Sarah Shaw Dawson hadn’t planned on pursuing a career in journalism, but writing has been an important part of her life since childhood, and she has a habit of sticking up for the underdog.
“I was always passionate about friends or classmates who were being pushed down by others and not given a voice,” she explained during a recent phone conversation. “But I never thought about journalism. My dream was to become a novelist or to write poetry.”
That has since changed, and in March Dawson was named the first MV Times “Island Writer,” in a new initiative under the Islanders Write umbrella to train and support the next generation of Island journalists. “It feels kind of kismet,” she now realizes, “to do the type of writing that gives a voice to issues in our community.”
Dawson, 28, grew up in Oak Bluffs, and was a 2014 graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. “I journaled a lot, and I used to love English class,” she said, naming David Wilson as a teacher who inspired her, as well as Todd Sawyer. “I don’t know if he knew how great he was, but he was just kind of moody enough to really get through to teenagers,” Dawson said. And while she never had Dan (“Shark”) Sharkovitz, who passed away in 2020, she credits him with having an open-door policy and providing a safe space for a lot of students in the high school: “He was always throwing out the kind of weirdest facts about writers throughout history. Really wild stuff.”
Dawson returned to the Vineyard after studying at the University of Vermont, and worked in restaurants bartending and as a server. “I was feeling really lost,” she said. “And I reached a breaking point with the restaurant industry, and was feeling like I needed to do something different with my life.” She started posting some of her writing on Substack, the subscriber-based service that hosts Heather Cox Richardson, among many other notable journalists, and applied for a job at The MV Times, for a position in ad sales, rather than as a reporter.
Her restaurant job was becoming untenable this past summer, and she had a “come to truth moment,” and asked herself, “What would I genuinely enjoy doing?” Kismet again — the answer came in the form of a well-timed phone call from The MV Times with an interview offer: not for ad sales, but for a reporter.
Her first story, “Unveiling Rebecca Amos: A sculpture, a life, a landmark,” ran in the Oct. 10, 2024, edition of the paper. Since then Dawson has been at the Times part-time, covering the affordable housing crisis on the Island and other issues.
Sam Houghton, news editor at The Times, said that Dawson has done some excellent reporting covering stories that can take some time developing, but reveal issues that impact the day-to-day life of Islanders — the important stories. Case in point, her coverage of homeowners insurance and the suddenly rising costs for Island residents, which led to a collaboration with the Cape and Islands NPR station. She’s also reported on the ongoing homelessness issue, revealing that town departments have neglected to help address it.
“She’s curious, and she’s passionate about the Island community, and those are some of the greatest attributes for a reporter, and what I hope the Island Writer position will be all about — celebrating and looking out for the Island way of life,” Houghton said. “She’s been a pleasure to work with, and I’m looking forward to seeing her grow as a journalist.”
Dawson will be starting as a full-time reporter in June — giving voice to the underdog, as she’s been doing her entire life.
Sarah Shaw Dawson’s position is being funded by a generous donation from John and Michelle Battelle to support the next generation of Island writers. If you’re interested in finding out more about how to support the next generation of journalists on the Vineyard, contact the publisher, Charles Sennott at csennott@mvtimes.com