"Almost any literature worth reading is energized by some
kind of overt or subtle tension, and writings about Maine are
no exception. Consider, for example, the constant battle between
the people and the weather, the land, and sea for economic or
even physical survival. Consider as well the effects of such
ongoing struggles on the relationships among Maine people--husbands
and wives, parents and children, neighbors and those from away. Good writers may show us how such tensions can
be successfully resolved or they may simply (!) make us aware
of the complexity of the tensions, but they seldom settle for
leaving us with the kind of picture of Maine that we could find
on a postcard or a tourist brochure. Even those pieces that present
Maine life as idyllic are appealing in part because we know that
most of the time life isn't like that--even in Maine." -Judith Hakola, Lecturer,
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