Down East magazine, has been publishing since August 1954, and continues as one of Maine's most prominent monthly magazines. Their web site's history page provides the following description:

"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.

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Submissions from 2005

A photo essay on Portland's Old Port bar scene on a Saturday night--when the are, Melonie Bennett

A photoessay on Sarah Jeanne's Family Hair Care in Lewiston, which offers massag, Melonie Bennett

A recap of a surprise upset fight in 1965 at Lewiston's Central Maine Youth Cent, Rob Sneddon

As taxes have increased on the Maine coast, more homeowners are renting their ho, Joshua F. Moore

At Acadia National Park, 230 employees and 2,500 volunteers build and maintain 1, Abby Zimet

At Maine's annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekend, sponsored by the Maine Dep, Elizabeth Peavey

Because of the number of Maine towns choosing to become unorganized territory un, Jeff Clark

Congressman Thomas Brackett Reed Jr. of Portland is on most lists of great U.S., Jim Brunelle

Despite its gritty reputation, Rumford is more than a typical mill town. Oxford, Monica Wood

Despite Rockland's renaissance, it still retains a sense of its blue collar orig, Virginia Wright

"Dining Down East" piece on a reprint of Helen (Leidy) Hamlin's classic memoir o, Andrew Vietze

"Dining Down East" piece on Argentinean-born chef Alejandro Rave of Thistles Res, Mike Woelflein

"Dining Down East" piece on Blue Spoon on Portland's Munjoy Hill, David Iovino's, Andy King

"Dining Down East" piece on Francine in Camden, run by chef-owner Brian Hill. H, Brooke Dojny

"Dining Down East" piece on Maine native Norm Jabar and the three popular Portla, Michaela Cavallaro

"Dining Down East" piece on One Fifty Ate in South Portland, a loose cooperative, Michael Sanders

"Dining Down East" piece on Porte Rouge in Waterville, which came into existence, Michael Sanders

"Dining Down East" piece on Rachel's L'Osteria, a Tuscan restaurant run by husba, Andy King

"Dining Down East" piece on Scales Restaurant and Seafood Market, at the Portlan, Andy King

"Dining Down East" piece on SeaGrass Bistro in Yarmouth, run by chef Stephanie B, Andy King

"Dining Down East" piece on the Chebeague Island Inn and chef Allan Fisher, who, Michael Sanders

"Dining Down East" piece on XYZ, an authentic Mexican restaurant in Southwest Ha, Kim Ridley

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "A Fisherman's Guide to Maine,"a book by Kevin Tr, James R. Babb

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on a new autobiography, "Longfellow: A Rediscovered, Agnes Bushnell

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "Any Bitter Thing," by Portland novelist Monica W, Richard Grant

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "Changing Members: The Maine Legislature in the E, Al Diamon

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "Contemporary Maine Fiction: An Anthology of Shor, Gerry Boyle

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "Journalism Matters," by the late Peter W. Cox, w, Jim Brunelle

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "Running the Bulls," by Maine author Cathie Pelle, Elizabeth Hand

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on South Portland science writer Hannah Holmes and h, Elizabeth Hand

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on television reporter Christine Ellen Young's disap, Agnes Bushnell

"Down East Bookshelf" piece on "The Encyclopedia of New England," edited by Bert, Rosemary Herbert

"Down East Bookshelf" piece with an e-mail interview with Irish novelist John Co, Agnes Bushnell

"Down East Bookshelf" piece with brief notes on "It Happened in Maine," by Gail, D P

"Down East Traveler" guide to exploring Maine in autumn, including information o

"Down East Traveler" piece listing Maine summer camps, from Acadia Institute of

"Down East Traveler" piece on ten great hikes in Maine, eight scenic foliage dri

"Down East Traveler" piece with information on places to skywatch in Maine; star

"Down East Traveler" section, "Maine from A to Z," with an alphbetical guide to

"Down East Traveler" section with a guide to Maine antiques, including articles, Virginia Wright and Meadow Rue Merrill

"Down East Traveler" section with an annotated list of Maine museums and antique

"Down East Traveler Winter Planner" piece with guides to downhill ski areas, Nor

Economists estimate that the underground economy in Maine amounts to at least 10, Jeff Clark

Elizabeth Peavey, 45, invites her two older brothers, who were mostly out of the, Elizabeth Peavey

"Empire Falls by the Numbers" piece, with statistics on the movie and the actors

First-time fly-caster Elizabeth Peavey and her friend, artist and serious angler, Elizabeth Peavey

For 25 years, Stacy Glassman has run the Lincolnville catering operation Swan's, Michaela Cavallaro

Four tasters, Steve Correy of Portland's Five Fifty-Five restaurant; Tim Wissema

"Getting It Right" piece on architectural photographer Brian Vanden Brink, 53, o, Bruce Snider

"Getting It Right" piece on designer Carol Bass, 56, of Yarmouth, has written tw, Virginia Wright