Maine Authors
Maine has been, and still is, the home of many well loved and widely read authors. The state’s impressive scenery, small town feel yet the convenience of the big cities, makes it a continuous source of creative inspiration for writers of every genre.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1897-1882) – As one of America’s most revered poets, the Portland-born writer is probably best known for his poem, Paul Revere’s Ride. Longfellow grew up in Portland and spent his college days at Brunswick’s Bowdoin College. Following college, he spent several years in Europe before returning to Bowdoin where he took a teaching job as a professor of modern languages. Other famous poems by Longfellow include Evangeline, The Children’s Hours and the Song of Hiawatha.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) – A Pulitzer prize (1923) for poetry, the Frost Medal in 1943, a nationally recognized poem--“Renascence”, a scholarship to Vassar College – these are all honors bestowed on Rockland Maine’s most renowned poet. Although Millay’s travel/work kept her busy in Europe and New York, she spent her summers on Ragged Island near Brunswick. She also wrote verse dramas- Two Slatterns and a King, The Lamp and the Bell, The King's Henchman, and the One Act play Aria da Capo. Other works of poetry include the Harp-Weaver, and Other Poems, "First Fig" from A Few Figs from Thistles, "My Candle," and a sonnet "Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare".
Stephen Edwin King (September 21, 1947 - ) Born in Portland, but now a resident of Bangor, King is known for stories which pit mankind against the forces of evil. He also writes science fiction, fantasy, short fiction, screenplays and stage plays. King also uses the pseudonyms of Richard Bachman and John Swithen. Many of his books are set in Maine and have also been made into movies. Some of his novels include Pet Cemetery, Salem’s Lot, and Bag of Bones. In 2003 he was awarded the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Other renowned Maine Authors include Charlotte’s Web writer, E.B. White (1899-1985), the historical novels of Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957) and preservationist and author Sara Orne Jewett (1849-1909).
Photo Credits: Ban |
