Articles
Downeast Netting: A History and How-To of Netmaking
Reprinted from 1988 original by Pea Soup Publishing, 2003. For a number of reasons, this book – lushly illustrated with both photographs and diagrams – could hold your attention. Visitors to Vinalhaven, which provided many of the examples in the book, will appreciate another tangible reminder that the fishing industry uses many different creative skills.
Dickie’s 15 minutes Fame is fleeting, but there are rewards
The man I’m talking to, Dickie Hildings of Vinalhaven, has a powerful presence. He is all brawn. If you wondered about his age, the word “experienced” would suggest itself. He’s from a Vinalhaven family, has lived here all his life, fished here all his life, owns a tough and fast boat – the WHAT’S LEFT
Vanishing Species: Saving the Fish, Sacrificing the Fisherman
University Press of New England, 2003 If you live in New England and pay attention to regional news, then you probably are aware of some of the concerns Susan R. Playfair presents in her new book. She is squarely on the side of traditional fishermen, supporting their struggle to keep their work and culture viable
Eric Hopkins: A unique contribution to a venerable tradition
What better place to be refreshed by energizing landscapes of water, sky, mountains, and islands than at the current Eric Hopkins exhibit at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland? Leave behind the midsummer doldrums of Route 1 traffic, crowded sidewalks, and the relentless heat and glare of sun. Upon entering the Morehouse Wing, you’ll find
Lobster Rolls
New York: HarperCollins, 2003 As the title suggests, this book, just released in hardcover, combines recipes from the coast of Maine with stories of Rebecca Charles’s family’s visits there. The ethnic thread of the narrative is an intriguing one. Rather than a WASP New England blueblood perspective or the Maine native’s experience, this is the
Whore’s Child and Other Stories
Whore’s Child and Other Stories By Richard Russo Vintage Books, 2003 Reviewed by Tina Cohen This first collection of short stories by novelist Richard Russo (2002 Pulitzer Prize winner for Empire Falls), appeared last year and will be released in paperback this July. Russo currently lives in Camden. The stories focus on folks sharing common
Officer Friendly and Other Stories
Coming of age in coastal Maine New York, 2003: HarperCollins228 pages; hardbound; $23.95 Officer Friendly is a collection of short stories in the first published book of author Lewis Robinson. Robinson, who grew up in Maine, lives in Portland. He has created a locale on the coast of Maine vaguely four hours above Portland –
Troubled paradise
Here’s a riddle. You live on a beautiful island and enjoy a rural setting, relatively little tourism, and low-impact ways to make a living. The most traditional jobs are related to the water (fishing) or the fields (raising livestock). Some get by providing services – food, transportation, entertainment – and some run guesthouses about nine