Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2012

Author Q&A: A history of Maine

William David Barry's new book offers a comprehensive picture of the state, from its history and development to the artists and others who have contributed to its unique nature.

By Bob Keyes bkeyes@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

When it came time to write a history of Maine, it's no wonder that William David Barry included a lot of fascinating tidbits about the state that he calls home.

He has good access to information. Barry, who turns 66 in August, is a reference librarian at the Maine Historical Society in Portland, and formerly held a similar position at the Portland Public Library. He knows his history. The depth of his knowledge as well as his personal interests come through in the new book, "Maine: The Wilder Half of New England."

Published by Gardiner-based Tilbury House, "Maine: The Wilder Half of New England" takes a fresh look at the history of the place that he loves so much, and spices it with information that one does not typically find in a history book. Barry includes all the pertinent historical facts about the settlement and development of Maine, and also delves into the artists, writers and cultural leaders who have shaped the state and its legacy.

Barry, who reviews books for this newspaper as a freelance writer, even dedicates a number of pages to the state's sporting history and its renowned leisure activities.

We spoke with him at his office at Maine Historical last week.

Q: You call Maine "the wilder half of New England." Why?

A: There is more wilderness here than the rest of New England, and as a lifelong, half-Yankee, half-Irish denizen with 41 years living here, I would say the people seem wilder too. That is, more engaged and more sharply etched.

 

Q: This is a remarkably thorough history. Congratulations on the depth of information included here. How did you settle on topics, and what motivated your decision to include certain things and bypass others?

A: Over the course of 20 years researching, writing and editing, I made numerous changes. A few were dependent on finding images, but I got pretty much everything I needed or that I felt told the story as I felt it or have come to understand it. One could write an equally valid book using different images, but you would need to illustrate certain men, women and events in any discussion.

 

Q: This book seems unique among history books in that you find a place in here for information about arts and leisure. There is information about the visual artists Bill Manning, Marsden Hartley, the Lakewood Theater, etc. Why was it important to include that sort of information?

A: The closer in time that I write about, the less sure-footed I am. One of my earlier books on Sweetser (children's home), for example, goes off-track when I predict good things for the incoming administration. Historians should never predict, but when you are immersed in interesting times, there is the urge. I tried to stay away from polemics.

But the painter Marsden Hartley is a major Maine and American figure, with important Maine scholars having contributed to our shared knowledge. I could not fail to deal with his place in our history. Bill Manning, our first local non-objective painter -- curiously, both were Lewistonians -- is closer and perhaps not such a household name. But for my money, he has made a huge impact on Maine artists and art schools. I am confident in saying so and glad to take such a debate up.

Summer theaters such as Lakewood or Brunswick (Maine State Music Theatre) are integral parts of Maine to many elements. I tried to get many aspects to form a large canvas.

 

Q: In the interest of full disclosure, I must note that you even mention me and this newspaper in your discussion about the arts and cultural reporting in the press. First of all, thank you. But more important, would you talk a little about cultural expansion in Maine -- particularly among the museums -- and its role in the modern image of Maine?

(Continued on page 2)

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