Maine Book Fair

16 years ago

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending my first book fair, the Maine Book Fair, held nearby in Boothbay, Maine at a charming railway museum.

As I have never attended one, I didn't know what to expect, and I imagine this one was quite modest compared with say, Washington D.C. or Boston. But it was quite wonderful. Here is a list of the authors who attended:

Charlotte Agell

Spencer Appollonio

Norman Beaupre

Dean Bennett

Frances Bloxam

Betsy Connor Bowen

Gerry Boyle

Kate Braestrup

Beth Cadena

Jo Cameron

Tim Caverly

Richard Shain Cohen

Mary Morton Cowan

Bill Dixon

Sandra Dutton

Peter Felsenthal

Jane Freeberg

Maureen Heffernan

Fred Kaplan

Carl Little

Cynthia Lord

Amy Mac Donald

Theresa Mattor

Bob McKay

John McKown

Wesley McNair

Tammy LR Meserve

Christopher Mills

Angeli Perrow

Dr. Christian Potholm

Jay Robbins

Anne Sibley-OÂBrien

Michelle Souliere

July Spencer-Fleming

Jim Taliana

Lucie Teegarden

Lisa Tharpe

Jeffrey Thomson

Lea Wait

The fair consisted of a large room filled with tables where the authors sat with their books piled in front of them. I walked around and spoke with many of them, who were all very interesting and a pleasure to converse with. In addition, several of the authors spoke over a three-hour period, with 20 minutes allotted to each. They read from their work and answered questions. It was small and intimate, and can only hope I asked decent questions.

I purchased three books:

Strange Maine - Michelle Souliere. The title is self explanatory. The young author has visited a number of sites around Maine that are known to be mysterious. Strange tombs, strange sculptures, strange events. Anyone who knows me from here at RP will know that I can't resist such things.

We Were An Island - the Maine Life of Art and Nan Kellam by Peter P. Blanchard III. This is the true story of a couple who lived year-round on one of Maine's islands. Yes, it is as harsh and primitive as it sounds. They were happy there and many unusual things happened. Nan Kellam kept a journal the entire time, which was added to by Art. I have always been fascinated by people who live an alternative lifestyle, and this is pretty much the ultimate. It doesn't hurt that the book is filled with beautiful color photos. And something odd happened when I bought it, if anyone is interested I will tell the story.

The Art of Dahlov Ipcar - Carl Little. A huge indulgence at $50, a gorgeous coffee table book of a favorite children's book writer and illustrator. What a life she has led! At the age of 92, she did not attend the Boothbay Fair because she was signing 300 book at the Portland Museum of Art. I talked quite a while with Mr. Little and listened to his talk, which was populated with a well-informed, colorful audience who asked great questions and brought out many stories we would not have heard otherwise.

All in all a very memorable and worthwhile experience. I was walking on clouds for several hours afterwards!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

rosefolly
16 years ago
Yes, do tell us the odd story.

And don't feel bad about buying an expensive book (so long as the rent is paid, of course). Discretionary money is to be spent or not as the owner wishes, not according to someone else's idea. You clearly had a wonderful day!

Rosefolly
J C
Original Author
16 years ago
I purchased the book, which is a hardcover with many color photos, and asked the author to sign it. I saw him write my name with a short inscription and of course his signature. As he had written with a Sharpie on the glossy cover page, it needed a few minutes to dry. I told him I would pay for it and come back. The check out was only a few feet away. As I paid for that book and the others, the clerk said she would retrieve the signed book for me.

So you can probably guess the ending of the story - I got home and discovered that she had given me an unsigned book. I don't mind about that, but now there is a perfectly good book that can't be sold or even given away. And not a cheap paperback either. I called the bookstore (the sales were handled by a local shop) and left a message. Also, if someone wanted to find me, it wouldn't be too difficult as I used a credit card and gave them my phone number. Obviously my first name is in the book!

I have been looking through/reading all the books since I got them yesterday, they are all wonderful. I can't wait to go to another book fair!
Related Discussions
Books books books
Q
Comments (4)
The other thing you can do is utilise the public library system. If your local library doesn't have a book on hand, there is interlibrary loan - they can get it for you from wherever it is in stock - it might take a couple of weeks, but... If you really like a book, then you can buy it. Another option might be asking around to see if there are any local organic gardeners/producers - try the local Farmers Market or health food store for names and contact info - and see if they would be willing to let you pick their brains for a listing of good books. If you offered to help out with any necessary chores - weeding, etc. - then you might get a good response. While some of their books might be oriented towards a larger scale than you want, the principles would be the same. IOf there is a local source for organic fertilisers then they would possibly be able to help, both with other organic gardeners and with a list of good books - just be careful they DO know something, and aren't just rying to sell the most-heavily-stocked-book! That said you might try anything by Elliot Coleman - even though he is in Maine, the principles are the same. However, finding local sources, or at least southern sources, would make the extrapolations and adjustments a LOT easier. Depending on where you got the book from, and if you beat it up while reading it, you might be able to return it. I have often returned books to Waldenbooks or B & N, simply saying that they weren't what I wanted. If you don't have the receipt, you'll probably get a store credit.
...See More
New Canning Contest Regs at the County Fair
Q
Comments (3)
Well, I had to laugh when I saw this "addendum to the rules" yesterday afternoon: "The goal of our Home Canning Show rules is to make sure that the proper processing guidelines are followed for food safety reasons. We realize that the wording of the rules did not convey the correct message [and my note: neither did the folks that answered the phone who were probably just following orders] and our sincerest apologies to our Home Canning Show exhibitors for any confusion this may have caused. Adaption to a recipe is fine as long as jars are properly sealed and processed according to the guidelines as previously mentioned. We will also accept your own recipe as long as the correct processing procedure was followed for that product." I guess they didn't get very many entries, so they even extended the deadline. We figured that would happen...
...See More
Kaw Valley Seed Fair - Feb 8 Lawrence, Ks
Q
Comments (1)
Thanks, Mule! I am getting ready to head that way from Ottawa, Ks. Hope to see you there! Ann
...See More
Book Sale Books
Q
Comments (14)
Used book sales, dusty ol' book shops, library sales, they are my favorite haunts and past times. I end up sitting cross-legged on the floor all dusty, I look like a bum.. a book bum. However...mini rant to follow... while I love to browse and purchase books, I get so fed up with booksellers and antique dealers who are pushy and grabby and seem to have no manners what-so-ever. They are only interested in the bottom line - profit and condition - and I feel like elbowing them straight into the ol' textbooks section. Ah.. thank you for your patience. Rant over. After years and years of searching for a copy of Workers in the Dawn by George Gissing, I do confess to popping onto an old book site, finding the one I wanted and punching in the golden ticket numbers.. that would be my charge card number. Presto. Twenty-four hours and about $100 later, I owned it. Turns out, it is a very hard to find book and finding it for under $100 is nearly unheard of. And if I find another copy for a quarter someplace? I'll buy it and give it to a fellow Gissing fan. I am all for the thrill of the hunt to find that special title, but after a while, I just want my hands on that book. PAM
...See More
rosefolly
16 years ago
How annoying for you! I'll bet it ended up with another purchaser who is probably equally annoyed at having a book dedicated to the wrong person.

Rosefolly

Maine Book Fair

Comments (3)

rosefolly

J C
Original Author

Related Discussions

rosefolly

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Maine Book Fair

Comments (3)

rosefolly

J COriginal Author

Related Discussions

rosefolly

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

J C
Original Author