Working Waterfront

Normal is only skin deep

Words like “horror” and “monsters” accompanied the publicity for John Manderino’s new collection of short stories, But You Scared Me The Most. It may be that my sensibilities have taken a turn toward the twisted, but not only did I find the 26 stories engaging and entertaining, most also were… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Sullivan artist has lifelong passion for granite

Obadiah Buell grew up on an abandoned industrial granite quarry dating back to the 1800s. Surrounded by massive stone blocks and the clear waters of granite pools, Buell has had a passion for granite—both for its utilitarian nature and sculptural qualities—since he was a child. In his 20s, he explored… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The end of an era, the beginning of another

The end of this summer marks the end of an era. After five years, Bill Trevaskis is stepping down from the position of programs director at Waterman’s Community Center. Bill, who also happens to be my husband, moved with me to North Haven when we were callow 24-year-olds. We’d been… SEE MORE

Zach Field wows the crowd as he juggles and rides a unicycle.

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island marks fifth anniversary of library

PHOTO STORY BY CANDIS JOYCE On July 30, the Swan’s Island Library hosted its Annual Island Bazaar while celebrating the fifh anniversary of the new library building. Artists, crafts people, good food and an auction, along with music by island musicians, created a festive atmosphere. One of the highlights of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bucksport to host maritime film festival

Two Maine organizations dedicated to preserving the past have collaborated to present documentary films in a festival this fall. The International Maritime Film Festival, set for Sept. 30-Oct. 2, is being hosted by Northeast Historic Film (NHF) and Brooklin-based WoodenBoat Publications. The festival will include short and feature length films,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Paris of the ’70s’: Portland emerges

This is the second of a three-part series recollecting the look and feel of Portland in the 1960s, '70s and '80s by a Maine writer who spent his youth there. In the 1970s, Portland grew up. That's one way, anyway, of describing the transition the whole city, and especially the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The triumph of the unpredictable

American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good By Colin Woodard New York: Viking, 2016 A humorous New Yorker magazine cover from mid-2015 depicts the then-Republican field of would-be presidents suiting up in a genteel locker room as Hillary Clinton looks in the window:… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Be ruthless: novelist heeds her own advice

My Name is Lucy Barton By Elizabeth Strout (Random House, 2016) I let my mind wander a bit as I pondered writing this review, as if I were the title character in Elizabeth Strout’s new novel, My Name is Lucy Barton, feverish and somewhat free-associating. I’ve reviewed Strout’s novels on… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Vinalhaven to celebrate work of noted children’s author

Margaret Wise Brown, author of such children's classics as Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny and The Little Island, had a deep love for Vinalhaven. In fact, the home she bought on Long Cove is the only house she ever owned. Perhaps that's why she called it the Only House. Brown… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Understanding Portland, understanding Maine

There are no cities in Maine. With a population of about 66,000, Portland doesn’t qualify, at least by national standards. If Portland were in Massachusetts, it would be the 15th largest community, bigger than Haverill but smaller than Framingham. And city or not, Portland is often dismissed these days as… SEE MORE