Wherein the author discusses the language of Hollywood, book publishing technology, Downeast accents, real estate, hot sex, and the Pulitzer Prize.
The artist’s dreams are rendered in a toystore full of custom, grayscale toys steeped with longing and desire—his totally handspun, totally Space Age take on reality.
Habib Dagher developed bridges that can fit inside backpacks. Now, he’s heading up research on an offshore energy project in the “Saudi Arabia of wind.”
Vince Clarke is one half of Erasure, a successful pop musician, and a dedicated user of analog synths. Step into his cabin on the Pemaquid Peninsula.
William Pope.L, a visual and performance-theater artist, works in extremes. He once crawled from the Statue of Liberty to the Bronx. An annotated guide to his studio in Lewiston.
“Well, it turned out to be a fish house—an ice shack full of water that had been at the bottom of the lake. It must have weighed half a ton. Can you imagine?” Photographs by Scott Peterman.
Allagash beers take on the characteristics of the atmosphere—a sort of “air-oir”—imparted from the indigenous, airborne yeasts. In their beers, you can taste Portland’s wild side.
David Wolfe prints it old-school with Vandercook proofing presses. “Now,” he says, “this whole print shop could come out of a laptop.” An annotated guide to his work space.
Joe Kievitt makes meticulous line drawings. His Portland studio shows a similar appreciation for craftsmanship and care.
Coco + Gil Corral began hosting underground concerts at their Biddeford barn in 2007. Now, they’ve opened a full-fledged music venue: the Hog Farm Studios Annex.
In late August, five Brooklyn chefs descend on Annemarie Ahearn’s Saltwater Farm. On the schedule: how to make sausages, how to make headcheese, and how to pickle cucumbers.
Maine’s only MacArthur genius grant recipient, Stonington’s Ted Ames, says that fish can reproduce, then North Atlantic fishermen may begin catching fish in abundance—and may even see the return of the 100-pound cod.
Gideon Bok paints his studios, whatever happens to be in them, and the comings and goings of people who visit him. An annotated guide to his work space.
When the big, neon S in the Eastland Park Hotel’s rooftop sign went out, the Portland city skyline looked as if it were topped with a sign saying “EATLAND.” Which might not be that far off.
Heidi Julavits talks about Brooklin, Maine and Brooklyn, New York, boatbuilding, fog, neighbors, The Uses of Enchantment, and getting lost. An author Q+A.
Richard Reynolds’ scattershot history of gardening without borders may lead readers elsewhere to find examples, but he’s also hoping we’ll take matters into our own hands. Via Gastronomica.
Longtime New York Times writer R.W. Apple’s grandiose dispatches cover the U.S.’s best soft-shell crabs, the most authentic kosher corned beef, and the finest cherry pie.
Red meat in a very white state. From farmers’ markets to the urban black market, the goat meats of Maine, via The Atlantic Online.
Farm City is sort of like the simple life in reverse. Rather than wealthy socialites mucking manure on a farm, the memoir depicts an educated country girl giddily exploring the heart of Oakland.
Maine Potato Blossom Festival. On the wide-open stretch of farmland around the french fry factory grows a harbinger of hope for the fall harvest: millions of potato blossoms. (Listen).
Maine Natural Oils, a new agricultural enterprise in Aroostook Country, built a mobile oil press and plans to make one of the Northeast’s only regional cooking oils.
Mark Kurlansky has uncovered an archive about the Depression-era America Eats project, which put unemployed writers to work on a collection about food. (Listen to audio.)
Urban farmers: A couple blocks from Northampton Coffee, a flock of runner ducks putter around inside a pen. Welcome to Northampton’s Town Farm.
Just like Nonna’s: Food serves as a rallying point for Italians, and there’s no better place to experience this in Portland, Maine than at Paciarino. (Listen).
Brad Kessler’s lengthy poetic entries about his small herd of goats hardly qualifies as a comprehensive manual. Still, the observant, unsanctimonious read is bound to inspire hobby farmers and consummate cheese lovers.
A sapsarilla, of sorts. Vermont Sweetwater makes a carbonated, nonalcoholic drink that hearkens back to sugaring’s frugal New England roots, via The Atlantic Online.
The redemptive aspect of Jonah Raskin’s intensely local memoir lies in its specificity to place, although the sprawling narrative imparts more of a gauzy poetic impression than any cohesive ideas about food or farming.
If only Obama were to do something really radical, it would be to reinstate the Center Market. A blog post with comments from Warren Belasco.
The live music appears to be coming from the street, but the only busker in sight sits with his saxophone on his lap. A few people point to the silhouettes in the fourth floor window at 602 Congress Street. (Listen.)
Number of tattoo parlors in Maine in 1995: 39 Number registered in 2008: 66 Last year the Mad Hatter’s tattoo party was held: 2007
Like Leslie Miller’s frantic, inconsistent attempts at baking, her writing suffers from the “perils of impatience” and a lack of focus.
Portland’s home to a thriving design scene, built in part on the state’s legacy of shipbuilding and niche manufacturing: “You can’t swing a dead cat around without hitting a crafter.”
Veteran Chicago Tribune entertainment reporter Caro expands on his front-page story about a 2005 flap over foie gras with a wide-ranging investigation into the ethical debate of fattened duck liver.
DTV: The conversion from analog to digital television is supposed to be clear and easy for all viewers. One blogger in Maine doesn’t quite see it that way.
AJ Walker runs Reaching Truckers for Christ, one of the last mobile ministries of its kind and the only one in Maine. (Listen.)
In his meandering memoir, New York restaurateur Pino Luongo traces his “American success story” from a hasty, draft-dodging flight from Italy to his current position as a chef at the Upper East Side’s Centolire.
Hungry scientists: While the latest developments in molecular gastronomy might be originating from the high temples of haute cuisine, a group of part-time tinkerers have been exploring quirky cooking at home.
Pedal people picks up the city of Northampton’s garbage. It’s one of the only bicycle-powered businesses picking up municipal trash. From MAKE magazine.
Organic farmer: Ben Dobson is hoping that his budding agricultural enterprise will lead to the next big thing in organic agriculture: the salad bowl of the East Coast.
Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes live 3191 miles apart. They aren’t old friends, but together, every morning, they post images side-by-side on the same photo blog: 3191.
Dahlicious Lassi cultures cow’s milk into creamy, fruit-infused drinks. The company’s owner JD Sethi says, “We like to say it’s the world’s oldest smoothie.”
Multimedia: A crowdfunded audio/visual documentary site about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, like this portrait of an apple farmer. (Donate.)
Looking for a sound investment in these troubled times? Try community-supported agriculture. These days the CSA concept extends way beyond weekly vegetable deliveries.
While Amanda Hesser’s collection of essays adds to the rapidly expanding genre of literature using food and recipes as essential ingredients, this compelling selection of memoirs is a welcome addition.
Betty Fussell critiques the polemical meat writing of Michael Pollan and the mythology of a rare, bloodied “he-man food” by giving an evenhanded look at the many sides of beef.
Treadle pump: Inventor Martin Fisher designs easy irrigation tools – and his organization, KickStart, distributes manual irrigation pumps to African farmers.
Author Pat Willard does not dwell on the historical circumstances of this Depression-era project. Instead she looks for the modern equivalents and her travels are the thrust of America Eats!
Wheat: There’s been no recorded tally of wheat in New England since 1946. But growing consumer demand for breads made with local flours is leading to an expansion.
This banjo-strumming Woody Woodpecker’s campfire is a constant blaze of dreamy, peculiar Americana. A review of four tracks for The Boston Phoenix.
Buildings: Earthquakes often result in a disproportionate number of student deaths. Engineering experts weigh in on why schools collapse. (Part of contributing research.)
Wherein the author discusses the language of Hollywood, book publishing technology, Downeast accents, real estate, hot sex, and the Pulitzer Prize.
The artist’s dreams are rendered in a toystore full of custom, grayscale toys steeped with longing and desire—his totally handspun, totally Space Age take on reality
Vince Clarke is one half of Erasure, a successful pop musician, and a dedicated user of analog synths. Step into his cabin on the Pemaquid Peninsula.
William Pope.L, a visual and performance-theater artist, works in extremes. He once crawled from the Statue of Liberty to the Bronx. An annotated guide to his studio in Lewiston. 
“Well, it turned out to be a fish house—an ice shack full of water that had been at the bottom of the lake. It must have weighed half a ton. Can you imagine?” Photographs by Scott Peterman. 
Allagash beers take on the characteristics of the atmosphere—a sort of “air-oir”—imparted from the indigenous, airborne yeasts. In their beers, you can taste Portland’s wild side
David Wolfe prints it old-school with Vandercook proofing presses. “Now,” he says, “this whole print shop could come out of a laptop.” An annotated guide to his work space
Joe Kievitt makes meticulous line drawings. His Portland studio shows a similar appreciation for craftsmanship and care.
Coco + Gil Corral began hosting underground concerts at their Biddeford barn in 2007. Now, they’ve opened a full-fledged music venue: the Hog Farm Studios Annex
In late August, five Brooklyn chefs descend on Annemarie Ahearn’s Saltwater Farm. On the schedule: how to make sausages, how to make headcheese, and how to pickle cucumbers.
Maine’s only MacArthur genius grant recipient, Stonington’s Ted Ames, says that fish can reproduce, then North Atlantic fishermen may begin catching fish in abundance—and may even see the return of the 100-pound cod. 
Gideon Bok paints his studios, whatever happens to be in them, and the comings and goings of people who visit him. An annotated guide to his work space
When the big, neon S in the Eastland Park Hotel’s rooftop sign went out, the Portland city skyline looked as if it were topped with a sign saying “EATLAND.” Which might not be that far off
Heidi Julavits talks about Brooklin, Maine and Brooklyn, New York, boatbuilding, fog, neighbors, The Uses of Enchantment, and getting lost. An author Q+A
Richard Reynolds’ scattershot history of gardening without borders may lead readers elsewhere to find examples, but he’s also hoping we’ll take matters into our own hands. Via Gastronomica
Red meat in a very white state. From farmers’ markets to the urban black market, the goat meats of Maine, via The Atlantic Online
Maine Potato Blossom Festival. On the wide-open stretch of farmland around the french fry factory grows a harbinger of hope for the fall harvest: millions of potato blossoms
Maine Natural Oils, a new agricultural enterprise in Aroostook Country, built a mobile oil press and plans to make one of the Northeast’s only regional cooking oils
Mark Kurlansky has uncovered an archive about the Depression-era America Eats project, which put unemployed writers to work on a collection about food
Urban farmers: A couple blocks from Northampton Coffee, a flock of runner ducks putter around inside a pen. Welcome to Northampton’s Town Farm
Just like Nonna’s: Food serves as a rallying point for Italians, and there’s no better place to experience this in Portland, Maine than at Paciarino
If only Obama were to do something really radical, it would be to reinstate the Center Market. A blog post with comments from Warren Belasco
The live music appears to be coming from the street, but the only busker in sight sits with his saxophone on his lap. A few people point to the silhouettes in the fourth floor window at 602 Congress Street
Number of tattoo parlors in Maine in 1995: 39
Portland’s home to a thriving design scene, built in part on the state’s legacy of shipbuilding and niche manufacturing: “You can’t swing a dead cat around without hitting a crafter
DTV: The conversion from analog to digital television is supposed to be clear and easy for all viewers. One blogger in Maine doesn’t quite see it that way
AJ Walker runs Reaching Truckers for Christ, one of the last mobile ministries of its kind and the only one in Maine.
Pedal people picks up the city of Northampton’s garbage. It’s one of the only bicycle-powered businesses picking up municipal trash
Organic farmer: Ben Dobson is hoping that his budding agricultural enterprise will lead to the next big thing in organic agriculture: the salad bowl of the East Coast
Dahlicious Lassi cultures cow’s milk into creamy, fruit-infused drinks. The company’s owner JD Sethi says, “We like to say it’s the world’s oldest smoothie
Multimedia: A crowdfunded audio/visual documentary site about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, like this portrait of an
Treadle pump: Inventor Martin Fisher designs easy irrigation tools – and his organization, KickStart, distributes manual irrigation pumps to African farmers
Wheat: There’s been no recorded tally of wheat in New England since 1946. But growing consumer demand for breads made with local flours is leading to an expansion
Buildings: Earthquakes often result in a disproportionate number of student deaths. Engineering experts weigh in on why schools collapse.