WhenaMainewhite-tailed deerwasspottedrecently onlonelyBoonIslandoff thecoastofMaine,eight miles from the nearest pointoflandand18milesfromKen¬ nebunkport,itseemedalmosttoo similartothenightmareimageof thesnowleopardcarcassfoundon thefrozenslopesthatriseupfrom theprefaceof The Snows of Kiliman¬ jaro.
No one has explained what the deerwasseekingoutintheoceanat thatlongitude.
Ifshe'dmissedBoonIsland,her nextstopmighthavebeenIreland. Lobstermen who fish the rocks aroundthebarrenledgenoticedher andlostsleepoverher,thinking aboutthefranticclatterofhooves around the grassless, unmanned lighthouse.
Thenonemorningthefishermen, sweetguysall,bandedtheirboats togetherandchasedheraboardina freezingballetthatmusthavebeen quiteaspectacleofslipperyboots, yellowslickers,hooves,wildeyes and splashes. They rescued her fromthenightmarerocks.
Last weekend my family and I were visiting San Jose's new 44,000-square-foot Barnes and NobleBookstore,aplacesoeclec¬ ticinitsinventorythatIfounda September1993issueof Portland Magazine.Iwasespeciallyinter¬ estedinthearticleElizabeth Peavey wrote titled "Melodeon CapitaloftheWorld."
Uponreadingyourarticle,Iwon¬ derifeitheryouhavecomeacross the Edwards name in your re¬ search,orifperhapsyouhave seenitinpreviousresearch.Per¬ hapsyoucouldtellmeofsome¬ one else you think might be familiarwithpianosandtheirmak¬ ers from the mid-century. Any helporadvicewouldbegreatly appreciated.Also,Iwouldgladly pay someone to conduct some localresearchintotheEdwards pianocompany.
Iwouldhopetolearn1)isthere still an Edwards piano lying around somewhere? 2) how did Mr. Edwards and Mr. Twombly run the company? 3) were the Continuedonpage7
Arms and the Man byGeorgeBernardShaw
October 17 - November 13
Holiday Memories byTrumanCa|x>te StageVersionbyRussellVandenbroucke November 21 - December 19
Three Postcards byCraigLucasandCraigCarnelia January2-29
Happy Days bySamuelBeckett February6-March5
Oleanna byDavidMamet March13-April9
Losing Father's Body byConstanceCongdon April17-May14
Corner of Lime and Middle StreeU. Mahogony, Roaesvood, and Black-walnut Inatruments.of style offinish and tone, unsurpassed by any made in the country, constantly for sale.
N. B. Pianos tuned and repaired and old Pianos taken in exchange for new.
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Continuedfrompage5 pianosactuallybuiltatthecompa¬ ny or merely assembled from parts made elsewhere? 4) are thereanyphotographsofthese men,orothersassociatedwith them or the company? 5) are thereanyphotographsorrender¬ ingsofthecompanybuildingor theirpianos?6)anyinformation abouttheEdwardsfamily.
Thank you for your time and kindconsiderationofthisinquiry. 1lookforwardtohearingfrom you.
Hans Boepple ProfessorofMusic SantaClaraUniversity,CA
Dozier Insights
IenjoyedyourarticleonDozier Bell(September1993,byColin Sargent),whosecareerIhavefol¬ lowedwithgreatinterestsinceher UniversityofPennsylvaniayears. I wonder whether any of your readers have noticed the debt prospectivelyowedtothissuperb artistbyJ.M.W.Turner?
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This magazine is printed on Maine-made paper produced by Champion International. Bucksport. Maine. Laser Cover Separations and image assembly by Graphic Color Service, (800) 6607714.
Portland Monthly Magazine is published by Sargent Publishing. Inc.. 578 Congress Street. Portland. ME 04101. All correspondence should be addressed to 578 Congress Street. Portland, ME 04101.
Advertising Office: 578 Congress Street, Portland. ME 04101(207) 775-4339.
Billing Questions: If you have questions regarding advertising invoicing and payments, call Cheryl Casey at 775-4339.
Newsstand Cover Date: December 1 993, published November 1 993, Vol. 8 No. 9. copyright 1993. PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is mailed at third-class mail rates in Portland. ME 04101 (ISSN: 0887-5340). Opinions expressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial portions of PORTLAND Monthly Magazine. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly, and as compensation we will run a correction in the following issue. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials.
PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is published 10 times annually by Sargent Publishing. Inc.. 578 Congress Street. Portland, with newsstand cover dates of Winterguide, Feb./March, April. May. Summerguide. July/Aug.. September. October. November, and December.
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ItwasthedaybeforeHalloween seven years ago when we left Maineandbeganourjourneyto KeyWest.Wespentthefirstnight atJean’smother’shomeinthe Catskillsandwhenweleftearlythe nextmorningonthefirstserious driveofthetrip,afewsnowflakes blew down from the mountains and swirledaroundthecarlikeconfetti. They were the last snowflakes we wouldseeforsevenyears.
AweekafterthispastLaborDay
we spent most of our days saying goodbyetoourKeyWestfriendsand neighbors. When we told them we weremovingbacktoMaine,manyof themsaid,“ToMaine!You’regoing togettherejustintimeforwinter. Thisisn’tanytimetobeheadedfor Maine.You’llfreezeupthere.”
A great many people we met in southFloridausewintertorational¬ izetheirpresenceinwhathastobe oneofthenation’smostunliveable locations.Theymakethisfourthsea¬
sonthereasonfortheirexiletoa landofgarish,badlybuiltbutconsis¬ tentlyoverpricedcondos,aplaceso inundatedbyfollow-the-leaderYan¬ kee immigrants that the few true Floridianshavelostallpatiencewith humanity.Akindofuniversalpara¬ noiahasreplacedthetraditional civilitiesthatallowlife’sdailyrou¬ tinestofunction.Underthestressof some2,500newarrivalseachday, southFloridaserviceshavecorroded away;what’sleftisanacidremnant ofgoodmannerslongsincediscard¬ ed.
EversinceourreturntoMaine,I have welcomed the courtesy and considerationofitspeoplewiththe heartfeltgratitudeofadesertwan¬ dererwhodiscoversaclearandbub¬ blingspringafterwaterlessdaysina wasteland.Forthereis,thankgood¬ ness, a blessed grace to the Downeast er’s management of interpersonalcommunication.Itis sheer,subtle,andsofragilethatitis foreveratrisk,butthisinnatesense ofgentledignity,trust,andconsider¬ ationisalmostalwaysofferedup.Itis therecipientwhomustmakethefirst movetowardanyuncivilalternative. HumanencountershereinMaine andthereinsouthFloridaareatele¬ mentalopposites.Thecontrastis palpable,apresencethatcanbring youupshortasyourealizewhata greatgiftofbeingeachofthose southFloridafugitiveshasaban¬ doned in their rush to escape Maine’swondrouswinters.
Wondrous on their own, of course. Some electronic voiceIoverheadrecently announcedthatmorethan 150 inches of snow had foundahomeinMainelastwinter. Andeachofthethirtysomethingwin¬ ters1livedwithherebeforetheKey Weststretchhasleftitsmarkinmy memory.Iknowthegloriesandthe glisteningenchantmentsofaDecem¬ ber ice storm when every bare branchbecomesaprismablazewith itsowncaptivesun.AndIknowthe confusionsofaJanuarythawthat createsliquidchaosofthosegreat glaciersheapedalongsideroadsand driveways.Andevenbetter,Iknow thestormsofMarchthattestthesuf¬ feranceofoursoulswiththeirwin-
Winterspastarefull.Theyhold meskatingonafarmpond’sblackice throughaluminousChristmasEve. Theysendmetrottingacrossamilkwhitebay,pullingtwochildrenona sledthatglideswhereoncethethree ofussailed.Theyfindmedeepinthe woods watching as wet snow embracestheboughsofthespruce thatwillstandfragrantinourholiday home.And,yes,theyfindmebreath¬ inghard,wetfeetnumbwithcold andtiredlegstremblingas1hoistthe final heavy shovelfuls from the snowed-under front walk, or chop Januaryicefromourcardoors.Win¬ terspastarehockeygamesonamilelongrink,cross-countryskitours acrosssoft-hilledfields,andslow awakeningstoa'Mainesilencedby thesuddenessofdeepnewsnow.
1knowthesewinters.Andafter seven years without them I love themevenmore.Theyaretobetrea¬ sured, not evaded. Treasured for theirtestsofthehumanspirit,their measuringofpatienceandfortitude, andforthewondersoftheirpurity, thefiercenessoftheircoldandthe gamesthatsnowplays.
Butevenmore,asIhavelearned, thesewintersareworthyofoureter¬ nalgratitudebecauseitistheythat anchorourseasons.Thesewinters arethepivotonwhichMaine’syear turns.Itistheabsoluteunforgiving, awesomerealityoftheirpresence that gives Maine calendars their meaning,thatmakeMaineaplace. And,aboveall.itisthemeticulous, unerringpacingofthisstate’ssea¬ sonalpagentry-breathtakinginits eternalrealities-thatgivesMaine peopletheirremarkablegraceand protectsMainefromthefloodtideof immigrant humanity that could sweepeveryshredofcivilitybeforeit andleavethiswondrousstateasbar¬
renofgenuinegentilityassouth Florida - a place where only its wildernessandthevastandenchant¬ edwatersarounditretaintheirholi¬ ness.
“You’regoingtogettherejustin timeforwinter,”theytolduswhen we left Key West. How right they wereandhowgratefulIamthatwe made it back. ■
WINTER ATTRACTIONS • WINTER ATTRACTIONS
Corner of India and CommercialStreets. Agarishgreenlight leaps from the toobright windows of Erasmo’sCafewhile,behind itonthedocks,thestackof aPeary-Classguided-missile frigatesharpensyourdepth offield.
Theslimslimofitsbow, remnantofthepalmydays
when we worried about the impact of Bath Iron Works takingoverallofMunjoyHill. Cobblestones.
Somethinghasbeenfollow¬ ingyouhere,ifnothingelse themysticcurrentofknowing that you don’t belong here after6p.m.,butinspiteofit orbecauseofityoustalkfully unarmed in this rough-andtumbleplaceanyway,jovially angrybecausewinterishere Continuednextpage
“It also rented rooms to immi¬ grantswhotiredofsleepinginbunks aboard ships while they awaited transportation to Canada and the West.FewsettledinPortland.
“Anotherserviceofferedatthe tavern was exchanging foreign moniesintoU.S.dollarsatrates abovebankcharges.Itwasanacco¬ modation, the unsuspecting were told.Thetavernalsowasahiringhall forwoodsmengoingintoNewHamp¬ shiretocutpulpwoodfortheBrown CompanyatBerlin.Largehand-written posters on the window would read ‘Wanted, 250 woodsmen for operation in New Hampshire, good food,bunks.’”
Greatstuff.Hegoesontoburnish theoldchestnutaboutthemurder theyhadherein1929,wherePauline Zimmerman,the“attractivepropri¬ etoranddivorcee”oftheLiverpool, was found strangled one January afternoonwithacelebratedinvesti-
Sothere’snotsomuchanatmos¬ phereasasoftlydangerousmilieu. Thewaitressarrives.Amanbeside me is engrossed in a discussion about Skylab dis¬ integrating over Sumatrain1979.
Atableofnurses converses the nexttableover.
Over the years we’ve walked past this place and wished somebody would restore it, but it looked so 0 fargoneitseemed impossibleevento walk inside much lessfixitup.
Nowit’sbeauti¬ ful,housingaVer¬ mont Castings outlet as well as oavid bates the restaurant and an attached takeout sandwich shop. Mo¬ ments later a white plate with tomatoes,oliveoil,sharpcheese, anchovies, and garlic swims into view.
Thisisstrongstuff.Iorderthe lasagneandmeatbailspecial,enjoy itimmensely,andpay$6.95forit. Skylab has ordered the baked swordfishwithpastafor$8.95and wolfsitdown.1clickachocolatecovered espresso bean from the funnydispenserandstepoutonto theblackice.
Andthenitcomestome.Eras¬ mo’s,Liverpool,Skylab,snow,the stars outside, Pauline’s safety depositboxswingingportentiously opentoendamysterynobodytells anymore,theTexasBookDeposito¬ ry, this guy Boyle — everything coming down.
COMEDY CLUB
OnFridayandSaturdaynights thiswinter,theBaker’sTablecon¬ ducts an enormously successful ComedyClubintheraucous,confi¬ denttraditionofCatchARisingStar. No,it’sdownstairsfromForeStreet, pastthesetables,yes,inhere?ina side room with an exposed stage and—surprise—whatfeelslikeabout 200peopleinhere.Atthistimeof year?
Paying $7.50 each with reserva¬ tions,we’reshoe¬ hornedintoatable. Mywifehasbare¬ lycometothis,but she’salreadylaugh¬ ing.
Knowingevenless about the proper drinktoorder(how about a Scotia Prince?), Igrinand venture,“IrishCof¬ fee.”
It’sadrinkwelast had 10, 20 years ago when we were lastwithalargecrowdwedidn’t knowlikethis.Whatanon-commit¬ taldrink.Decidingwhattodrinkwill determinewhoandwhatweare,we begintofear.Isn’tIrishCoffeea stranger’sdrinkinthesamewaythat you’renotsupposedtobeableto read Look Homeward, Angel after you’re21?Peoplearemillingaround everywhere;VanMorrisoniswarm¬ ingupthesoundsystem.
OurIrishdecafsare$5apiece. We are grouped with some people who have ordered Brandy Alexan¬ dersandnachos.Sohere’swhereall thepeoplearegoing!Thousands.I unabashedlistenasonewomantells herdatehowlimberherfriendisand whereshecanputherfootwhenshe pullsitallthewaybehindherhead.
“How come sour cream has an expirationdate?Imean,what’sit gonnado,getfresh?”
A man stands up for no dis¬ cerniblereason.Heisatype,turtle¬ neck and sportcoat. Looks like a defrocked minister. Then he sits down.Noaccountingforthis.People likeitsomuchtheyareshakingtheir headsandwonderinghowlongthis has been going on. The comedians makefunoflittleWharfStreet,but thisthingisworking.Goaheadand hatewinter,ifyouwantto.Enigmat¬ ic Joe Soley’s comedy club is a smash. ■
Infact,thisisapeculiarlyPort¬ land-likeexperience,withBathIron Works and Erasmo’s in full view downthestreet.
“I’dforgottenthatlittlefinger squeakastheymovetheirhandup thestrings,”onewagsaysasthey watchthequiteskillfulTommyDee play“OdetoJoy”onguitarandthen medleyintoFurEliseandthenback into“OdetoJoy,”thewayRobert PalmerdidhissuccessfulJackson Labs number on “Mercy, Mercy Me” and“IWantYou.”
Apartyof30explodesintoan adjoiningroom.Thisplaceisdoing agreatbusiness,considerablylarger thanitsExchangeStreetperiod.It’s hardtodescribe,thisearlyTimSam¬ plesweateredwinter-warmroll-yourown feeling that Dos Locos is exuding,butit’shere.“OdetoJoy”is soSeventies,too,wethink,andthen, almostarchly,Deetransitionsto songsfromAbbeyRoad.
Concidence,weagree.
Thenthere’ssomeJean-Pierre Rampal.
Then“Bolero”!
“Greensleeves”!
ThePortlandPirates,EricFen¬ ton, Nickelodeon, Videoport—this winterisswingingwideopen!There’s abigsausagelinkwithtwobabiesfol¬ lowingitonthattruckoverthere,out beyondthesignaboutthetreacher¬ ous Indians. Then the service entranceto100MiddleStreet.Then totherightofthatCityHall,OneCity
edintothejetport.Delta.Traysup. Newsweek. People coming home fromBermuda.Coatsstillpackedin theirbags,theydanceacrossthe frozentarinpain.Pinksand,the PrincessHotel,everythingiscruelly unreal until they go up onto the windswept second deck of Jetport parking,buckleup,andtrytheirigni¬ tionkeyundertheflatilluminated edgeofthemoon.
SaigonSandwich
ItsoundslikethetitleofaRiver Phoenixmovie.Orisit"MysticPiz¬ za"I'mthinkingof?Anyway,when youstepinside921CongressStreet, you're instantly transported to anotherworld.
ingredients at play here in this unusualeatery,andoneofthemis the owner, Lynn Bogolawski, a Saigon native whose former name was Xinh (pronounced "Sin") Thi ("Tea").
"You never went outside," she explains, vigorously shaking her headandsmiling.Shelivesherein Portlandwithherfamilyofseven children.Oneofthem,30-year-old sonTre,laughsandsays,"1haveno idea why we came to Portland. 1 meanwehadawarmclimate.Idon't knowwhythehellyoupickedPort¬ land. Why did you pick Portland, Mom,insteadofFlorida?"helaughs, teasingher.Thensheanswers."We hadfriendshere."
Overinthecorner,heryoungest
son,Tom,istalkingtoafriend.1ask Lynn about Tom. He is very tall, darkly handsome. "Oh, yes," she says."Thatismyson.Theonewith thelonghair."
"TheSaigonsandwichisaspopu¬ larinthecapitalastheItaliansand¬ wich is in Portland," Tre says, standinginfrontofa1968wallmap of Vietnam brought here by his motherthatshows,screenedinblue, thesilhouetteoftheSeventhFleet perched off the coast of the Annamesemountains,ourlives,this narrowcentury.
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Maine’sseniorhistorian,whose book, The McArthurs of Limington, Maine (MusePress,1993),I'djust helpedtointroduce.Thiswasmy firstknowledgeofProulx'sMaine connections,butonlythelatestina seriesofperipheralsightingsofthe
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JisTimetoChange^urThinkina l
If you believe consignment shops arefilledwithoutdatedtattered
author and her work that have occurred throughout my own career.
ShortlythereafterIwasaskedto reviewbothherhernovels, Post¬ cards (Collier Books-Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992) and The Shipping News (CharlesScribner's Sons,1993).Happily,butnotsur¬ prisingly, 1 found both to be amongthebestbooksI'vereadin years.Giventhat,andthelocal connection,itseemedaperfect time to phone the author and checkinonherprogress.
nthemagazinestaff, Proulx served as prose editor, occa¬ sionallyaweduswith readingsofherown work,and,asIrecall,wasanable butkindcriticofotherpeople’s work.Herwit,seriousness,and writingabilityweregivens,but beyondthatherlifeseemedtruly mysterious.Inourimagination, she might have leapt from the pagesofRichardFarinaorJack Kerouac.Shewasahipsteramong hippies,and,unlikemostofus then,alreadyhadasolidstartona substantive,colorfullife.
Inaphoneinterview,Imen-
tionedthatweimaginedherasa Kerouac character, which she allowedwas"probablynearerthe truththannot."Thoughshedidn't elaboratealongthatline,consider herlifebeforeappearingoncam¬ pusinthe60s.
Theeldestoffivechil¬ dren, Annie was born atNorwich,Connecti¬ cut in 1935. Though her mother's family tracedtheirNorwichrootsbackto 1635,theauthorhadlittlechance toexplorehernativecommunity. Herfatherwasatextileworker who,intypicalmid-20th-century fashion,ledthefamilythrough "townaftertown"inNorthCaroli¬ na,Vermont,RhodeIsland,and Maine. When the Proulx family movedtothethen-sleepytownof Freeport,Maine,Annietookthe optionofcommutingtoPortland's DeeringHigh,whereshegraduat¬ edin1952.Ofalltheteachers thereshenotesthatElizabeth Ringis"theonlyonethatstands outinmymind.”Indeed,Proulx ranksMissRingas"oneofthe mostextraordinaryteachers”she ever studied with. Few history teachersofthedaycouldmatch Ring,whohadanM.A.fromthe UniversityofMaine,hadattended asummersessionatOxford,was aFellowinEconomicsandPolitics atBrynMawr,StateResearchEdi¬ toroftheHistoricalRecordsSur¬ vey, and a well published historian.ForProulx,Ringwasa role model, a "single woman devotedtothingsofthemind"and honoredasascholar.
AftergraduationfromDeering, Proulx'sresumestates,"Ibriefly attendedColbyCollegeinWater¬ ville,Maineintheearly'50s,leftto experiencetwoterriblemarriages, NewYorkCity,theFarEastand single-mother-with-two-childrenpoverty.”In1066sheenrolledat the University of Vermont, ma¬ joredinhistory,andin1969grad¬ uated cum laude and Phi Beta
Kappa.Shealsowentontogradu¬ ate school at Montreal’s Sir GeorgeWilliamsUniversity,earn¬ inganM.A.in1973.Shewasalso, aroundthattime,associatedwith U.V.M.'s Robert Hull Fleming Museumandcontributedtosever¬ alcataloguesincludingoneon African Art and another about VermontlandscapePainterJames FranklinGilman(1850-1929).
In1975Proulxpassedherdoc¬ toraloralsbutdecidedagainstfin¬ ishing her thesis and "jumped head-firstintofree-lancejournal¬ ism."Againherdelightfulresume observes,"From1975to1988I wrotearticlesonweather,apples, canoeing,mountainlions,mice, cuisine,libraries,Africanbead¬ work, cider and lettuces for dozens of magazines. Payments wereusuallylateandsmall.Itwas amiserablewaytomakealiving, buttherewerenofacultymeet¬ ings."Duringthisperiod,Iocca¬ sionallyboughtamagazinesimply because it contained Proulx's work.Itiscomfortingtoreadthe workofpeopleyouhaveknown. To my knowledge, Fred Bonnie, editorofU.V.M.'soff-campus Isin¬ glass Review, istheonlystudent writer from the same time and placewhohasblossomedsimilar¬ ly. A Maine native, Bonnie's superb short stories have appearedinfourvolumes,includ¬ ing Squatter's Rights (Oberon Press,1979)and Too Hot (DogEar Press,1987).Thoughpublishedby smallpresses,thequalityofBon¬ nie'sfictionisofthefirstorder. Proulx's first serious fic¬ tion pieces were also shortstories.Producing about two a year, she wasabletosellmostto nationalperiodicals,including Esquire. EditorTomJenksofthe lattermagazinelefttojoinScrib¬ ner'sin1987andsuggestedthat Proulxpullsomeofherstories togetherasacollection.Whilethis Continuedonpage30
.NEWS
Thisplace,shethought, thisrock,sixthousandmiles ofcoastblind-wrappedin fog.Sunkersunderwrinkled water, boats threading ticklesbetweenice-scabbed cliffs.Tundraandbarrens,a landofstuntedsprucemen cutanddrewaway. Howmanyhadcomehere, leaningontherailasshe leanednow.Staringatthe rockinthesea.Vikings,the Basques,theFrench,Eng¬ lish,Spanish,Portuguese. Drawnbythecod,fromthe days when massed fish slowedshipsonthedriftfor thepassagetotheSpice Isles,expectingcitiesof gold.Thelookoutdreamed of roasted auk or sweet berriesincupsofplaited grass,butsawcrumpling waves,lightsflickering alongtheshiprails.Theonly citieswereofice,bergswith coresofberyl,bluegems within white gems, that somesaidgaveoffanodor ofalmonds.Shehadcaught thebitterscentasachild.
Continuedfrompage28 wasinprocess,Jenksleft,but Scribner'sbroughtoutherfirst book, Heart Songs and Other Sto¬ ries (1988).Iwasawareofthis eventthroughKenRosen'sexcel¬ lentshortaccountinthe New York Times Book Review (June 29, 1989).Infact,Icalledthereviewer to make sure that she was the sameVermontauthor.Oncecon¬ firmed,timeslippedawayamid myowndutiesoflocalreviewing andregionalwriting.Ineversent foracopy.
Thingsbegantolookup forProulxduringthis time. She wrote her firstnovelssupported with publisher ad¬ vances,grantsfromtheVermont CouncilontheArts,theNational
Endowment for the Arts, and a Guggenheim Foundation fellow¬ ship.Shetravelledandshepro¬ duced.Asmightbeexpectedfrom someonewhohaslivedinthirteen Vermontcommunitiessince1947, withfrequentsidetripsacrossthe continent,herfirstnovelcon¬ cernedlifeontheroad. Continuedonnextpage
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In Postcards, LoyalBloodacci¬ dentallykillshisgirlfriendinaVer¬ montfield,hidesherbody,and heads west in a '36 Chevy. The actionopensduringWorldWarII and ends with Loyal's death in 1988.Inthisinsightfultale,the
meaning of home and hearth comesunderclosescrutiny.Asthe familyfarmchangesdramaticallyin Loyal’sabsence,Bloodsleaveor dieandthesiteeventuallybe¬ comesatrailerparkfornomads likeLoyal.Still,hispostcardsarrive
forthefamilyasiflifestoodstill. Loyal’sowntravelsleadtoavariety ofadventuresandrelationships worthyofaKerouachero. Homeandhopearealsointegral to The Shipping News, whichisset mostlyintheunpromisingneigh-
Thefreshesttasteinthe dairycase,guaranteed.
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Maine,ofcourse,fallsinthat tier.Thestateplayedanimpor¬ tantpartinProulx'searlydevelop¬ ment,andshecontinuestovisit withsomeregularity.Heragent livesinMaine,shehasfriendsin Orono at the Franco-American Center,enjoysfishingandhunting intheAllagashandBigWoods, andlistsCathiePelletierasoneof herfavoriteauthors.Todate, Maineasbackgroundhasplayed onlyasmallpartinhernovels, thoughoneexpectsthestateis never too far from her mind. Proulx’swork-in-progress, Accor¬ dionCrimes, exploresthelivesand musicofeightornineimmigrant groupsontheedgesoftheUnited States.Inpreparationshehas journeyedtoQuebec,Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, Lou¬ isiana,and,happily,Maine.If pastproductionsareanyindica¬ tion,readersareinforanother unique, entertaining, and insightfulbook.Ilookforwardto thisnextsightingwithenthusi¬ asm. ■
ByMarkMickalide
ItisinstructivethatMaurice RestaurantFrancaisislocated in South Paris, Maine. Both havetheirowncertaincharm butlittletodowiththeirGallic namesakes.ThemosttrulyFrench partoftheexperienceisthelarge andremarkablewinelist.Knowl¬ edgeable xenophiles will find manyraritiesandrelativebar¬ gainswhiletheoccasionalwine drinkerwillfindalotofsolidselec¬ tionsatreasonableprices.
Ourrecentdinnerstartedwith EscargotBourguignonne($4.75) andchef'spate($3.95).Theescar¬ gotswereservedintinyceramic cupstoppedwithpuffpastrycha¬ peaux.Thebakingnecessaryto cook the pastry tops made the garlic butter surrounding the snailsoilyinsteadofleavingitbut¬ tery.Thepatewasmeaty,coarsly choppedandredolentofliver. Theflavorwasfreshwithoutthe vapidityandmustinessofmany renditions, but somewhat dry fromunderlardingthemeat.Left untried were marinated mush¬ rooms($3.25),smokedoystersor salmon ($3.95), and Coquilles Saint-Jacques(scallops)at$4.50. Forentreeswechosethesteak aupoivre($12.95)andtherackof lamb ($15.50). The steak was properlycookedasordered,with peppercornssearedtothecrust. However, the thinness of the accompanying cream and brandy
The lamb chops, numbering close to double-digits, were enlivenedwiththymeandgarlic. Thechopswereperfectlycooked and Frenched (bones stripped clean and meat well trimmed), leavingattheendofthebonean herby,fat-free,flavorfulmorsel likeatastylambsicle.Theplates were finished with pleasantly homey au gratin potatoes and broccoli. Some of the other options were veal flamed in brandy($12.95),duckinorange sauce($12.25),orbakedstuffed
Theneardouble¬ digitlambchopswere enlivenedwiththyme andgarlic.Thechops wereperfectlycooked andFrenched(bones strippedcleanand meatwelltrimmed), leavingattheendof the bone an herby, fat-free,flavorful morsellikeatasty lambsicle.
sole($11.75).
Very fresh though large and shrubbery-esqueleavesofgreen leaflettucecomposedanafter-din¬ nersalad.ManyAmerican-friendly saladdressingswereavailable.
For dessert we had a moist cocoanutapricotcakethatwas likeafruitypoundcakeandalight andvanilla-tastingfrozenamarettosouffle.
Thequaint,lost-in-timequality of the menu combined with the oldrenovatedhouselocalecreat¬ edacomfykindofcharm.While thecookingistohautecuisine whatpicturesofbalefulpuppiesis togreatart,modestpricesanda stellarwinelistgoalongwayto compensate. On balance, make the trip. H
An Old Port Tradition
Why Go Anywhere Else?
LUNCH
Monday-Saturday-1 1:30-4:30 DINNER
Monday-Saturday-4:30- J 2:30 OPEN SUNDAYS 83 Exchange Street
Portland. Maine 773-4731Walking Distance from Hotel
Mad Horse Theater Company, 955-FForest Avenue,Portland."Kingfish"playsthrough December12."Amenacing,mysterious, darkcomicstoryaboutpower,sexualdom¬ ination,loneliness,andaging.Itisalsoasto¬ ry about a man and his dog." For information,call797-3338.
The Theater Project, 14Schoo)Street, Brunswick.FromJanuary27-February13,Al Millerwilldirect"RomeoandJuliet."From March24throughApril10,it's"Antigone," bySophocles.Formoreinformation,callthe boxofficeat729-8584.
Wassail By-The-Sea , South Congrega¬ tionalChurch,Kennebunkport.December 2-4,7:30p.m.,December5,2and7p.m. ThetraditioncontinuesasRiverTreeArts sponsorsthefourthannualWassailByThe-Sea,adramaticandmusic-filledcele¬ bration of the winter solstice and Christmasseason.Thisyearanoriginal play,"SolsticeFire,"writtenbyKenneb¬ unkresidentAlAdams,willbepresented aswell..Allperformancesareheldduring Kennebunkport's Prelude Weekend. On December11at7:30p.m.attheSouth Congregational Church, the 50-memberRiverTreeChoralewillbeperforming Handel's"Messiah"aspartoftheChrist¬ mas festivities in Kennebunkport. Kinderkonzerts, spon¬ sored by the Portland Symphony, will be held forchildrenattheSea RoadSchool,Kennebunk, on December 14. For information,callRiver TreeArtsat985-4343.
Portland Symphony, City Hall Auditorium. "MagicofChristmas,"the Portland Symphony Or¬ chestra's 14th annual yuletideconcert,willbe performedat7:30p.m.at PortlandCityHallAudito¬ rium.SopranoLynnTorgove, The Parish Ringers, organist Ray Cornils,andTheMagicof Christmas Chorus will jointheorchestraforhol¬ idayfavoritesandlead thetraditionalcarolsing¬ along.Ticketsare$9,$18, $23,and$30.Daysofper¬ formance are December 10,11,12,16,17,18,and19.Call7738191or800-639-2309.
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ATLANTIC HTITLE COMPANY
MaineCenterForTheArts, Universityof Maine, Orono. On Saturday, Decem¬ ber 11, attend "Musica Antiqua Koln." The baroque music of the 17th century sounds fresh and innovative in the hands of this European ensemble. On Friday, January 14, at 1 and 7 p.m., see DynamO Theatre. Throw together a greatstory,amazinggymnastics,and high-energy performers, and you begin to understand why this troupe has international appeal for audi¬ ences of all ages. Next, on January 23,at3p.m.,isPilobolus.Twoparts dancer,onepartcontortionist,this dance company stretches the bound¬ aries of human movement in amazing and beautiful ways. On Saturday, January 29, at 8 p.m., attend the Brahms Requiem. The University of Maine Department of Music joins forces with the University Singers and the Oratorio Society to perform this Brahms masterpiece. Joseph Wiggett and Nancy Ogle are guest soloists.Formoreinformation,call 581-1804.
Portland Museum of Art issponsor¬ ingaround-robinHolidayFestivalof Music performed at the museum's GreatHallonDecember3,4,5,8,9, and 10 by area school choruses. Admissionisfreetohearthesecar¬ ols and holiday songs. For more information,call775-6148.
University of Maine, Farmington. There will be a concert by the UMF Community Chorus, directed by Steven Pane, on Sunday, December 5. Holiday concert with orchestra and soloists.3p.m.OnSaturday,Decem¬ ber11,therewillbeaUMFbandcon¬ cert,conductedbyPhilipCarlsen,at 7:30. Nordica Auditorium, Merrill Hall.Free.
Androscoggin Chorale, SouthParis. Beginning in February the An¬ droscogginChoralewillcontinueits seriesof"AmericanClassics,"focus¬ ingthisyearonthemusicofRichard Rogers.Thisever-popularserieswill
■ LISTINGS ■
be performed in South Paris on Feb¬ ruary5th,inLewistononFebruary6, in Bethel on February 12, and again inLewistononFebruary13.Formore information,call783-4006.
Midcoast Jazz Society announces the following performances: Red Light Revue at the Big Easy Blues Club on 1 December, Tom Bucci & DoaneonDecember2.3,and4atthe Top of the East, Dwayne Nyle Quar¬ tet and guests at Grazianos on December 3, Stan Catell & Friends with Muriel Havenstein, piano, on December 3 at The Sail Loft, Rock¬ port,BilolyCostaonDecember3and 4atValle'sSteakHouse,Jazzatthe Bridgeway on December 4, Bridge¬ way Restaurant, USM Jazz Combos Concert, Corthell Hall, Gorham on 4 December. Muriel Havenstein Trio on December 5 at the Muddy Rudder in Edgecomb, The Mac Lean/Wing Trio at Crickets for Brunch on December 5, Stan Catell & Friends at the Samoset on December 5, Charlie BechlerTrioJazzJamatBill'sCafe and Book Store on December 5,and Mac Lean and Wing on December 9, 10,and11attheTopoftheEast.On December 10, look for Herb Pomeroy on trumpet with the USM Jazz Ensemble & Faculty performing arrangements by Duke Ellington from the1930sand1940satCorthellHall. Gorham. On the 10th and 11th of December, Jazz Connotations with Nancy Bowker will be at Little Willie'sandtheDoaneBrotherswith MarySeadarwillbeatValle'sSteak House.Onthe11ththerewillbeJazz attheBridgewayRestaurant;onSun¬ day, December 12, the Muriel Haven¬ stein Trio will be at the Muddy Rudder in Edgecomb. There's a "Jazz Is" Jam at Fassett's Gallery behind the Waldo Theatre on the 12th, as wellasStanCatell&Friendsatthe Samoset.AtBill'sCafe&BookStore on December 12, see the Charlie Bechler Trio. The Red Light Revue returns to the Big Easy on December 15th, with Bucci & Doane holding forth at the Top of the East on
A MaineHolidayWreath forsou.youilovedoursorusabusinessgilt.beautifully handcrafled ol Ireshly-cul fragrant balsam I ir boughs, piner ones, red apples and a red ribbon./\boul 22 "diameter PriceS23.‘)5.AddS4.0()torl I’Sshipi ring (within the 48 I SAi Call for businessquantityprices antishippingchargestoallother addresses.Giftcardo]Hional.(iuaranteed.IJiscover.Master!aid.VISA.Mr>orcheck a<copied.Ioordercall: I800776-8778 or 207 6<>7-55(>l SiinHipm I-ST Mon Sat. OrFAX207(>07-8315.<)rwriteto MaineIloli<layWreaths. <)rderearly Card Xo. _ lixp. Dale _____ Send to Mr/Mrs/Ms_
December 16-18. On Thursday, December 23, Tom Snow will be at the Top of the East, on Friday, the 24th,DwayneNyleandGuestswillbe atGraziano.OnDecember25,Christ¬ mas, Bridgeway Jazz holds forth in theafternoon.
Marcus Roberts Trio willperformon March 12 at Lewiston Junior High. Master of ancient jazz piano tradi¬ tions,Roberts"exploresthegallop¬ ing stride style pioneered by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller while alwaysfindingsomethingnewtosay. Anexceptionalofferingpresentedby LAArts.782-7228.
DANCE
Portland Ballet Company willbeper¬ forming'TheNutcracker"atPortland HighSchoolAuditoriumfromDecember 2-19.Costumes,sets,andstagingare inspiredbyPortland'sVictoriaMansion. Fourteen shows in three weeks have madethisanannualtradition.Formore information,call772-9671.
Pilobolus Dance Theatre comes to LewistonJuniorHighonJanuary28with theirextraordinarycollaborativeefforts. AnLAArtsevent.782-7228.
MUSEUMS
Portland Museum of Art, 7Congress Square,Portland.ThroughJanuary30, 1994:Makers'93:ABiennialExhibitionof Maine Crafts. Metalwork, ceramics, woodworking,quilts,andwovenworks inajuriedexhibitiondemonstratethe artisticsensibilitiesofmembersofthe MaineCraftsAssociation.FromDecem¬ berIl-February13,1994,it'sPerspec¬ tives: Brett Bigbee, Paintings and Drawings,1989-1993.Thisexhibition includes10ofBrettBigbee'smostrecent paintingsanddrawings.Hisartdelves beneaththesurfaceofeverydaylifeto confronttheviewerwiththeintensityof human experience. From January IlMarch,seePaulStrand:SelectedPho¬ tographs.Twentyphotographs,dating from1916through1963bytheAmerican photographertracehistravelsinEurope, Africa,andtheNearEast.775-6148.H
Hedidn’twantanyonetoread Peter “P.” Bingham on the credits and think the “P” was an affectation.Exhaled:foofoofooo.He rolledthroughthealphabet-lowered hisvoiceanoctave,thenanother, thenbroughtitbackup.Hecoulddo young.Hewasthirtyplayingtwentyfour.Hehadafewgoodyearsleft.
Bingham heard that the director hadmortgagedhishouse,soldafam¬ ily camp, borrowed from everyone heknewtowillhisdreamtoflesh
Bingham entered the warehouse. Theconcretefloorwascrackedat his feet and open to the dirt in places.Hesmelleddust,cigarette smokeandammonia.Hiseyesadjust¬ edtothedimlightandherecognized crew members he’d worked with doingtradeshows,theaterpieces, ski films, waterbed commercials, whatever-itwasatinyworld.An¬
derson and Doug, wild and devout gayCatholicsfromLewiston,were hanginglights;CherylandRhonda from Portland, chain-smoking and whiningandhoppedupontheirown dangerousblendofcoffeeweresit¬ tingattheirmakeuptablereadytogo alwayshoursaheadofeveryoneelse; anorecticBaxterandhistwoweird girlfriendsfromOldOrchardwere unloading boxes of knick-knacks pickingoutsetdecorations;nextto thefoodtablelitteredwithcoldcuts and bagels someone had set up a pitifulandhilariouswhiteChristmas treewithbubblelights;Carlandtwo other macho guys huddled around thedollymountingthe35camera; andfifteentotwentyotherpeople wererunningtoandfromthefarend ofthebuildingwheretheinterior setswerebeingbuilt.
Someonestartedpoundingnails. Feona,thepetitevampirefromNew York,greetedhimwiththescriptcra¬ dledinthecrookofherrightarm, “He’sinthebox.”Shepointedtoa smallsquarewindowlessofficeinthe nearcorner.ThenFeonatriedtolook tough and with her two fingers flickedherlonghairoutofherface, “Hewantstostartshootingatthree o’clock."Asmilemovedherthinlips upward.Shebitthelips,butthefeel¬ ingwon-becamealightinhereyes. “Goseehim.Hethinksyou’refunny." Fiona spun away, followed by her hair.
Thedirectorlookedreadyforwork inhisflannelshirtandblackjeans, youngandsmartandinchargewith the phone cocked to his ear. He motionedtoBinghamtocomeinand sitdown.Thensuddenlytherewasa lookofpainonthedirector’sface.“I knowshe’ssixteen,”thedirector said,“Iknewthatwhen1invitedher intomyactinglabninemonthsago. Shewasfailinginschoolandnow she'spassingallherclasses.Her motherhassignedarelease...What? Whatotherparent?”
He pushed a button on the phone and hung up the receiver.Herubbedhisface. Awoman’svoicewithalongsufferingsortofpleadingtone toitcamethroughthespeaker,“Her naturalfatheris,Ithink,honestly
Thedirectorwincedasifsomeone had thrown sand in his eyes. He leaned down toward the speaker phone,“I’veworkedwithBrendafor sixmonthssoshecoulddothispart. We’reateam.Ihavetwenty-ninepeo¬ plegivinguptheirholidaystodo this...HaveyouaskedBrendawhat shewants?”
Thevoicemadealittlenoiseand said, “I don’t mean to make you defensive.Ofcoursewewantyoung peopletolearntomaketheirown decisions.Ibelieveinthatprocess. I’vegivenmywholelifetothat,”she soundedsad,“butIunderstandyou needpermitsandsuchtofilmaround Portland.Brendatoldmeinconfi¬ denceandpleasedonotbreakher confidence...”Thedirectorlookedat BinghamandforthefirsttimeBing¬ ham saw the wrinkles under the director’seyes,“...butshehastold methatyouarewhatshecalls,and sheishonestlyimpressedbythis,a guerrillafilmmaker.Thatyoufilm whenever and however you can. Thatwouldbeillegal,wouldn’tit?”
The voice waited a moment and said,“WhatIwantdoesn’tmatter. Brendamatters...Iwantyoutoknow Ithinkartisagoodthing.Ibelieveart canbehealing.Godknows1feelfor youngpeopleandtheirstruggles.I’m notjustBrenda’shighschoolguid¬ ancecounselor.I’maguidancecoun¬ selorthatcares.”
