Abigail McGrath

A Storyteller Raised by Harlem Renaissance Legends Who Lived a Novel Life

By Fern Gillespie
There are people who “live a novel life.” Then there are people whose lives are “better than a novel.” Abigail McGrath, founder of Martha’s Vineyard Renaissance House Retreat for Writers and Artists (one of her many, many titles) not only lived a fascinating, adventurous life, but nurtured writers and actors from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard. For 12 years, I had the honor of working with Abigail on Renaissance House.

Abigail, who died in December 2024 at age 84, was a sixth generation Martha’s Vineyard resident, who was raised by Harlem Renaissance legends—her mother poet Helene Johnson and her aunt novelist Dorthy West. She grew up in Brooklyn with her mother and spent summers in Martha’s Vineyard at the family house. During her lifetime, Abigail traveled in many circles and worked in many creative fields as a writer, playwright, director and filmmaker.

An amazing storyteller, Abigail would reflect on her life that spanned being a Freedom Rider during the Civil Rights. During the 1960s, she modeled for Salvador Dali and became an Andy Warhol superstar as an actress in the famed 1967 film “Tub Girls.” In Lou Reed’s hit 1972 rock classic ‘Walk on the Wild Side,” Abigail was one of the famous “colored girls go doo doo doo bdoo doo’ ” in the song because her and friend Nawana talked and laughed during his act.

During the 1970s and 1980s, she co-founded the Off Center Theater in New York with her late husband Anthony McGrath. It was dedicated to fun, offbeat plays for children and later also for adults. The actors included Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham, John Leguizamo as a teen actor and Christine Baranski.

She wrote the comedy Au Pair Chocolat, a 2004 film about a Harlem mom becoming an au pair in Martha’s Vineyard, which was directed by her son Benson McGrath and co-starred Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, Martin Scorsese and Julia Cameron’s daughter.

“The Wedding,” the 1995 best-selling novel by her aunt Dorothy West, was inspired by the interracial marriage of Abigail and Tony McGrath. It would become a television mini-series produced by Oprah Winfrey and starring Halle Berry. Before writing “The Wedding,” West worked at a Martha’s Vineyard restaurant and was a freelance writer in the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette. Then Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis spotted her writing and persuaded the former Harlem Renaissance writer to pen a novel.

“Once a week, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would visit my aunt Dorothy West to prod her along towards finishing her novel “The Wedding.” At that time, Mrs. Onassis was a Doubleday editor and like my Aunt Dorothy, was a lifelong Martha’s Vineyard resident,” Abigail told me.

“Mrs. Onassis had befriended my Aunt Dorothy, a famed Harlem Renaissance author, and persuaded her to pen a tale inspired about the interracial marriage between me and my husband. While she was waiting in Aunt Dorothy’s home, Mrs. Onassis would tell me stories of the people on the island. All sorts of juicy gossip.”

Abigail inspired storytellers at her annual Martha’s Vineyard Renaissance House Retreat for Writers and Artists. Renaissance House was founded in 2000 to give writers the opportunity to focus on their work. Both Helene Johnson and Dorothy West, the inspirations for Renaissance House, did not have the luxury of working full time as writers.

At Renaissance House, from the late spring to the early fall, each year over 50 writers and artists would have spent a week in the Martha’s Vineyard home where Helene Johnson and Dorothy West would spend time writing. Attendees would range from professional writers to people with just a passion to write.

“The retreat provides the time in which to create new works or finish existing ones,” Abigail would say. “Renaissance House is one of the few retreats designed for issue-oriented writers, writers of color and writers of social justice. The program is offered to artists who do not have the luxury of time.”

At Renaissance House, attendees would write for a least five hours a day in a group setting. There would be meet and greets with Martha’s Vineyard writers and residents. In addition, Abigail would cook. I called it the “Martha’s Vineyard Left-Over Banquet.” Monday’s turkey would be Tuesday’s gourmet turkey sandwiches. An Abigail recipe is featured in her good friend Dr. Jessica B. Harris’ (“High on the Hog”) new book “Braided Heritage.”

For 17 years, Renaissance House has held the free dramatic reading of Frederick Douglass’ powerful speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” on July 4 at Martha’s Vineyard’s historic Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs. Volunteer readers would perform the 10,000-plus word address Douglass wrote during American slavery in 1852.

The director-editor-producer of Renaissance House’s annual Frederick Douglass speech has been Makani Themba, Chief Strategist at Higher Ground Change Strategies. “By reading it at the Inkwell Beach, an historically Black swimming area, the emotions and not so hidden agenda resonates with a powerful punch,” Abigail said. “Having it read by the people in the community heightens the relevancy even more.

The July 4, 2025 Frederick Douglass speech was held at The Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. It became a moving memorial tribute to Abigail McGrath. Her friends and family are dedicated to continuing Abigail’s legacy. “We aim to fulfill my mother’s final dream,” said her son musician Jason Rosen. “We want to create “The Renaissance Garden” on her Oak Bluffs property to be a lasting space for community, creativity, and celebration of the arts.”

Abigail was a contributing writer to Our Time Press. The paper’s special series spotlighting Abby’s memorable articles launches this week on the next page.
There will be a New York City tribute to Abigail McGrath on September 21 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Elizabeth Irwin High School at 40 Charlton Street in Greenwich Village. For more information, visit www.renaissance-house-harlem.com