MAINE ICONS
50 CLASSIC SYMBOLS OF THE PINE TREE STATE
By Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Matthew P. Mayo
A handsome visual tour of Maine, this book consists of 50 classic symbols of the Pine Tree State. Maine Iconsprofiles the likely suspects—lobster, blueberries, lighthouses, whoopie pies—but you’ll find a whole lot of surprises in these pages, too (Raye’s Mustard, Renys, Fog, and so many more!).
Globe Pequot Press, 112 full-color pages, May, 2011, hardcover w/ dust sleeve
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REVIEWS
“Maine Icons … paints a picture of Maine by the numbers, and it is a love letter to what makes Maine Maine, from black flies and Stephen King to whoopie pies and the Big Chicken Barn, a favorite destination for book lovers.”
“Part travel guide, part food journal, part history: Like many Mainers, Maine Icons wears more than one hat. It’s the kind of book to keep in the summer camp for day-trip ideas, or to have on the lunch counter, where the old salts can argue whether Moody’s Diner really does have the best pies. It will be a welcome gift to the couple making their very first visit to the Pine Tree State, and, perhaps most importantly, the perfect bedside read for all those not lucky enough to live here year round.”
“So now comes a newly published book by husband-and-wife writer-and-photographer team Mayo/Smith-Mayo. With beautiful photography and crisp, engaging prose, Maine Icons is a wonderful book that captures the Maine spirit in a fun and entertaining way…. You’ll find our Potatoes packed in Maine Icons between Moxie and Whoopie Pies. Have yourself some fun and order a copy of Maine Icons….”
“In their book, Maine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree State, [the Mayos] have compiled half a hundred items that make the country’s 23rd state tick. The Mayos, who have lived in Maine for two decades, indicated they had difficulty settling on 50 celebrated symbols. Wild blueberries, bean hole beans, potatoes and whoopie pies made the menu, but fiddleheads didn’t cut the mustard. Raye’s Mustard did. Lupines and balsam were counted among Maine’s marvels; but nor’easters, spring floods and the Desert of Maine were left out in the cold … for now. Perhaps the Mayos will pen and photograph a sequel, as they indicated that many other treasures … are also worth exploring.”
“To be considered a true Mainer, or so goes the consensus, not only must you be born in Maine, you must have roots in the state for at least three generations. Otherwise you will be branded “from away.” Undaunted, two fearless non-natives, Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Matthew P. Mayo, have put together descriptions of what they consider the 50 iconic symbols that best epitomize the state. They range from the expected (lighthouses, lobster, chowder) to the unexpected (Maine’s female senators) to the delightful (the comical little birds known as puffins). Some of the choices are just plain fun, such as the inclusion of Stephen King, the Portland-born best-selling author. The Wyeth family is included here too — Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting, “Christina’s World,” was set in Cushing, Maine — as well as famous historic figures (Civil War Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain). Of course, L.L. Bean is included; its Freeport flagship store remains open 24 hours a day.”
“What makes Maine Maine? A Northport couple tries to capture its essence in words and stunning images in the new book, Maine Icons. If you had to pick 50 iconic images to represent what Maine is all about, what would you choose? Would you stick to the more obvious candidates, like lobsters and lighthouses? Or would you go with something a little more understated – say, the Wyeth family? The Mayos have lived in midcoast Maine for 20 years and are now settled in Northport. The couple has had plenty of time over the years to explore Maine and get to know it well enough to be able to write this book, the first they have worked on together.”