"The goal of Down East has always been to hold a mirror up to Maine — its storied past and lively present — and to celebrate its flinty, independent character and unhurried way of life. As Maine has changed with the times, however, so has Down East. Today the state has come to embrace its future as well as its past. Accordingly, the magazine now focuses more on contemporary Maine life and what the future might bring and less on historical background and quaint rusticity. Booming circulation and advertising gains demonstrate the wisdom of this editorial shift."
Portland Public Library's collection of Down East is complete, and begins with the first issue, August 1954. The hard copies are available in the Portland Room.
Submissions from 2013
Mending Bridges, Deborah McDermott
Migration to Moosehead., Will Bleakley
Moon Dance., Jim Nickelson
More Than a Store., Jane Crosen
My Washington County Honeymoon., Elizabeth Peavey
Never Forget., Amy Sutherland
Noble Salvage., Brian Kevin
Northern Light., Down East staff
North Woods Lawmen., Paul Doiron
Off To See the Wizard., Will Bleakley
Of Mice and Musicians., Virginia M. Wright
On the Rocks., Virginia M. Wright
Pipe Dreams., Brian Kevin
Portland's Hotel Room Boom., Edgar Allen Beem
Prefab Style., Meadow Rue Merrill
Prior to Puffins., Will Bleakley
Retire Maine, Down East editors
R.I.P. Maine's Independent Cinemas?, Will Bleakley
Roughing It., Mark Gartside
Sanctuary., Virginia M. Wright
Scenes of War., Caroline Praderio
Schulte & Herr., Elizabeth Peavey
Shipshape, Meadow Rue Merrill
Silent Night., Virginia M. Wright
Snow Diving at Christmas., Jon Reiner
Somewhere North of Me., Jane Brox
Soup for You! Café., Michael Burke
Splitsville, USA., Michaela Cavallaro
Starstruck., Sara Anne Donnelly
Stylish Steel, Meadow Rue Merrill
Summer Complaints, Lili Wright
Sweet Sounds of Summer, Meadow Rue Merrill
Tasting Tour, Barrett Limoges
The Black Birch., Monica Wood
The Descent of Autumn., Richard Grant
The Economics of Equality., Edgar Allen Beem
The Gibson Guy., Will Bleakley
The Great Escape., Ron Joseph
The High Life. , Laura Serino.
The Horse Whisperer, Catherine Gentile
The Ice Age., Paul J. Fournier
The Invaders., Thomas Urquhart
The King of Late Night., Will Bleakley
The Late Shift., Rob Sneddon
The Mad Miser., Will Bleakley
The Perfect Maine Home., Virginia M. Wright