Maine
Leaf through these – fall’s most anticipated Maine books
Publishers often clear their schedules of fall releases during an election year, but in 2024 we’re lucky to still be getting lots of great new books from Maine authors. This autumn is something of a homecoming, with new titles from a number of beloved Maine writers … and a local history over 40 years in the making.
“Drafted” by Rick Parker. Abrams ComicArts, hardcover, $24.99. On sale 9/2
If you’re a child of the ’80s, you’re likely familiar with Rick Parker’s work — he’s been a comic book artist for nearly half a century, most famously on Marvel’s Beavis and Butt-Head comics. You’re probably less familiar with the story of Parker’s time as a draftee in the Vietnam War, unless you saw the short film “Rick Parker, I’m Afraid.” In “Drafted,” the first graphic novel both written and illustrated by the Falmouth resident, he deftly balances dark themes and topics with a sense of humor, offering a unique perspective on war, soldiers, service and art as a means of survival. Parker has built a dedicated fan base in comics over 50 years, and “Drafted” is sure to draw in a new generation of admirers.
“The Islanders” by Lewis Robinson. Islandport Press, paperback, $18.95. On sale 10/1
It’s been way too long since we’ve had the treat of a new book from Lewis Robinson. Lucky for us, the decade-plus dry spell is broken with “The Islanders,” a captivating new novel published by Maine’s Islandport Press. Following a group of high school oddballs shunted to a Maine island for a “leadership” program, the novel is an inventive and consistently surprising update to “Lord of the Flies” for the United States. And it’s a credit to Robinson that the teenagers at the center of the novel sound and feel like real teens — it’s a voice most adult authors struggle to capture, but he has knocked it out of the park. You won’t soon forget Walt, Aubrey or Tess, and they all make the book tough to put down until you’re through.
“Outermark” by Jason Brown. Paul Dry Books, paperback, $17.95. On sale 10/15
In his fourth book, Maine Literary Award winner Jason Brown takes readers to Outermark, a fictional island some 30 miles off Maine’s eastern shore. The story of Outermark is one familiar to many working Mainers — a town defined by its industry (in this case, lobstering) and subject to its booms and busts. The chapters that make up Outermark are expansive, telling stories from the early 18th century through the modern day. Brown is an astounding talent – winner of a Pushcart Prize, and published in “Best American Short Stories” and “Best American Essays,” as well as The New Yorker, The Atlantic and Harper’s — and his newest captures small-town life in a way that will appeal to readers of both historical and contemporary fiction.
“A Town Built by Ski Bums” by Virginia M. Wright. Down East Books, hardcover, $29.95. On sale 11/5
“Welcome to Carrabassett Valley. From here on your life will never be the same.” Sugarloafers are familiar with the sign on Route 27 heralding your entrance to the small town of Carrabassett Valley (population 673), founded in the early ’70s by a few dozen skiers. In “A Town Built by Ski Bums,” veteran journalist Virginia M. Wright worked with the Carrabassett Valley History Committee to tell the story of the town through good times and bad. It’s a fascinating story, and an interesting model for Vacationland, where a town succeeds through creative investment in an economy built around outdoor recreation. Sen. Angus King, a sometimes-Sugarloafer himself, has written the foreword.
“Warm Your Bones” by Vanessa Seder. Union Square and Co., hardcover, $30. On sale 11/5
One of my favorite cookbooks from a few summers ago was “Eat Cool,” Vanessa Seder’s collection of low- and no-heat recipes to cook during the hot summer months. In “Warm Your Bones,” the longtime culinary instructor at Stonewall Kitchen flips the script, with loads of recipes to warm you up during the coldest months of the year. The 75 recipes in the book run the gamut from hot toddies, to slow braises, to homemade caramels and even an entire section dedicated to hot chocolate. Despite the darkness of winter, the book is a bright beauty, full of gorgeous and inviting images of food and drink. In addition to the recipes, “Warm Your Bones” includes ideas and inspirations for winter gatherings.
Josh Christie is a freelance writer who covers books, beer, and the Maine outdoors, and is co-owner of Print: A Bookstore in Portland.
Many Maine municipalities will open cooling centers this week with the National Weather Service issuing a variety of heat advisories covering the next few days.
The Maine DEP also issued an air quality alert for Wednesday with ground-level ozone expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
All of York County, interior Cumberland and Androscoggin counties, and the southern half of Oxford County will fall under an extreme heat warning from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Friday.
The warning calls for “dangerously hot conditions” that could feature heat index values of up to 110 degrees, with overnight lows only expected to fall into the 70s, according to the weather service’s office in Gray.
The rest of the state — save northern Aroostook, Piscataquis and Somerset counties — falls under a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. However, the weather service has also placed much of the state under an extreme heat watch for Thursday.
Heat index values, which measure how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, are expected to reach up to 104 degrees during the heat advisory period, the weather service warns. They could reach 110 degrees Thursday, when the extreme heat watch is in effect.
Northern Oxford and Franklin counties, and central Somerset County, can expect a heat index value of up to 99 degrees Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The weather service advises people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms when possible, avoid extended periods in the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. It also warns not to leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles, as “car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
Cooling Centers
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has also issued an air quality alert from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday along the coast from Kittery to Acadia National Park. The agency warns that ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Ozone levels may reach “moderate levels” further inland, according to the Maine DEP, including in all of Androscoggin and Kennebec counties, as well as parts of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York counties.
Elevated ozone levels can pose a risk to children, older adults and people suffering from respiratory or heart diseases, according to the Maine DEP. Anyone exerting themselves outdoors may also experience health effects, which could include coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation and mild chest pain.
Ozone levels were already climbing in southern New England on Tuesday, according to the Maine DEP, and winds are expected to bring those conditions to Maine on Wednesday.
The Maine DEP recommends that vulnerable populations avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and circulate indoor air with fans or air conditioners. Those with asthma are also advised to keep quick-relief medication handy.
Particle pollution levels are also expected to be moderate across the state on Wednesday due to wildfire smoke, the Maine DEP said in its announcement Tuesday. Wildfires in Colorado, which have claimed the lives of three firefighters, had burned nearly 90,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to the Denver Post.
Maine could face up to $50 million in penalties next year due to errors in its payments for federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture find that Maine’s error rate last year was nearly 11%, the bulk of which were overpayments. That’s in line with the U.S. average. But starting in October of next year, states with error rates above 6% must cover a portion of the SNAP benefits.
Anna Korsen, executive director of Full Plates, Full Potential, said the overpayments aren’t fraud — they’re human error. She said this new cost-shifting policy enacted last year under the Trump administration further complicates the SNAP application process.
“Instead, we could make this program more accessible and more efficient,” Korsen said. “And that would reduce the number of errors and also ensure that Mainers who are eligible for SNAP have access to it.”
She’s urging Congress to delay or reverse the policy under the farm bill that’s currently under consideration.
Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services said it’s taking steps to reduce the error rate, including modernizing its systems and hiring an additional 40 eligibility specialists.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
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