"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 2012
Humorous essay about the author's first-time purchase of a boat with an old, and, Mark Gartside
In 1959, Bowdoin College professor Lawrence Sargent Hall wrote a short story cal, Edgar Allen Beem
"Inside Maine" book piece on "Somalis in Maine: Crossing Cultural Currents", edi, Agnes Bushell
"Inside Maine" dining piece on the Portland restaurant, David's, located on Monu, Michaela Cavallaro
"Inside Maine" dining piece on two Portland restaurants owned by chef Masa Miyak, Kathy Gunst
Kyle Murdock, now 22, was the subject, at age 10, of Jamie Wyeth's painting, Dea, Diane Sternberg
Maine's 10 prettiest villages, in the words of Down East readers. From Camden, v
,Maine's once active eel fishery is now limited to 400 licenses per year, partly, Susan Hand Shetterly
"Making it in Maine" piece about Cuddledown, manufacturers of down comforters. T, Cindy Michaels
"Making it in Maine" piece about mason Pat Manley. Manley has designed and built, Michaela Cavallaro
"My Maine" piece by author Ted Gup who describes with tenderness and humor his m, Ted Gup
"Newsmaker" piece features the transcript of an interview with Jim Gerritsen, an, Virginia M. Wright
Overview of the oyster farming industry in Maine and the opening of new raw bars, Virginia M. Wright
Photographs and a brief essay about the spectacular views of Acadia's mountains, Will Bleakley
Piece about Winslow Homer and the newly restored Prouts Neck studio where he cre, Deborah Weisgall
Piece on a 1903 Peaks Island cottage, owned by Liz and Tim Williams, that was r, Meadow Rue Merrill
Piece on the organizations in Maine that work together to rescue and rehabilitat, Cynthia Anderson
Pieces written by various Down East writers in which they celebrate the 50 reaso, East staff Down
Piece that chronicles the transformation of the coastal city of Belfast from the, Will Bleakley
Popham Beach's three miles of sand make it a popular off-season destination for, Meadow Rue Merrill
Profile of a six-year old Shingle-style cottage designed by Stephen Blatt. Blatt, Meadow Rue Merrill
Profile of Pam Allen, author of many knitting books, former editor of the magazi, Samantha Hoyt Lindgren
Profile of the house that architect Jesse Thompson and fiber artist Betsy Schein, Meadow Rue Merrill
Profiles of six chefs who work on Maine's windjammers: Sarah Swan of the Angeliq, Nancy Heiser
Reflections on Evergreen Cemetery, a "garden cemetery" established in 1854 in Po, Monica Wood
Reprint of White's essay titled "Memorandum," excerpted from One Man's Meat. In, E B. White
Restaurant review of 76 Pleasant Street in Norway., Elizabeth Peavey
Restaurant review of Tao in Brunswick and its chef-owner, Cara Stadler., Nancy Heiser
Review of Portland native Kieran Shields' new book called "The Truth of All Thin, Agnes Bushell
Review of the art exhibit at Bowdoin College Museum of Art, "William Wegman: He, Will Bleakley
Review of the restaurant 2 Cats in Bar Harbor., Kim Ridley
Review of the restaurant, Carmen at the Danforth in Portland, and its chef, Car, John Golden
Special section, "Cheap Eats", with recommendations for the best places in Maine, Michaela Cavallaro
Special section, "My Maine Wedding", with articles about an outdoor Maine weddin, of Down East Editors
Special section, "Retire in Maine: Choose Your Own Retirement Adventure", with r, Meadow Rue Merrill
"Talk of Maine" piece on independent political candidates in Maine who are respo, Edgar Allen Beem
"Talk of Maine" piece on Land for Maine's Future (LMF), a program that in the p, Edgar Allen Beem
"Talk of Maine" piece on the state's fifteen year-round island communities. A re, Jeff Clark
Taste test reviews of the many hot sauces made in Maine, including: W.O. Hesperu, Virginia M. Wright
The author describes time spent on the job with five people whose occupations co, Elizabeth Peavey
The author reminisces about her earliest visit to Portland's Merrill Auditorium, Shonna Milliken Humphrey
The fictional town of Collinsport, Maine, the setting of the "Dark Shadows" tele, Will Bleakley
The majority of farms in Maine are either small, several acre operations that ar, Michaela Cavallaro
The renovation and reopening of the Stonington Opera House in 2000 has also serv, Kim Ridley
"The Talk of Maine" piece about Maine's response to President Obama's proposal t, Edgar Allen Beem
"The Talk of Maine" piece about recent changes in leadership at Maine Today Medi, Colin Woodard
"The Talk of Maine" piece on the possible need for changes to Maine's Presidenti, Colin Woodard
"The Talk of Maine" piece on the state of the Gulf of Maine cod fishery, once a, Colin Woodard
"The Talk of Maine" piece that identifies industries in Maine that currently hav, Sara Anne Donnelly
"What's in a picture" piece about the 1897 Bowdoin varsity baseball team under t, Will Bleakley