Congratulations to Eli and crew at the Ferm, to the lovely and talented folks at Sonny’s, Rosemont, and Kamasouptra for making it into The New York Times article 36 Hours in Portland, Maine. Oh, and SCRATCH I love you guys, your bagels, brownies….
Archive for the ‘Media’ Category36 Hours in Portland, MaineFriday, August 20th, 2010Master ShotsThursday, August 5th, 2010My recent Darkroom entry for The Maine has a fun story I feel photographer Kris Larson (my “subject”) would not fault me for sharing. I first saw Larson’s deep B&W images of blueberry pickers in East Machias, Maine on the wall of CMCA Curator Emeritus Bruce Brown’s temporary office when we met a few months back. I should note everyone in the art world who has a lick of taste is hoping that “temporary” becomes permanent as Brown is the leading authority on photography in Maine - if not New England. He is also one of the nicest and most articulate persons I have ever met. Bruce kindly gave me Larson’s phone number and allowed me to use his name as an introduction. Good thing, because when I phoned Larson as soon as I mentioned Bruce’s name he was all ears and happy to help website (the maine is a paperless space housed on the Internet) unseen. Larson, you see, does not have a computer or Internet access. He does not have email, a Facebook account, or iPhone. He does have Netflix thanks to a friendly neighbor and great taste in movies (I know because after we spoke I added some of his recommendations to my Netflix queue and thus far have yet to be disappointed). When I sent him my interview questions it was by traditional post. His typed out (on a typewriter) responses arrived in my mailbox delivered by a US Postal Service employee. My thank you note was handwritten, as is my custom, and mailed back to him via …U.S. Post. It was a delightful and nostalgic exchange. As helpful as modern technology is to communicating, it is also impersonal. Larson will likely not see the post I did on him, which makes his trust in Bruce and me that much more appreciated. I hope to visit him in the blueberry fields of Machiasport and see the traditions he captures so beautifully on film.
Portland, Maine Outside Magazine Adventure TownMonday, August 2nd, 2010Want to read about where I live? Check out the August issue of Outside Magazine p. 38 (sorry no online link available for the issue) Portland, Maine was voted Best: “Adventure Town” Overall in the East! As part of its transformation during the past decade, Portland has become synonymous with talented chefs, bakers, and menus featuring local artisan ingredients. In this small town you can enjoy a sandwich with fresh caught seafood at a picnic table on a dock in Portland’s Working Waterfront for lunch, and hours later sit down to a multi-course meal at an award-winning white-tablecloth restaurant you are unlikely to soon forget. The nightlife may be practically nonexistent, but during the daytime residents can play outside. Biking, surfing, kayaking, climbing, running, now that we have. Horrendous traffic nope.
Portland continues to draw young professionals from urban settings who want to raise their family in a small (but active) town. A wave of immigrants from Sudan and Somalia have brought new life to Portland. To its 64,000 residents, Portland offers an affordable place to live and an opportunity to young people who want to hang a shingle (check out LiveWork Portland - People to Watch for a few examples). The main streets are lined (primarily) with independently owned shops supported by Maine’s fleece-clad residents (good luck spotting a Kelly or Birkin bag). There is a strong emphasis on buying local that extends beyond food to clothes, books, and building supplies. Like any place it has its ups and downs. There are days I cannot wait to get out, and times I cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Top photo Outside Magazine. Bottom photo Portland, Maine Daily Photo. The MaineSaturday, July 17th, 2010A few months ago I began working on The Maine, a paperless space focused on the life and culture of Maine. It is my great pleasure to share this project with you and my even greater hope you will appreciate and be entertained by the fresh material produced weekly. The ABOUT section sums up well why my very talented friends and I are doing this and the content speaks for itself. Enjoy! A few recent entries:
My interview with bookseller and photographer Timothy Whelan. Photograph by Jon Edwards.
Brian Willson’s foray into birding in Rockport and on Monhegan Island.
Moxie, the official Maine State Beverage article by Stewart Engesser with photograph by Jon Levitt.
Goat farming article and photographs by Karl Schatz.
Margaret Hathaway’s personal account of her battle with “Big Mama” groundhog. Feeling at home at the Hartstone InnThursday, July 8th, 2010I have read Frank Bruni, the former New York Times restaurant reviewer, refer to his job of eating for work as a tough one. While dining at Eric Ripert’s restaurant is a dream of mine, he not only had the opportunity to dine there on numerous occasions, and was paid to do it. Granted he had to take on an intense exercise routine to balance out his daily caloric intake. Well, I felt a tiny bit like him yesterday when I just “had” to attend one of Michael Salmon’s cooking classes at the Hartstone Inn. Just “had” to eat his cookies, drink a fancy cocktail, hang out with his lovely wife/my friend Mary Jo plus a few other friends I never get to see enough of, learn a few really cool cooking/baking techniques, dine on a lobster roll handmade by Michael (with lettuce from his garden and locally caught Maine lobster), watch a professional photographer at work, and eat a lot more of Michael’s goodies. Um, yes I even got to lick a spatula. This was all done for a feature article to run in a fall issue of one of the nation’s top shelter publications. Seriously though after all that food I felt like I needed to walk several miles, nap, and attend a Zumba class. Instead I “had” to eat more with the editor, photographer, and Mary Jo at Shepherd’s Pie (new restaurant Brian Hill of Francine’s opened month or two ago in Rockport, ME.) Hey it is a tough job at time, but someone has to do it - really they do! A few pics from the day…
Maple Sugaring in VermontFriday, April 2nd, 2010Recently I began working with Arnold Coombs, a seventh-generation Vermont sugar maker (maple farmer) on both sides of his family tree, whose Coombs Family Farms (in a few weeks a gorgeous new site is launching with recipes, video on sugaring…) is the second largest brand of organic maple syrup in the United States. The farm sells two million pounds of certified organic maple syrup a year, all sourced from small, independent farmers who share the farm’s commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, and sustainable forestry management. One of the things I love best about my work is meeting people from a variety of backgrounds with a vast array of interests and experiences. From Arnold I am having fun learning about the evolution of sap collection and handling methods beginning with sugar makers using birch bark (and later metal) pails picked up by hand to modern tubing systems. I have also had the opportunity to glimpse an amazing collection of antique maple supplies and equipment including old bottles, tins, taps, buckets, catalogs, books, evaporators and wooden gathering tanks. The sugaring season in New England runs for about six weeks from mid-February through the first week of April. The sap runs when nights are cold (in the teens is great) and it warms up nicely into the 40s/50s during the day. This year it ended a couple weeks early due to unseasonably warm weather, and even a brief cold snap did not allow it to run. However, this did not stop Arnold, myself, a talented crew of stylists, amazing photographer, and Country Living from recreating a few moments in the life of a sugar maker. A sneak peak courtesy of my iPhone….
Lonny MagazineFriday, February 12th, 2010For those who loved Domino, you might enjoy the new online shelter publication Lonny Magazine. Here are a few images from the current issue.
Budget Travel Shuttering???Monday, November 23rd, 2009According to an article in New York Magazine, Budget Travel may be the next publication to fold. I’ve found some great deals in Budget Travel and had several placements. It is a fun publication and one would think more important than ever to have around, after all traveling on a budget is better than not traveling at all. Here is hoping the company at least maintains the website.
Au revoir Metropolitan HomeFriday, November 20th, 2009Yet another shelter publication bids us adieu this year. Metropolitan Home you’ll be missed.
Top 15 Social Media Resources for FoodiesWednesday, October 28th, 2009While reading The Second Lunch, one of the food blogs I learned about while in California, I came across this Mashable post of their top 15 social media resources for foodies. They include online marketplaces to buy fresh and gourmet foods, community recipe sites, and social networks for foodies with restaurant reviews. Good stuff!!
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