CARIBOU and YARMOUTH, Maine — Islandport Press has announced it will release “Stories of Aroostook: The Best of Echoes Magazine,” an anthology of memorable articles selected from the magazine’s 29 years in print in October. The book is being edited by magazine co-founder and former University of Maine professor Kathryn Olmstead.
Echoes, based in Caribou, produced 117 issues before ceasing publication in 2017. The magazine served as a journal of rural lifestyle, and became a community touchpoint for archiving the history and way of life in Aroostook County. Stories of Aroostook is a collection of articles and essays all capturing the spirit and sense of place that makes The County unforgettable. Former readers of Echoes will recognize columnists and contributors that frequently appeared in the magazine including Glenna Johnson Smith, Gwen Harmon, Gordon Hammond, John Dombek, Dorothy Boone Kidney and many more.
Exploring subjects such as the potato harvest, raging blizzards, encounters with moose and car hopping on a Saturday night, Stories of Aroostook will touch and amaze readers who live in, have visited or who wish they could visit the Crown of Maine. The book showcases the vital part Echoes plays in telling the stories of the region.
“Echoes magazine was a prominent feature on the counter of every grocery store, gift shop, and gas station up north,” said Shannon Butler, an author, operations manager at Islandport Press and an Aroostook County native. “It is a piece of our heritage. It’s a portrait of how through the passing of years Aroostook has faced many changes but the good natured, generous and hardworking people that live here have always been a constant.”
Stories of Aroostook is edited by Olmstead, who co-founded Echoes with Gordon Hammond in 1988. Olmstead is a former Bangor Daily News columnist, and served on the journalism faculty of the University of Maine for 25 years, the last six as associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She currently lives in Caribou.
Islandport Press is a dynamic, award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. For more information, please call 207-846-3344, visit www.islandportpress.com or email info@islandportpress.com.
