Working Waterfront

Whiteness and Maine’s ‘distinct alien race’

A Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans By David Vermette (2018) Growing up in the Midcoast, the only thing I knew about French-Canadians was what I learned from my dad. He said the stereotype was of the “dumb Frenchman” who usually took shop classes in high school and… SEE MORE

he Gold Ball-winning basketball team from Narraguagus High School, 2016, with their coach, the lobster fisherman "Olivia Marshall" in the book, whose real name is Heather Thompson (back row, far right). The team is aboard the fishing boat Thompson named in honor of the championship team. “Audrey Barton”—whose real name is Kelli Kennedy—is in the back row, third from left. “Mckenna Holt”—whose real name is Laniew Perry—is in the back row, next to Olivia Marshall.

Working Waterfront

‘Downeast’ strikes a blow against ‘the geography of nowhere’

In this difficult time of failed public expectations, when thoughtful people wonder where to look for hope, I keep returning in my own mind to the thought of the renewal of the rural communities… But to be authentic, a true encouragement and a true beginning, this would have to be… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The noise of life after war

Silence: A Novel By William Carpenter (2021) Reading Silence: A Novel, by Maine author and College of the Atlantic professor William Carpenter, made me think of traversing the terrain of a Penobscot Bay rocky island—which is largely the setting for this story. One needs to stay constantly aware of the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Memoir traces abuse, addiction, and revival

Walking With Ghosts By Gabriel Byrne (Grove Press, 2021) Since reading Gabriel Byrne’s recently published memoir Walking With Ghosts, I’ve delayed watching the newest HBO season of In Treatment in favor of first re-watching the previous three, which aired 2008-2010. Those star Byrne, who won a Golden Globe for his… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Finding the origins of the nation’s origin story

Six months to the day after supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, Colin Woodard stood on the grass of Camden Public Library’s amphitheater, looking over the harbor where the late afternoon sun bathed boats in a golden glow. The idyllic scene was a long way from the chaos… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Revisiting Isaac’s Storm

Isaac’s Storm: A man, a time, and the deadliest hurricane in history By Erik Larson Now that nearly everyone with a three-digit IQ has come to realize that “denial” is not just a river in Egypt, confronting the relentless challenges of climate change has emerged as a global priority, should… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Making sense of Maine ‘talking circles’

The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous-Settler Relations By Shirley N. Hager and Mawopiyane, University of Toronto Press I confess to being skeptical when I opened The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous-Settler Relations, a book of reflections on a series of “gatherings” of white and Native people in Maine and Maritime Canada in the 1980s… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Call Me American’ author to speak in Friendship Aug. 22

Abdi Nor Iftin’s life story is an inspiring tale of resilience, courage, and luck, and he will share it with an audience at the Hahn Community Center in Friendship on Sunday, Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. His parents were nomadic herders in Somalia, but Iftin grew up mostly in the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Treatment plan: Tour the U.S. on a Harley

I can’t help but imagine how the discussion about Donna Wiegle’s book might have gone at a big-time publishing house. “The writer has stage IV ovarian cancer, and she writes about her courage in facing this diagnosis? And there’s a motorcycle involved? How are we supposed to sell this?! Who… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Getting to know our greenery

Wildflowers of Maine Islands: The Downeast and Acadia Coasts By Glen H. Mittelhauser; University of Maine Press, 2021 Every April and May in Maine the world starts to turn color again. But differently in different geographies, we gather from Glenn Mittelhauser’s new guide, Wildflowers of Maine Islands. “There is much… SEE MORE