Maine Books

I grew up on the coast of Maine; sailing on the schooners all summer. Peter Spectre's writing captures the feeling of sailing on a schooner perfectly, and Benjamin Mendlowitz's photographs are simply the best.

This book is a work of fiction about a passenger who goes sailing on a schooner for a week. The schooner leaves the dock Monday and gets back in on Saturday. It anchors every night and sails all day long. In the course of the week all the other schooners are seen and many fun adventures are had by the passenger.

This book is modeled closely after a real week on the schooner Heritage, though it doesn't say so explicitly in the book. If you're interested by this book I suggest you look at going sailing on a real schooner.

When I look at a photograph done by Paul Caponigro I feel inspired and moved by what the image says to me. He has a way was translating a mood and feeling through his choice of subject matter and point of view. In many instances he can make the natural world speak and motion towards a sensibility that can create many emotions. There is a meditative atmosphere to his prints and choice of subject matter that in many ways invokes a mythic or gothic feeling. Caponigro's work whether it be a traditional landscape or a created still life continues to catch the eye of whoever sees it. He is an artist of the finest caliber who does what he loves and does as he likes. Although his work is obviously very personal to him, he is willing to share with all his viewers his beliefs and views of the world as he sees it. I often look at his work and feel honored that he is willing to share a special place in the world that he has discovered. There is little doubt that he does his photographs for other people to enjoy, not just himself. Paul Caponigro shows us the world like no other person can, he adds mystery and beauty to all kinds of places both natural and man made. Over the past forty-five years Caponigro has defined what it means to truly become a landscape artist. The work he has done has classified itself in a realm all by itself and has given other landscape lovers a place to strive to. His dedication to the craft of photography shows clearly in all the work he produces, and in many ways he has shown us the natural world as it has never been shown before.

If friendships and the outdoor life mean anything to you, you must own this book. If you liked "A River Runs Through It", get this book. The language is spell-binding and the ageless truths that Lea unfolds are worth a thousand times the price of admission to his world.

Beautiful and moving images and stories of life standing still but spirit evolving. You'll want to look at these photographs time and time again and let them fill your soul.

What a treat this trio of long essays is! Anyone who has an uneasy (or even hostile) relationship with the rush and hustle of the 21st century -- not to mention anyone who loves water in general and Maine in particular -- will find this book refreshing, restful, and comforting. The writing flows along as easily as the water in the pond about which Kimber, McNair, and Roorbach write so lovingly (yet without sentimentality). While my favorite of the three was McNair's offering, they're all lovely -- and your day would be well spent reading through this little book in one sitting. Enjoy!

After reading this book, I immediately bought copies for my whole extended family. Many of them have relocated to the Mt. Agamenticus area over the years, but still hold fond memories of growing up in South Berwick. They were thrilled to learn about the region's rich history in such articulate prose. `Placenames' weaves together many elements of South Berwick's history, compiling it in a way that is accessible to all readers. You'll find it's a truly excellent book to hole up with in the remaining weeks of another cold Maine winter.

This collection is exciting and unique. Each poem, from Albert Einstein playing the violin to Tina Turner "stalking across the stage," has the reader eagerly awaiting the next poetic note. This is an outstanding collection!

Clear, concise and filled with insightful tips, this eminently portable guide is the perfect companion for Acadia-area cyclists.

"The most ignorant and vicious of European populations, including necessarily a vast number of the criminal class; people who come here not to become good citizens, but to prey upon our people and our industries; a class utterly without character and incapable of understanding or appreciating our institutions, and therefore a menace to our commonwealth."

Lisa Bowe has compiled a wonderful anthology of Portland Maine photographers. They evocatively capture many images of this great city, bringing the timbre of our lives effectively to print. This collection is superbly compiled. Additionlly, I have greatly enjoyed seeing these photographs in Portland based art galleries.