The best of Maine's contemporary authors celebrate their state in poetry, fiction, and essays that comprise a lively sampler as varied as the state that inspired it. A treasury of works --many previously unpublished--it includes Philip Booth, Franklin Burroughs, Carolyn Chute, Robert Creeley, Amy Clampitt, George Garrett, Susan Kenney, Cathie Pelletier, and 32 others.

Its hooves were supposedly a cure for epilepsy; it is the mascot of the Seattle Mariners baseball team and the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch; and its meat is a delicacy. The moose is a fascinating but elusive animal of the north, and its little-known natural history is the focus of Kevin Jackson’s engaging new book. Moose explains moose’s biological history and describes its natural environments around the world, including Canada, New England, Alaska, and Scandinavia, where the moose is the national animal of Sweden and Norway. Jackson considers why the moose is really an elk and an elk is a wapiti, and he also looks at the controversy behind the naming of the Irish Elk. Moose explores the animal’s role in human history since the Stone Age, including the “alces” in Julius Caesar’s history of the Gallic Wars and its influence on figures such as poet Ted Hughes and Theodore Roosevelt and his Bull Moose Party. The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, a 150-foot statue being built in Sweden, and colorful moose lore all appear in this wide-ranging study, making this an essential read for naturalists and moose lovers alike.

The essays in Maine’s Place in the Environmental Imagination address – from a variety of perspectives – how Maine’s unique identity among the states of the United States has been formed, and what that identity is: A place that is still imagined by others primarily through its environmental associations, its “nature” and landscape, rather than through its social arrangements and human history. The collection attempts a foundational study, not of a regional literature, but of a state literature. In doing so, it makes the case that Maine was constructed imaginatively and environmentally through its literature, and that this image is the one that endures even now. The essays suggest how this identity was formed, by discussing writings ranging from the recently recovered work of Joseph Nicolar, a member of the Penobscot Nation in the late 19th century, to the contemporary Maine author Carolyn Chute; from Thoreau’s canonical essay, “Ktaadn,” to the modernist E.B. White, whose works have an under-appreciated environmental project. Contributors include scholars Nathaniel Lewis, Annette Kolodny, Linda Kornasky, Daniel Malachuk, Kent Ryden, and Lynn Wake

Selected by Alice Fulton as the Winner of the 1996 Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry.

A comprehensive and authoritative collection of Thoreau quotations on more than 150 subjects, from beauty to wisdom Few writers are more quotable than Henry David Thoreau. His books, essays, journals, poems, letters, and unpublished manuscripts contain an inexhaustible treasure of epigrams and witticisms, from the famous ("The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation") to the obscure ("Who are the estranged? Two friends explaining") and the surprising ("I would exchange my immortality for a glass of small beer this hot weather"). The Quotable Thoreau, the most comprehensive and authoritative collection of Thoreau quotations ever assembled, gathers more than 2,000 memorable passages from this iconoclastic American author, social reformer, environmentalist, and self-reliant thinker. Including Thoreau's thoughts on topics ranging from sex to solitude, manners to miracles, government to God, life to death, and everything in between, the book captures Thoreau's profundity as well as his humor ("If misery loves company, misery has company enough"). Drawing primarily on The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau, published by Princeton University Press, The Quotable Thoreau is thematically arranged, fully indexed, richly illustrated, and thoroughly documented. For the student of Thoreau, it will be invaluable. For those who think they know Thoreau, it will be a revelation. And for the reader seeking sheer pleasure, it will be a joy. Over 2,000 quotations on more than 150 subjects Richly illustrated with historic photographs and drawings Thoreau on himself and his contemporaries Thoreau's contemporaries on Thoreau Biographical time line Appendix of misquotations and misattributions Fully indexed Suggestions for further reading

Experience the best of Maine's spruce-studded islands, classic shoreline villages, and rugged character with Moon Coastal Maine. Inside you'll find: Strategic, flexible itineraries like a long weekend Down East, five days in Acadia, and a two-week road trip, designed for history buffs, foodies, beach-goers, outdoor adventurers, and more Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Bike through timberland forests or take a lighthouse cruise down the Kennebec River. Sample wild blueberries, farmstead cheeses, and preserves from roadside farm stands, find the best beachfront lobster shack, or mingle with locals over a "chowdah suppah." Discover maritime history in a traditional fishing village or explore pedestrian-only islands packed with hiking trails. Watch the boats sway in a quiet harbor, unwind on a sandy pocket beach sandwiched between two headlands, or immerse yourself in the secluded wilderness of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park Honest insight from Maine native Hilary Nangle on when to go, where to eat, and where to stay, from budget campgrounds to historic inns Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Recommendations for getting there and getting around by plane, car, train, or bus Thorough background on the culture, environment, wildlife, and history With Moon's practical tips and local know-how, you can experience the best of coastal Maine. Exploring inland? Try Moon Maine. Hitting the road? Check out Moon New England Road Trip.

Collection of quotations and judicial opinions of federal appellate judge Richard A. Posner

In this anthology, former Maine Poet Laureate Wesley McNair has collected the work of Maine poets that were featured in his popular column, "Take Heart." Featuring a poem each week, the columns ran in thirty newspapers across the state and reached more than a quarter of a million readers. These are poems about longing and pleasure and death and love, poems about natural world, poems that will inspire tears and laughter and help you carry on--poems from the heart, all penned by Maine writers, whose astonishing vision this book celebrates.

What is it like to live and write in Maine? Wesley McNair, Maine's premier anthologist, asked authors who are new to Maine as well as natives to answer this question. They wax lyrical on everything from encounters with neighbors and wildlife to embracing Maine's rich natural landscape, and they take a philosophical look at the state of being in Maine. Among the authors included are Carolyn Chute, Richard Ford, Bill Roorbach, Richard Russo, and Monica Wood.

In The Maine Poets, editor Wesley McNair has selected work by poets of the state from Longfellow to the present. Chosen for their appeal to the general reader, these poems honor the full vision and diversity of Maine's poets as they address life in Maine and in all human places.