I’ve become a big fan of Littoral Books in Portland. James and Agnes Bushell publish awesome books, most by Maine authors.

I recently read a very important book, Dangerous New World, a wonderful and very important collection of columns and poems about climate change. Meghan Sterling and Kathleen Sullivan did a superb job of selecting Maine writers for this book published by Littoral Books.

Today I want to tell you about the profound and amazing Maine stories in the book North By Northeast, a collection of short stories by Maine and New England authors, edited by Agnes Bushell.

Alfred Depew describes it well in the comment on the back cover: “Reader: prepare to be amazed, delighted, frightened, unsettled, and thoroughly enriched. This anthology is full of gold.” I agree!

In his introduction to the book, Depew wrote, “while reading one of the stories on the ferry coming back from Vancouver Island, I was overcome by grief and had to stop…. Each and every one of these stories has moments that take the breath away.”

The Bushells made good choices in selecting the 13 writers featured in this book. You will never forget some of these stories.