LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Profile: The View from Laurel Street |
by Mark Aguirre |
Many insiders know that your Rehoboth Beach experience is not truly complete until you have called on Muriel Crawford and Anyda Marchant, two of our most interesting citizens.
The couple has been together for over fifty-four years and can tell a tale or two about how our city has evolved. Muriel and Anyda can be found in their home on Laurel Street, relaxing with friends and visitors at cocktail hour on most Saturdays. You never know whether you'll run into local historian Evelyn Thoroughood, Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald, or a well-connected day-tripper. I sat down with them to talk about their relationship, careers, and, of course, Rehoboth Beach. Mark: How did you meet? Muriel and Anyda: We met at the end of the Second World War in 1948 in Washington, D.C. We were both with the Law firm of Covington and Burling, Dean Acheson's former law firm before becoming Secretary of State. Muriel was a secretary to Graham Claytor, who was senior partner before becoming President of Southern Railway and later Amtrak, and I was an Associate. Mark: How did you celebrate your 50th anniversary? Muriel and Anyda: The venue was All Saints' Parish Hall. There were about 80 people present. Every variety of people were there, the town librarian, Marge LaFond, and Representative John Schroeder were there. All Saints' people and a good many people like Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald were also there. It was a very big party and very representative of Rehoboth. Mark: You once lived in Washington, D.C. What was that like then? Muriel and Anyda: It was a very different place then. Muriel is a native Washingtonian. I grew up from my teens there. It was originally a southern town. It was the Second World War that made it change significantly. DC had its own peculiarities because it was a seat of government. But, it had a large population that was native to Washington. Since then that population has vanished. Mark: When did you settle in Rehoboth Beach? Muriel and Anyda: Muriel knew Rehoboth Beach before I did. She used to come here in the 1940s with her aunt. First we stayed in motels for vacations. Then we bought a little house on Annie B. Street in Dodds Addition to Rehoboth, once the Dodds farm. After that, we bought this Laurel Street house in 1965. We moved here permanently in 1972 when we retired. I can't remember when we started having parties on our porch, but they have become an institution on Saturdays in the summer time. Mark: What drew you to Rehoboth Beach? Muriel and Anyda: It's unique. There is no other place like it on the coast. It's a very beautiful place. In those days it was a lot quieter, more bucolic. For instance, when we first bought our house, Rehoboth Beach was completely surrounded by farms. We feel very comfortable here. It has a remarkable combination. It has a sufficient sophistication so that there is a cultural interest. But, it also has the better qualities of a small town. You can walk many places. We just like to live here. Mark: Tell me about your writing and publishing business? Anyda: I write lesbian feminist novels under the pseudonym Sarah Aldridge. I was with the World Bank for 18 years in their legal department. When I first retired in1972, Muriel and I began Naiad Press, which was the largest lesbian publishing house in the world a couple of years ago. It was founded at a time when there was a small press revolution. We were one of the few survivors. Since then, we have had our own A&M Books. We are trying to preserve the ideals that were lost through the commercial success of the previous company. Mark: What was it like when the larger community discovered you were lesbians? Muriel and Anyda: Most of our working lives we were in the closet. We were of the generation that you kept your personal lives out of the picture. We had been here for 30 years. Gary Soulsman, a reporter with the News Journal, interviewed me in 1993. At that time I decided to join those with status and let people know that it was time for gays to speak up. We haven't put a sign on the front lawn, but otherwise we are pretty open about our orientation. I was proud to cut the ribbon on the opening of the Lambda Rising Bookstore in Rehoboth in 1991. Mark: Having many different friends is important to you, why? Muriel and Anyda: Because we feel that gay people should not be segregated. We don't believe in ghettos. It's time for the world to recognize gays as the same as other people except that they have a private life that is different from other people. That is the idea of our Saturday afternoon parties. We bring all kinds of people together, gays and straights. It's what we do. We want to reduce the level of prejudice. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 12, August 23, 2002. |