While Alice Bolstridge was growing up in Portage, she never thought about becoming a writer. Even after she first enrolled at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in her mid-30s, as an English education major, she didn’t think about writing her own literature. Today, Bolstridge lives in Presque Isle and is a retired teacher and published author. The journey of how she got there has been just as unexpected and satisfying as her writing and career achievements.
As an UMPI student Bolstridge loved studying literature and began writing in a journal, but it was many years before she showed her work to others. After graduating in 1970 she taught third grade at Ashland Elementary School. She took a position as third- and fourth-grade teacher at Millinocket Elementary School one year later and taught there for nine years.
Though Bolstridge enjoyed teaching elementary school, she knew that she wanted to attend graduate school one day. So after her youngest child graduated from high school, she went on an “experience of adventure” unlike anything she’d done before.
“I took a big trip across the country and stopped at different places where I might go to graduate school,” Bolstridge said. “I knew I wanted to go to graduate school, so I thought I’d just give it a try.”
Bolstridge ended up in the University of Maine at Orono’s English master’s degree program, from which she graduated in 1982. She was still shy about sharing her writing and took a tutorial course so that she would only have to hear comments from a professor. But at Oklahoma State University, where she earned her doctoral degree in 1987, she found the courage to take creative writing classes.
During those classes Bolstridge embraced the knowledge and guidance of her fellow students. She later won an OSU English Department Prize that led to her first publications, a short story and poem, in the university’s literary journal Cimarron Review. Since then Bolstridge has published over 100 stories, poems and essays in more than 41 literary journals as well as the experimental novel “Oppression for the Heaven of It” and her recently published poetry chapbook “Chance and Choice.”
After graduate school Bolstridge taught creative writing at the University of Cincinnati until 1994, when she moved back to Aroostook County to be closer to family. She taught English at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone until she retired in 2012. For Bolstridge, the interactions with students were most rewarding.
“I’m a good discussion leader, I think. I love talking about literature and ideas and students have always been very good for conversations,” Bolstridge said.
During her retirement Bolstridge has devoted more time to writing and teaching others about social and political issues that affect everyone. She frequently writes letters to the editor for newspapers and testifies at Maine legislative hearings to advocate for school funding, healthcare reform and environmental protection. Her recent cause is encouraging lawmakers to respect voter results of last year’s referendum issues and opposing open-pit metal mining in Maine.
“I want to save the world. You can quote me and say I laughed about it,” Bolstridge said, laughing. “But I’m serious too. I want to help save the world because to me the world seems troubled.”
She will always write and submit both old and new work for publication. She plans to hold many book readings and signings in support of “Chance and Choice, published March 3.
Every year Bolstridge sends out manuscripts of her unpublished novels, poetry and nonfiction. She knows even when facing setbacks or disappointments, pursuing what she cares about will always be worth the time and effort.
“One time I heard a writer say, ‘If you could do anything else, do it. If you can’t avoid doing it, then write and give it your all,’” Bolstridge said. “I don’t want to retire from writing. I’ve got plenty of projects in my mind for the rest of my life.”
