From the Editor

from PORTLAND MAGAZINE October 2022

Talking Walls

Nearly four decades ago, when Nancy and I launched Portland Monthly, we tooled around in the red 1966 Mustang Fastback we’d received as a wedding present

in 1980. It had been my Mom's car; even then it turned heads on I-295. When someone made an o er we couldn't refuse, we gulped, said good-bye, and sold it for seed money. As we recall, “the ’Stang’s” only drawback was you had to put everything down (including all the otsam that comes with being young parents) to open the trunk because it took two hands.

Across the years, we dreamed of nding her and buying her back. en we thought, if it ever works out, why not try a convertible, where we could just reach into the back seat and pass out our glossy magazines to many of our readers along the coast? ere’s something about a Mustang. Like the all-American horse that inspired them, they’re “small, compact, good-boned, and very hardy.” Over the years, we’ve helped sponsor one of the equine models at Ever A er Mustang Rescue in Biddeford.

Today, readers smile when they see us driving through York, Wells, the Kennebunks, Scarborough, Portland, Yarmouth, and Freeport in the one that didn’t get away. We see joy in their eyes when they tell us about the similar cars they learned to drive in, the date cars they spi ed up, and the ones beloved family members pampered. It’s not too small and not too big. Just right. A’s to FAQs? Signal Flare Red. 1966. Straight 6. No power brakes or steering. A made-in-America wonder still going strong.

Our son promises to install an electric engine in it when the internal combustion one (that’s still purring like a kitten, thanks to Kevin at VIP in Arundel) needs a rest. But we aren’t there yet! A Mustang says everything is possible. It’s not just a blast from the past, it’s a blast from the future, lled with new issues, fresh stories, and adventures for you.

Breezing along, Maine spilling through our windshield, stories mingle with the dreamy coastline, provocative and new for all time.

We’re heading your way now. is issue we're delivering stars e Maine 100™ , our list of the top 100 rms headquartered in Maine. Or check out our fun interview with singer-songwriter Janis Ian, who’s performing at three venues up here this fall. (Anyone remember “At Seventeen”?) Sample a brand-new Kennebunk restaurant that occupies the space of an old favorite.

If you want to chat, we’ll not only give you a complimentary copy to share with a friend, we’ll share our nickname for our wheels.

And Dido, the Scottish Terrier who's always along for the ride, will give you an admiring eye right back.