The Working Waterfront Festival

Abigail Calkin

The Night Orion Fell, Abigail B. Calkin's new nonfiction book, is about a commercial fishing accident and rescue off Oregon's northwest coast. She grew up in Framingham Centre, Massachusetts and other parts of New England as well as New York's Greenwich Village, and half of her relatives live in Nova Scotia. Her great-grandfather, Captain Tom Acker of Lunenburg, NS was a master mariner who died at sea. Stories of his family remained an enigma until she began to write The Night Orion Fell and her curiosity sent her in search of his life through the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg and trips to Nova Scotia. A published novelist, poet, and writer of nonfiction, she lives and writes in Gustavus, Alaska, the coastal community where Glacier Bay and Icy Strait meet.

Brian Robbins

Brian Robbins grew up in Stonington, Maine, a commercial fisherman for many years. He now lives and writes in the Midcoast area of Maine, with his wife Felicity Myers ("Tigger" in this book), and faithful Chesapeake Bonnie. "Bearin's"-is the name of the column Brian Robbins has written in Commercial Fisheries News for over 20 years. In Bearin's The Book, Twenty Years of Bulkhead Wisdom, Quiet Smiles, Belly Laughs, and Good Ol' Salty Tears, Brian has selected a sampling of those columns, the best of his unique blend of humor, wry observations, and personal reflections on life. While originally written for a fishing audience, Brian's columns encompass characters, situations, and themes bound to resonate with all readers. He'll make you laugh, maybe even shed a tear, and definitely leave you wanting more. Robbins is also a regular contributor to Fish Farming News, National Fisherman and Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors.

Cindy Follett Gildemond

The fishermen of Point Judith are a special breed, having chosen one of the most dangerous occupations in the world at which to earn an honest living. Working from the 1930's through the late 1980's, they developed the port into one of the most prosperous on the east coast. It was, however, more than just a port to these men; it was also their community. This book is a tribute to their commitment and love for their chosen occupation. Ms. Gildemond grew up as the only daughter of a fisherman and sister to three more. She wanted to be a fisherman but was steered away from it by her parents and so she chose nursing. With encouragement from friends, patients, and co-workers, she has written Salt of the Sea to share the stories of her father and his world.

Daisy Nell

Daisy Nell, a native of Essex, MA, is a folksinger and songwriter, with a long history of school, museum, and shipboard performances. She has performed throughout New England and as far away as Hawaii and Alaska with her husband Stan Collinson and their band, Crabgrass. She has several CD's and a Parents' Choice Award winning children's album, Bought Me a Rooster. Her first children's book was The Stowaway Mouse which tells the story of an Essex mouse who sneaks onboard as a new schooner is launched at Harold Burnham Boat's yard. In her most recent book, Rocky at the Dockside, Rocky the parrot, now "retired" from his life at sea, moves to a Gloucester cottage with the old captain's grandchildren. A sticky incident with some peanut butter keeps everyone distracted, and Rocky flies through the doggie door, right to the dockside, and lands on the shoulder of the captain of the Schooner Ardelle. The captain and the parrot get off to a "Rocky" start, as feathers get ruffled over who is supposed to give the orders.

Dawn Clifton-Tripp

Winner of the Massachusetts Book Award, Dawn Tripp's fiction has earned praise from critics for her "thrilling" storytelling (People Magazine), her "haunting, ethereal" prose (Booklist), and her "marvelous characters" (Orlando Sentinel). She is the author of the novels, Moon Tide, The Season of Open Water and Game of Secrets, a Boston Globe bestseller. Her essays have appeared on NPR and in Psychology Today. She teaches workshops on structuring the arc of a novel out of fragments of fact and fiction. She graduated from Harvard College and lives in Westport, Massachusetts with her husband, sons, and 80-pound German Shepherd.

Ingrid Grenon

As a child growing up in a 1799 farmhouse in rural Maine, Ingrid Grenon was surrounded by history. She loved hearing stories of her relatives including passengers on the Mayflower and her great-great-great-grandfather, Captain William Peachy, who was lost at sea when his schooner sunk near Portland Harbor during a gale in December 1876. A published poet and historical writer, she is currently employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In her most recent book, Down East Schooners and Ship Masters, Ingrid Grenon presents the most important and incredible stories from the decks of Down East's schooners, revealing how these remarkable vessels and Down East Maine are tied together. She is also the author of Lost Maine Coastal Schooners: From Glory Days to Ghost Ships.

Meghan Lapp

Meghan Lapp currently works making fishing nets and other gear at Reidar's Manufacturing in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. She is also a tireless advocate for commercial fishing communities. Originally from New York, she has enjoyed spending summers at her family home in Saltaire, Fire Island all her life. She is the oldest of five children and has been storytelling, writing, and illustrating from a young age. Fast Friends is the delightful tale of two small boats which get into big trouble! As they work together, they learn important lessons about friendship, doing things the right way, and following the rules. In Hello, Stranger! the Fire Island Ferries welcome five new ferries to their fleet- but one of the new arrivals, Stranger, seems a bit out of place! Will he ever fit in? Will he ever make any friends?

Mike Urban

Lobster Shacks is a fun, road-trip-style guide to the 75 or so best shacks in New England, starting in Connecticut and heading north and east through Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Each entry features a lively description that includes historical background, biographical portraits of owners past and present, highlights from the menu, and driving directions. Scattered throughout the book you'll find featured recipes, lobster shack legends and lore, and information on local fishing fleets. Author Mike Urban is a longtime lobster shack aficionado who's spent years searching for the greatest shacks-only those places with the right zeitgeist and feel have made the cut, and with this unique guide in hand, you'll be able to try them all too.

Mike Urban is an editor, writer, and book packager who specializes in travel, outdoor recreation, sports, food, and business/career books. He has been in book publishing for over thirty years, last serving as vice president and associate publisher of Globe Pequot Press, where he edited hundreds of travel guides and created a plethora of guidebook series. Urban lives in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, with his wife and four children.