Maine Books

Army veteran David S. Cook presents Above the Gravelbar: The Native Canoe Routes of Maine, a reminiscence of great canoe travels along Maine's many interconnected waterways, combined with a deep respect for now Maine's Native peoples once used their watercraft to traverse the state. A handful of black-and-white maps illustrate this thoughtful chronicle, which delves deep into the history of individual routes. Above the Gravelbar is not a travel guide per se, but rather gives itself over to the rich, scenery-capturing detail sure to intrigue armchair travelers and canoe connoisseurs.

This title is a soft cover, not a hardcover as described, but it is well worth the price for the outstanding quality of the color reproduction of Bogdanove's paintings. You really get a good sense of the texture of the paintings, the brush strokes, and the artist's style. If you are interested in Maine artists, this book is a must-have for your library.

This book has lots of photos and basic facts about the Acadia areas wildlife. The book also gives readers locations and best viewing times info to help both tourist and area resident find the animals they want to see. The perfect quick fact field guide.

All winter our hearts are on Mt. Desert Island, 750 I-95 miles north of us. All winter, with Steve Perrin's book, we take virtual hikes on "our" island. Come summer (well, in July anyway) when our hearts and bodies are actually in Acadia we can stroll those trails we now know are compatible with my two aging knees and Margaret's greatly dimished vision. Steve's words are more valuable than he knows: we teach people to be "audio describers" for folks who are visually impaired or blind so their ears can be their eyes in theaters, museums, and yes, for television. Steve's writing is truly audio description. This summer if we meet him again on the Shore Path we'll tell him in person. Until then, thanks, Steve.

This is a basic source of Arnold's march to Quebec through the Maine wilderness in 1775 & the following battle, captivity and return of the men. There are some problems with how and when this journal was written, but who is to challenge it? Not me, I wasn't there, although my Great-great-great-grandfather was (& Henry mentions him in the book.) Of greatest importance are the discriptions of how and what the men accomplished under inconceivable conditions -- an undertaking that simply could not be done today without modern equipment and supplies.
I recommend that this book be again put in print and distributed to every school in the US to teach young people to what extent Americans (& most of them were Scotch-Irish) at the time were willing to go to gain their independence. Only 25 out of the 68 in Henry's company survived.
All the trendy modern issues pale into insignificance by comparison.

After The Smoke Clears: Struggling To Get By in Rustbelt America by Steve Mellon (a journalist and staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is an informed and moving chronicle of the rise and fall of the steel and mining industry in America. A tale of the communities surrounding the employment bounty of the steel mills, and the struggle to survive when the closure of this employment bounty left a void in people's ability to support themselves, After The Smoke Clears is a compelling and highly recommended saga of twentieth-century American history enhanced with black-and-white photography.

"Stella Johnson's photographs are poems weighted with grace, dignity, and compassion." Constantine Manos

Photography, the international language, can enrich our lives and open new worlds. This is the case with Stella Johnson's first book, Al Sol.
Johnson has immersed herself in village life as both a passionate photographer and compassionate observer in Mexico, Nicaragua and Cameroon. Living with the people whom she photographs, she is able to cross the line to capture intimate moments. Working with a handheld Leica she is free to discover extraordinary moments in ordinary situations. Moments that allow us inside . . . children playing without toys . . . women preparing food and attending to life's daily chores...men fishing.
Johnson demonstrates her skill at filling the frame and layering complex images: her use of light and shadow brings a classic luminosity to her images. Each image stands on its' own. Patience and a little bit of magic bring a sense of joy and wonder to daily village life. Her palette of human emotions is universal, reminding us of the importance of love, dignity and respect.
The accompanying text expands the story: a preface by Constantine Manos; Johnson's writing and a conversation about the work with Gela Garcia and Gustavo Illades. The design by Michael Alpert is eloquent.
Al Sol is a book that will engage the human spirit and grace any book collection.

Yes, I am the author's husband. ;) However, I can honestly say that I enjoyed each proofreading run through. I encouraged my wife to be as open and honest as possible in this book because that is what makes such a mini-autobiography compelling. I learned some salacious things about her past. I winced several times as she lays out some embarassing events. When it comes down to it, though, the writing is clear, concise and compelling. If you are (or know) a working woman in Manhattan, the stories within All My Men on Wall Street will ring true.

My partner, Brian, and I paddled the Allagash this past summer (2006) for the second time. We brought along "The Allagash" by Lew Dietz. Each night, sitting around the campfire we turned on Allagash-TV; that is, we read, with fire light illuminating our world, from Dietz's book. It's like we were right there paddling through history!

First, I should say that I spent two summer with John Cariani doing summer stock at Summer Theatre at Mount Holyoke. And he is one of the funniest, entertaining and endearing humans on the planet. Secondly, every word, every absurd twist of this comedy is so purely his heart that reading it was like reconnecting with an old friend. It is beautifully written. So sweet and romantic, it is guaranteed to melt even the iciest of hearts. The closest thing I can compare it with is "A Midsummer Night's Dream." It has all of the magic and fantasy of Shakespeare's romp, but it's Great Northern setting makes it delightful and the very simple and effective dialogue makes it so completely modern, without placing it in any one time period. In five or ten years, the messages and humor will still play to audiences without seeming dated, jaded or political. Kudos, John!