EASTON — The Eastern Shore Writers Association’s Jan. 10 meeting, set for 11 a.m. at the Easton Club, features “A Watermen Remembers Beautiful Swimmers – William Warner’s Masterwork about the Blue Crab.”

The meeting will honor the author by featuring the appearance of one of his crabbing buddies, Grant Corbin, who still works the waters off Deal Island. Grant has been harvesting oysters and crabs for 50 years since he went out in his own boat at age 10. He will be interviewed by Brent Lewis, an author from a Kent Island waterman’s family.

The Beautiful Swimmer is an homage to the Chesapeake’s Blue Crab. The book’s surprise rise to become a bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winning publication stems from the excellent quality of the writing and the scientific illumination of the lifecycles of the crab and oyster and also the representation of the waterman’s strong bond with his catch.

Mr. Corbin was born on Smith Island, the son and grandson of watermen. When his mother, a teacher, took a position in the Deal Island schools, the family moved there and he has been ploughing the waters there his whole life. Two of his sons have followed in his wake.

Lewis will publish his debut novel Bloody Point in 2015, a story depicting an Eastern Shore father’s desperate attempt to save his daughter from the grip of the infamous “Block” in Baltimore. Lewis’s colorful characterization of Eastern Shore types and his ear-perfect dramatic dialogue reflects his and his family’s association with the Bay.

The talk and luncheon is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should RSVP at sweeneygf@aol.com.

The Eastern Shore Writers’ Association (ESWA), including the ESWA Education Fund, holds monthly writing programs, sponsors the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, publishes The Delmarva Review and manages the Delmarva Book Prize, along with other educational programs. As nonprofit organizations, they support writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva Peninsula. For more information, see the ESWA website www.easternshorewriters.org, or email Gerald F. Sweeney at sweeneygf@aol.com.