ZIP Code 02151 — ‘Revere Beach Incident’

In September, we asked listeners to submit their original short stories and essays about life in one of four Greater Boston zip codes — 02139 (Cambridge); 02446 (Brookline); 02151 (Revere); and 02657 (Provincetown) — and we received dozens of submissions from many of you. So now, drum roll please, we are happy to name Daniel Gewertz of Somerville as the winner of our very first round of ZIP-Code Stories for his short story, "Revere Beach Incident."

Gewertz has, for 28 years, written about music and theater for The Boston Herald, among many other publications, and teaches memoir writing at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. He’s just completed a novel, titled “You Lose Yourself, You Reappear,” and is midway through a book of memoir stories,“A Virgin at Woodstock.”

In "Revere Beach Incident, Gewertz recalls a summer day spent on Revere Beach in 1972, a day that he says was transformational, if not humbling. It's the story of a young man's visit to the Revere Beach amusement park, and the ball throw game that would turn him off to gambling for the rest of his life. "I had learned a life lesson," Gewertz writes in the story. He continues:

There were some real crooks in this world, and I couldn't afford to be an easy mark. But there was one more thing I learned at Revere Beach in the summer of ’72. I learned that kindness can come from strange places and even a con-man can have a code of ethics.

Read his complete story HERE and listen to it HERE.

We are also happy to announce that a new round of ZIP-Code Stories launches today. This month, we're seeking stories about 02144 (Somerville), 01851 (Lowell,) 01970 (Salem), and 01702 (Framingham).

Remember, you don't have to live in the ZIP code, just write a story (fiction or non-fiction) that takes place there. This deadline for submission is November 10th.

Learn more about ZIP-Code Stories and how to submit HERE.

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