Features
The New Bootleggers
Distilling liquor is a hot hobby for these Mainers, and not just because it’s trendy – it’s also illegal.
By Al Diamon
The Last Word
Do you want to find a job in Maine? Here’s a handy guide to help you on your way.
By Will Bleakley
My Island Office
When Kate Shaffer arrived on Isle au Haut, she expected an offbeat existence. But she never imagined that her success would come in the form of chocolate.
Big Farm Small Farm
Raising crops has always been a difficult way to make a living, but twenty-first century Maine farmers are facing challenges their forebears never could have predicted.
By Michaela Cavallaro
Photography byJennifer Smith-Mayo
Composing A Dream House
When some of Maine’s best design talents converge on a Portland home, creativity flows, sparks fly, and classical music lovers benefit.
By Sara Donnelly
Maine’s Dirtiest Jobs
Inspired by the Discovery Channel’s program Dirty Jobs, intrepid writer Elizabeth Peavey tagged along with five Mainers, all of whom have decidedly gritty occupations.
By Elizabeth Peavey
Photography by Melonie Bennett
Departments
In the Raw
Chef extraordinaire Masa Miyake serves haute and homey Japanese cuisine at his two Portland restaurants.
By Kathy Gunst
Making Maine Home
A new collaborative book chronicles the experience of the thousands of Somali refugees who moved to Lewiston and Portland over the last decade.
By Agnes Bushell
Where in Maine?
Smelt fishing isn’t really about the fishing. No one is going to mount a six-inch smelt. It’s an excuse to get out of the house, drink with friends, and spend time away from the couch on days like this when the air is crisp and the sun glows on the bare patches of ice. Located just up from the Brooklyn Bridge (a bit smaller than its New York counterpart) on a tidal river in a midcoast town, these famous camps are available for rent at fifteen dollars a person. All twenty-four well-made huts come complete with bait, lines, and woodstove.
Photography by Alan Lavallee
Letters to the Editor
Read what our readers have to say about Maine.
Where The Jobs Are
Finding a job in Maine in the coming years may be a matter of picking the right industry.
By Sara Donnelly
Local Loot
Photograph by Foreside Photography/Kevin Fahrman
Six Rooms, Ocean View
Trolling real estate listings is a habit one part-time Mainer can’t kick.
Photography by Jennifer Baum
Editor’s Note
Like many young Mainers, I left the state to go to college, not sure if I would ever return. I wanted to explore the world, but I also worried that my career choices would be limited if I stayed. Even after I had returned to Maine for good, I continued to fret that I was giving up financial opportunities for the privilege of living in a naturally beautiful state populated by fantastic people — and that some day I would regret my choice.
By Paul Doiron
North by East
A Falmouth clinic offers a folksy solution to the healthcare crisis, meet the future editor of Down East, age eleven, plus more.