Island Journal

Samuel French Morse: A Trip Outside

“A poet, more likely than not, has to take his local identity for granted. If he feels he is ‘from away,’ he will be. If he is too much concerned about where he comes from or where he is, what he makes of the relation between himself and his part… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Where the Harbor Bears Your Name

Joseph William Lunt wakes up before the sun in a house that sits on a harbor that shares his name. Aboard his lobster boat Heritage, Lunt does what his ancestors have been doing for over two centuries—he harvests the bounty of Downeast Maine waters. His wife Teenie Lunt also fishes… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Suhail Bisharat – A Natural Diplomat on Chebeague

The power is out on half of Chebeague Island. Most toilets aren’t flushing and a few roads have downed trees across them, but the high winds haven’t stopped the boats from running. At the ferry landing, Suhail Bisharat stands with his hands behind his back, smartly dressed and smiling warmly.… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Doing Door-to-Door Advocacy for Water

Think of how many daily interactions you have with water—morning coffee or tea, washing hands, flushing a toilet, preparing food, watering plants or animals, showering. Now imagine each of those interactions being dangerous and tainted with harmful chemicals and toxins; instead of a simple turn of the tap, each of these interactions requiring bottled water or water sourced from as far as a 30-minute drive away paying 35 cents a gallon. SEE MORE

Island Journal

Island Bound—A Home Away, Yet Not Away

What follows is adapted from Abigail Trafford’s memoir, High Time (Tide Pool Press, 2023). Trafford, whose career included reporting, writing, and editing at The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report, has come to the multi-generational family retreat at the north end of Vinalhaven her entire life. The author… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Objectively Caring for Her Community

Photos by Barry Fitzsimmons A career in journalism means being an observer, not a player. It means not taking sides, even when it comes to an endeavor as worthy as eldercare for a small island community. Susan Stranahan says that when she left daily journalism and moved to Chebeague Island… SEE MORE

Island Journal

On the Runway and the Gangplank

On Lexie Elston’s first day at her new job, her radio alerted her about a motorcyclist being thrown from his bike. As of that morning, it was her duty to rush to the emergency. On the rural coast of Maine, it’s not unusual for a marine patrol officer to be… SEE MORE

Profiles

Island Journal

Climate Activism’s Next Generation

Riley Stevenson has been busy. At the age of 19, she has accrued considerable experience working as a climate activist on the Maine coast. Her affiliations include: founder and executive director of the Coastal Youth Climate Coalition, fellow for Maine’s Environmental Education Association, outreach director for Maine Youth Climate Strikes,… SEE MORE

Profiles

Island Journal

Monhegan’s Tara Hire: Be Creative, Work Hard

Tara Hire of Monhegan Island is one of those people for whom island life seems like an appropriate match. She’s not afraid to step into the important roles that keep an island functioning, such as serving on the town’s board of assessors (similar to a select board), and she’s figured… SEE MORE

Island Journal

Louis Wellington Cabot—An Example for the Ages

Louis Cabot died at home in Tenants Harbor this past January, a half-year short of his 100th birthday. It was my great good fortune to have known and worked with Louis for the last quarter century of his life. Although Louis—pronounced “Louie,” not “Lewis”—served on the board of the Island… SEE MORE

Profiles