As we prepare for the premiere of OUR HOMETOWN: EXETER, we sat down with storyteller and host of OUR HOMETOWN Rebecca Rule to talk about uncovering New Hampshire’s history—one story at a time—and what makes Exeter so unique.
OUR HOMETOWN: EXETER will premiere on NHPBS Thursday, November 13th at 8:30 PM and will also be available to stream on YouTube and the PBS App. If you’d like to hear more stories from Exeter or the other towns in the OUR HOMETOWN series, visit nhpbs.org/hometown.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
NHPBS: What did you know about Exeter before going in to film this installment of OUR HOMETOWN?
REBECCA RULE: I knew about the American Independence Museum. A few years back, it was my privilege to give a talk there on New Hampshire Town Meeting, a talk that I do for NH Humanities. It felt right talking about what many call the purest form of democracy in such an historic place, as well as hearing the voices of the people absorbed into the woodwork year upon year.
I also knew about Philips Exeter Academy. I watched the movie A Separate Peace, based on the novel by John Knowles, during my formative years. It was a great film and book.
I remembered the famous Loaf and Ladle from my college years at UNH.
Dan Chartrand at Water Street Books has kindly carried my books and invited me to do signings there, as he does for many New Hampshire writers. His support and the support of Water Street staff means a lot.
I knew quite a bit about the Incident at Exeter (a famous reported UFO sighting on Route 150 from 1965 and the inspiration behind the Exeter UFO Festival) and was excited to learn more.
NHPBS: Did you learn anything new or unexpected while filming the episode and interviewing Exeter residents?
RULE: There’s always something new and unexpected. These towns are full of stories, many of them unknown beyond borders, or even within. To go into a town, talk to the folks, hear their stories is like opening a treasure chest.
I attended my first Exeter UFO Festival—that was eye opening and so much fun! I bought some green, styrofoam ball antennae. They are fantastic and they go with my green outfits.
NHPBS: What do you like best about creating the OUR HOMETOWN series?
RULE: The best thing about creating OUR HOMETOWN is meeting people we might never have met otherwise, hearing their stories, and passing them on. This fills me with joy. Collecting and preserving these stories is a way of honoring each town we visit. Through the stories, we hope the NHPBS audience will get a sense of the elements of community that make each town unique.
In Exeter, at Swazey Park, where salt water and fresh mix, we saw a group of folks with big-lensed cameras gazing at a tree. Sure enough, two bald eagles sat high in the branches, calmly. They were looking like they owned the place. Big, serious birds. “They are often here,” the birdwatchers told us. “This is their favorite tree.” Just then an eagle took off—flap, flap, flap—over the water. What an image! What a place! These moments happen all the time when we’re filming. It’s as though each town we visit becomes our town for a little while.
Support for OUR HOMETOWN: EXETER is provided The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, Road Scholar, RiverWoods Group and Kennebunk Savings Bank.