who grew up in McClellanville, South Carolina, a town known for its shrimping docks and rich fishing traditions. His grandfather Rut Leland was a boat captain. As a teenager William worked the fuel docks, and by the age of twenty-one, he was running the shrimp dock. He attended college and finished a master’s thesis on the Dada artists before returning to McClellanville to work on various shrimp boats. Though he stopped shrimping years ago, William continues to draw from the experiences of the docks and open water and the people he worked alongside as the inspiration for his poetry.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.