NEW Featured Poet and Independent Bookstore

We hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and well!

We’re happy to be sharing a new “Featured Poet” and “Featured Independent Bookstore.”

The beautiful coastal town of Camden, Maine is home to poet/naturalist Kristen Lindquist. Her poems are filled with images of the natural world and her community. Three collections of her poetry have been published, and she continues to write daily haiku poems, shared on her blog site — Book of Days.

Her most recent book, Tourists in the Known World: New and Selected Poems is available from Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe, also located in Camden, Maine.

Despite the current pandemic and social distancing challenges, Owl & Turtle are safely continuing to offer their friendly customer service and great selection of books. Sadly, you’ll have to provide your own coffee and baked goods — the cafe and bookstore doors are currently closed (look to their Facebook page for updates) but you can call or email to place your book order today!

Dolly Parton To Read Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney -- “Goodnight with Dolly”

If you have not yet heard, Dolly Parton will be reading bedtime stories to children online, as part of her Imagination Library project . The series, “Goodnight with Dolly” will begin Thursday, at 7pm ET – streaming on YouTube, with the first book in the series, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.

The Imagination Library has made over 130 million books available to children, since the project began in 1995 in Tennessee. Any child from birth to 5 years old is eligible to receive books. For school children who have had their school year disrupted by the pandemic, and for their parents coping with their home schedule, these online storybook readings will be a wonderful time of sharing.

Other books in the 10-week series are:

There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

I Am a Rainbow by Dolly Parton

Pass It On by Sophy Henn

Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen

Max & The Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

© Viking Books for Young Readers

Llama Llama Red Pajama was written by Vermont children’s book author, Anna Dewdney. Her popular read-aloud picture books brought joy to pre-school children everywhere, and sold more than 10 million copies. Sadly, Anna passed away in 2016.

Tune in to Dolly Parton’s YouTube stream and enjoy Anna Dewdney’s well-loved bedtime classic!

Maintaining Positive Mental Health During Strange Times

For those of us who are finding self-isolation and social distancing challenging to their mental well-being, we offer even more excellent books written by New England authors:

The Possibility Principle (Sounds True)

by Connecticut author and therapist, Mel Schwartz

Author, practicing psychotherapist, marriage counselor, speaker, corporate leadership and communications consultant, Mel Schwartz’s book, The Possibility Principle has broken new ground in illuminating the path to a more fulfilling life. His practice has embraced the emerging worldview of Quantum Physics, offering readers a revolutionary approach to integrating the core principles of quantum theory – inseparability, potentiality, and uncertainty. His writing and ideas are an accessible and practical method for personal empowerment.

Mel has jumped head first into the uncharted waters of human possibility, and surfaced with comprehensive tools to finding relief from personal suffering. He also has an excellent podcast to accompany his work and findings, and shares more practical and helpful tips. He invites listeners to contact him ahead of time with their challenges, and produces podcast episodes addressing them directly, using the concepts outlined in the book. He often invites a guest speaker as well. His latest episode: Staying Psychologically and Emotionally Resilient throughout This Pandemic is online now.

Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees (Storey Publishing)

by Massachusetts author, Hannah Fries

For those who are able to safely get themselves to the woods and nature, check out the suggestions found in Forest Bathing Retreat by New Hampshire native, (now settled in western Massachusetts) Hannah Fries. Spending time alone in the woods for meditation, inspiration and quiet time is nothing new, but recent scientific studies are finding this practice to have tremendous health benefits.

Many colorful forest photos are included in the book (and can be used as part of your quiet time if no woods are available to you) along with the author’s observations and guided mindfulness exercises. A curated selection of inspirational and cross-cultural writings round out a beautiful book offering the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) as an invitation to you, to find fresh insights, inspiration, and well-being in the forest.

Hannah Fries is also an award-winning poet and editor and can be found online at, www.hannahfries.com.

Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection (Green Writers Press)

edited by James Crews, Preface by Ted Kooser

Continuing to shelter in place and self-isolate with Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection, edited by Vermont poet, James Crews, will keep you in a positive state of mind. This anthology was produced in order to move us past differences and closer to a united community: “what Dr. Martin Luther King called the “beloved community,” a place where we see each other as the neighbors we already are.”

Our current situation calls for honest heart-to-heart communication. Delivered in direct language from a poet’s pen, reading a poem or two daily from this collection will help calm the worry, and bring the focus back to humanity as family. Find inspiration and gratitude within the pages of this wonderful collection, as we ride this wave together. May we find relief in perpetual kindness!

New Book Recommendations -- Pages of History

We hope all are keeping well and making time to stay connected to family and friends. Here are a few recent updates to our lists of Recommended Authors; these are especially for those who are interested in history. We’re pleased to be including these excellent writers and recommending their new books!

Freedom Calling and The Edge of Freedom

by Dana Vacca

Rhode Island author, Dana Vacca, has recently published the second novel in her Freedom Calling Series, set in the American Civil War. The first book, Freedom Calling, is an inspiring story of two escaped slaves overcoming and prevailing in the face of adversity. Their determination to leave the war-torn South is felt in this page-turner filled with suspense, danger, forbidden romance, and a voyage at sea.

The sequel, The Edge of Freedom, continues their story with authentic, accurate history — a tale of violent loss and strong bonds of love that plumb the depths of heart and soul.

When the Irish Invaded Canada

by Christopher Klein

Massachusetts author Christopher Klein’s latest book, When the Irish Invaded Canada, is the untold story of Irish-American revolutionaries who, shortly after the American Civil War organized what sounds like a whiskey-inspired dream: to hold the British province of Canada hostage and ransom it for Ireland’s independence! Read to find that they were very serious, indeed…

Christopher is the author of four books and frequently contributes to History.com and many history-related magazines. He also gives informative talks, many of which can be found online.

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

by Jack Mayer

From Vermont, author Jack Mayer’s Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project is more than a Holocaust history. The book documents a group of young women -- students from Kansas who, upon learning the incredible and nearly forgotten story of Irena Sendler, write and perform a play re-enacting her heroism and compassion toward the children of the Warsaw ghetto.

The students later learn that Irena Sendler survived the war and is still alive. They contact her, begin a friendship, and go on to inspire and instill hope for future generations. After performing their play in Poland, Irena Sendler is brought to the attention of the Polish government, proclaimed a national hero, and nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Sixty percent of the royalties from the sale of Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer are donated to the Irena Sendler/Life in a Jar Foundation. The foundation promotes Irena Sendler’s legacy and encourages educators and students to emulate the project by focusing on unsung heroes in history to teach respect and understanding among all people, regardless of race, religion, or creed.

Skiing with Henry Knox: A Personal Journey Along Vermont’s Catamount Trail

Sam Brakeley

Vermont author and trail builder, Sam Brakeley’s Skiing with Henry Knox is the result of a personal crossroads in his relationship with his girlfriend. In completing the Catamount Trail, a 330-mile long ski trail running across Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Canada, he reached his decision, and shares his story.

In 1775, Knox undertook a similar winter journey, while retrieving dozens of artillery pieces from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain and dragging them 300 miles through snow and cold to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to help George Washington drive the entrenched British army from Boston.

Knox faced his own challenges in love, leaving behind a young pregnant wife. By exploring Knox's eighteenth-century physical and emotional journey while undertaking his own twenty-first-century trip on the Catamount Trail, Brakeley reminds us that history has many lessons to offer the living.

Please locate and order these books from your local bookstore or online via Indiebound.org.

Self-Isolate with a Good Book!

This is no joke. As the corona virus disrupts our towns and cities, voluntarily limiting our social interactions and self-isolation are the responsible thing to do. Protecting others, as well as ourselves from the virus is key to “flattening the curve” and not overwhelming medical resources.

In the last few weeks, many business and sports and entertainment events have been canceled, including poetry and author events. In its place, we suggest the company of an excellent book or collection of poetry written by a New England author!

New Hampshire author and mountain adventurer, Mark Synnott shares the incredible story of his fellow rock climbing friend, Alex Honnold, in his book The Impossible Climb (now in paperback from Dutton Publishing). The story centers around Alex’s astonishing free solo ascent of El Capitan's 3,000 feet of sheer granite:

“Synnott's personal history of his own obsession with climbing since he was a teenager--through professional climbing triumphs and defeats, and the dilemmas they render--makes this a deeply reported, enchanting revelation about living life to the fullest.”

Extremely risky, yet skillfully present, Alex’s astounding climbing accomplishment might serve as inspiration for challenging times ahead. Mark’s account of the events and emotions involved in such an ambitious climb will take your mind off of current events, and hopefully inspire us all to make the most of the moment.

As the weeks unfold, it is certain we will be provided with even more opportunities to be supportive of our friends, family, and neighbors. Keeping in mind it is best to keep yourself at a safe distance, and to wash hands after public activities, maintaining a cheerful attitude is a must.

Soon to be published by Rootstock Publishing (May 2020), Vermont author and positive psychology teacher Ginny Sassaman’s new book, Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World arrives just in time:

“Creating thriving, peaceful, and content personal lives, while creating conditions for maximum well-being for all humans, animals, and the planet, requires soul-deep transformation. Through a series of secular sermons on a wide range of happiness skills, this book teaches and encourages that transformation.” 

Ginny Sassaman is a co-founder, past president, and advisory board member of Gross National Happiness USA, and the creator of the Happiness Paradigm. Visit her blog for more of her uplifting and informative reading. Booksellers and libraries can order book copies directly from Rootstock Publishing. 

And why not treat self-isolation at home as a retreat? Some might find this prospect as challenging as Alex’s climb, but Massachusett’s author (by way of Scotland) and playright, Christian McEwen’s book, World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down (Bauhan Publishing) suggests that quiet time and slowing down can open doors to sustained creativity. Over a period of ten years, she trained teachers to write their own poems as they passed the craft along to their students, and she continues to lead workshops on leading a slower, more present life:

 “World Enough & Time is aimed at the educated general reader, could be used as a creative primer, and will be of interest to creative writing students and artists in every genre.”

Her latest book, Legal Tender: Women & the Secret Life of Money was published in 2019. Read more on her website. 

For those craving even more adventure, without turning to Netflix, we suggest award-winning poet-naturalist and marine educator Elizabeth Bradfield’s new book, Toward Anarctica:

“documents and queries her work as a guide on ships in Antarctica, offering an incisive insider’s vision that challenges traditional tropes of The Last Continent.  Inspired by haibun, a form the 17th-century poetry Bashō invented to chronicle his journeys in remote Japan, Bradfield uses photographs, compressed prose, and short poems to examine our relationships to remoteness, discovery, expertise, awe, labor, temporary societies, tourism’s service economy, and “pure” landscapes. A complicated love letter, Toward Antarctica offers a unique view of one of the world’s most iconic wild places.”

However you choose to spend your time at home, please continue to take precautions and to take care of yourself in the process. The winter isolation many of us have already been experiencing may extend for at least a few more weeks. The days ahead could get weird, but with a calm mind and the perspective of others, provided through the eyes of a talented New England author and their latest books, you’ll pull through.

We invite you to have a look at even more author and book suggestions, listed in various categories in our “Recommended Poets/Writers” lists!