The My Maine essay has been a staple of Down East for decades. Sometimes funny, sometimes nostalgic, often poignant, they’re the first-person stories of Maine as its lived, loved, and remembered — and often the first pages our readers turn to. Here are few recent entries that have stuck with us.
“Earnest Goes to Camp,” July 2016
This essay by Pulitzer winner David Shribman is a fond and funny recollection of his Maine camp experience, but beyond that, it’s a thoughtful take on the lifetime value of being acquainted with the outdoors, starting at a young age. — Will Grunewald, associate editor
“Heirlooms,” September 2015
Living in a Maine home often means living alongside history, and essayist Carrie Braman perfectly captures the beauty, mystery, and twinge of melancholy that many of us find as we peel back the layers of stories that swaddle our homesteads. — Brian Kevin, managing editor
“Fee Simple Absolute,” July 2013
Author Ted Gup‘s meditation on the limits of ownership is really a reflection on mortality, steeped in grief after a heartbreaking loss — and a reminder of how the Maine landscape can prompt the kind of soul-searching that helps us heal. — Virginia M. Wright, senior editor
“Why I Moved to Maine,” June 2017
Down East editor in chief Kathleen Fleury just nails the quality-of-life quotient in this essay. Sure, it’s hard to make a living, but with the woods, the water, the quiet, and the community, our days are much richer. — Jennifer Van Allen, branded content editor
“The Jump,” August 2014
Everyone in the office loved this sweet personal essay by former Down East assistant editor Caroline Praderio. Anyone who has their own coming-of-age story with a Maine summer as its backdrop will recognize themselves in it. — Kathleen Fleury, editor in chief
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The My Maine essay has been a staple of Down East for decades. Sometimes funny, sometimes nostalgic, often poignant, they’re the first-person stories of Maine as its lived, loved, and remembered — and often the first pages our readers turn to. Here are few recent entries that have stuck with us.
“Earnest Goes to Camp,” July 2016
This essay by Pulitzer winner David Shribman is a fond and funny recollection of his Maine camp experience, but beyond that, it’s a thoughtful take on the lifetime value of being acquainted with the outdoors, starting at a young age. — Will Grunewald, associate editor
“Heirlooms,” September 2015
Living in a Maine home often means living alongside history, and essayist Carrie Braman perfectly captures the beauty, mystery, and twinge of melancholy that many of us find as we peel back the layers of stories that swaddle our homesteads. — Brian Kevin, managing editor
“Fee Simple Absolute,” July 2013
Author Ted Gup‘s meditation on the limits of ownership is really a reflection on mortality, steeped in grief after a heartbreaking loss — and a reminder of how the Maine landscape can prompt the kind of soul-searching that helps us heal. — Virginia M. Wright, senior editor
“Why I Moved to Maine,” June 2017
Down East editor in chief Kathleen Fleury just nails the quality-of-life quotient in this essay. Sure, it’s hard to make a living, but with the woods, the water, the quiet, and the community, our days are much richer. — Jennifer Van Allen, branded content editor
“The Jump,” August 2014
Everyone in the office loved this sweet personal essay by former Down East assistant editor Caroline Praderio. Anyone who has their own coming-of-age story with a Maine summer as its backdrop will recognize themselves in it. — Kathleen Fleury, editor in chief