Dispatches from Islandport

Dahlov Ipcar at Borders in Brunswick

Children's book illustrator and legendary artist Dahlov Ipcar made her final of four spring appearances this past Memorial Day Weekend. There was a great turnout at Borders in Brunswick to see the 91-year-old Ipcar and pick up copies of her books The Cat at Night, The Little Fisherman, and My Wonderful Christmas Tree. Watch for Hardscrabble Harvest this fall.

On the road with Trudy in midcoast Maine

One of the great benefits of working at a small publishing house that also distributes its own books is the chance to travel to all parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont meeting people and visiting places. All three states are fascinating and many of the most interesting things can be found off the beaten path. Among them are the dozens and dozens of small businesses and small business people like ourselves that are just wonderful. Many of the long-standing businesses eventually become a part of the social fabric and the image of their particular region.
    Last week, Trudy spent a day visiting some of our wonderful wholesale customers in the midcoast area including Granite Hall Store in Round Pond, The Sea Gull Shop near Pemaquid Light, Port Clyde General Store and Sea Star Shop in Port Clyde. If you are in these areas, please stop by these great stores and say "hi." Feel free to buy an Islandport Press book, if you like. The Sea Gull Shop also includes a restaurant.
    Everyone seemed optimistic for the summer 2009 season and we certainly hope they are right.
    Over the next few weeks, Trudy and Carole will be visiting many more places from Kittery to Calais to Caribou and we will update you on their progress. Seen here from top to bottom are: The Sea Gull Shop and its owner, Paula Houghton. and Granite Hall Store and its owner Sarah Herndon.

Don't Miss Maine Author Cathie Pelletier in Houlton

Allagash native Cathie Pelletier will be at The Vault on Main Street in Houlton on Monday, June 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. This is a great chance to visit with Cathie, always energetic and always entertaining, for an informal night of food, reading, discussion.

Cathie's books include The Funeral Makers, The Weight of Winter, Candles on Bay Street, and Running the Bulls. In 2006, Candles on Bay Street was made into a TV movie starring Alicia Silverstone.

In addition to writing, both as Cathie Pelletier and as K.C. McKinnon, Cathie as agented books and dabbled in publishing, allowing her to speak about the book business from many viewpoints.

Call 768-9452 for more information.

Walk with the Doc along Yarmouth's Royal River

    Lisa Belisle, author of the inspirational Our Daily Tread, has a lot going on these days. Books, radio appearances, her practice, newspaper columns, blogs, kids events, etc. But this week, she slows it down a bit, sort of, and begins another year of "Walk with the Doc," part of her effort to promote healthy lifestyles through activity, diet and more (check out her Bountiful Life blog).
    Every Tuesday, she encourages people to join her for an easy, informal walk along the Royal River path in Yarmouth, beginning at the Bridge Street entrance. The walk starts at the Sparhawk Mill at 11:45 and lasts about forty-five minutes. It is a chance to chat with old or new friends, walk, and enjoy the wonderful scenery. It has, as always, been a long winter. Sign up by sending an email to info@drlisabelisle.com, or simply show up Tuesday.

Sneak peak at Ipcar's Hardscrabble Harvest

    Working with designer extraordinaire Karen Hoots today to finish the redesign of Dahlov Ipcar's Hardscrabble Harvest, which is set for a September release. It will be our fourth release of an Ipcar classic, following The Little Fisherman, My Wonderful Christmas Tree, and The Cat at Night. It is always our goal to update a book's fonts and design to give the book a fresh look, but still keep a traditional look and feel. And, of course, with Dahlov's work it is important that the design enhance the wonderful illustrations. For The Little Fisherman and My Wonderful Christmas the desire to enhance her illustrations also prompted us to increase the size of the original books.
    While the inside pages are not quite done, we have approved the cover. Here is an advance look at the redesign. Good job Karen!

Landmark Bert and I Album is back!

    The 1958 release of the landmark Bert and I ... And Other Stories from Down East by college students Marshall Dodge and Robert Bryan was a seminal moment in the history of New England humor and storytelling. It established the template which other regional humorists continue to follow more than 50 years later. It was also an important moment in  the pop culture history of Maine. The dry wit, the city slicker vs. native theme, the accent, and more all became ingrained in the "idea" or stereotype of what is native Maine. Some of the "punchlines" or phrases from the Dodge and Bryan stories are now part of the language, with "You can't get theah from heah" the most famous.
    As a Maine native, I grew up with "Bert and I" as part of the landscape (in fact, "Bert and I" even make appearance in my high school yearbook) and was excited that Islandport, with the help of Bert and I, Inc., was able to take a lead role in reenergizing the "Bert and I" catalog. Last year, we produced and released The Best of Bert and I: 50 Years of Stories from Down East to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first album. The album, which featured stories taken from four "Bert and I" albums, a Marshall Dodge live album, and a Marshall Dodge DVD, was very well received. The CD and the publicity around it not only reminded everyone that "Bert and I" is still funny, but reminded them that "Bert and I" is important. Perhaps the highlight was a tribute concert at L.L. Bean last December that featured not only legendary founding member Bob Bryan (see right), but Tim Sample, Fred Dodge (Marshall's brother), Rebecca Rule, John McDonald and Kendall Morse. It was a special day.
    We have also remastered and repackaged the wonderful Bert and I On Stage, a live solo performance by Marshall Dodge, distribute A Downeast Smile-in, a collection of three televsion shows featuring the late Marshall Dodge, and have a T-shirt in the works.
    And now we have digitally remastered and reeleased the original Bert and I ... And Other Stories from Down East on CD. As a bonus, the album includes three additional tracks from a little known private album that Dodge and Bryan recorded in college. This short, 10-inch record was given to family and friends and was the seed from which the first commercial album grew. Two of the bonus stories did not make the first commercial album and one, the original "Bert and I" story, was changed somewhat, making it an interesting alternative version of this important story.
    Really, you just can't take too many trips on the Bluebird and this is where it all started.

And finally, spring.

After a long, long winter in more ways than one, proof that spring has finally arrived in Yarmouth and at Islandport.

Dom DiMaggio 1917-2009

Red Sox great Dominic DiMaggio, outfield teammate of Ted Williams and brother of Joe, died this week. He was 92. The seven-time All-Star was one of the most underrated players of his generation. He like others of his era also lost three years of his prime to World War II. Dom was one of the featured players, along with Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr in David Halberstam's wonderful book, "The Teammates." It is a quick read and highly recommended.

Brush with Passion: Dahlov Ipcar by Patty McCarthy

Writer and Photographer Patty McCarthy recently interviewed legendary Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar at the artist's Maine home. As you probably know, we are big fans of the remarkable Dahlov and last month released her illustrated children's book, The Cat at Night, our third rerelease of an Ipcar classic. Patty's fine story appears in this month's issue of Raising Maine and is also available online.

An excerpt:

"Ipcar still paints daily, and her complex oil paintings are as lively, wildly imaginative and fanciful as ever. The creatures in her fantastic worlds are essentially realistic, but stylized with a mix of sharp edges and fluid lines, bold colors and patterns. A couple of recent subjects: a hyena about to attack a wildebeest, wild dogs on the run.

"Not what most of society would expect to be emerging from the mind and hands of a 91-year-old woman. But for Ipcar, daily painting of intriguing subjects "keeps her body and soul together."

Click here to read the entire article.

Summer Country Music Festival in Trenton

    The Gateway Music Festival in Trenton this summer will feature not only several wonderful  Maine-based performers but a touch of Nashville with headliner Buddy Jewell, former winner of the Nashville Star. Fans may remember Jewell's first major hit, "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)."
    The festival, which takes place rain or shine at Hancock Memorial Post #207 on Sunday, August 16, is also scheduled to feature The Mainely Country Band, Rockin' Ron & The New  Society Band, Ana Mae Mitchell & Rising Tide, Jessi Mallory, and The Higgins Family (which, by the way, features my uncle, Warren "Pard" Higgins, Lisa Higgins, and Katie Higgins).
    The festival will benefit local American Legion programs. Should be fun, check it out.