Anne W. Semmes has spent decades chronicling the people who define Greenwich. Now, for the first time, she is gathering those voices into a single volume—and inviting the community to hear how those stories came to life.
Her new book, “Extraordinary Lives of Greenwich – Over the Decades,” brings together 100 profiles originally published in local newspapers and magazines, offering a sweeping portrait of the town through the individuals who have shaped it. The collection spans artists, entrepreneurs, historians, civic leaders, and more, organized from Art to Sporting Life, according to materials provided for the release.
What distinguishes the book is not only its breadth, but its intimacy. These are not distant biographies. They are reported encounters—conversations, observations, and moments captured over years of close attention to the community. Readers will recognize names. They will also encounter people whose influence has been quieter but no less consequential.
The table of contents reads as a map of Greenwich itself. In the “Art” section, figures such as Maryan Ainsworth and Marian “Bing” Bingham reflect the town’s cultural depth. “Leaders” brings in figures such as Ray Dalio and Police Chief Jim Heavey, while other sections move through historians, naturalists, philanthropists, and members of the media.
Semmes will speak about these stories, and the people behind them, at a book launch event at Dogwood Books at Christ Church on Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. The event offers an opportunity to hear how these profiles were reported, what surprised the author, and how certain individuals came to stand out across decades of coverage.
For longtime residents, the book offers recognition and rediscovery. For newer readers, it serves as an entry point into the town’s civic and cultural life. For anyone interested in how a community understands itself, it provides a record assembled one conversation at a time.
Hearing Semmes reflect on them brings readers closer to the process—and to the people themselves.
