WHAT IS THIS?

I think most of us live in The Other Maine, regardless of where we are geographically in the state. Most of us don’t have lots of money. Most of us have regular jobs. We don’t live in homes that could be featured in Architectural Digest. We do not eat lobster every day. We are kind to our neighbors. We struggle to pay our bills, but we manage to have a lot of fun while doing it. Our shoes must be comfortable and practical, in addition to being cute.

If you type ‘Maine’ into some godawful AI generator, whatever the image that it spits out – that is not us. That’s the thing that exists in fantasy. If you’re coming here to chase that fantasy, that’s fine – welcome to Maine! Give us your money! But let’s not pretend that’s the life that the vast majority of Mainers are living. We’re here living in The Other Maine.

I used to write for a great Maine newspaper (still do, on occasion). I’ve been a YouTuber and a radio personality, a host and (barely) a comedian. You might remember me from my former columns (Rockin’ Out, Hard Telling Not Knowing), my blog (Culture Shock), and my newsletter (The B-Side), all for the Bangor Daily News. I wrote a book. I’m relentlessly enthusiastic. I’m a big nerd. I’m a nice guy.

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