Collecting Sea Glass | The Allure of Mermaids’ Tears
Those bits of sea glass ground smooth by the ocean before being scattered on the beach (sometimes known as mermaids’ tears) can touch the imagination in special ways.
Tim Clark
Ode to Skunk Cabbage | The First Flower of Spring
Skunk cabbage earned its homely name by its aroma, but the odor (which has been described as “a mixture of rubber tires and garlic”) and the purple-blotched color of its “cabbage,” are a ploy for survival.
The Buffalo Bay Bounce
Sweet memories of a family’s seaside retreat also bring questions about what the future holds.
The Lake Champlain Monster Believer | Yankee Classic
Joseph Zarzynski is convinced that “Champ,” the legendary Vermont Lake Champlain monster, is real. A Yankee Classic from June 1986.
The Lovesick Moose of Carrara Mountain | Yankee Classic
“I don’t want no sideshow,” said Larry Carrara of Shrewsbury, Vermont, when a lovesick moose (Josh) fixated on one of his cows (Jessica) for 76 days in 1986, but that’s exactly what he got.
The Fall | First Person
There is special meaning when friends and neighbors answer the call for help. Tim Clark reflects on the blessing of a tight-knit community in this touching holiday essay.
Christa McAuliffe’s Shadow | Yankee Classic
Concord Monitor reporter Bob Hohler recounts his seven months with Christa McAuliffe before the Challenger disaster in this 1986 Yankee classic.
Thanksgiving Day Guest List | Real, Dead, and Fictitious
In 1993, we made a Thanksgiving Day guest list of all the famous New Englanders we’d like to see around our table.
Remembering December 1941
A 1941 Keene, New Hampshire newspaper provides a glimpse into the early days of WWII. Life in America would never be the same.
Katharine Hepburn; The Unlikely Star | New England’s Gifts
Go find one of Kate Hepburn’s early movies from the 1930s: Bringing Up Baby or Holiday, for example. It’s almost shocking how modern she is, how different from the other women in those films. She’s all angles and intelligence—so sharp you could cut yourself on her. What’s she doing with all those moon-faced girls? How […]
Christa McAuliffe | New England’s Gifts
Before Christa McAuliffe was selected to be the first teacher in space aboard the Challenger, capturing the country’s hearts and imaginations, she was a popular social-studies teacher at Concord High School. When she became a hometown hero, a young reporter, Bob Hohler, was assigned to follow her journey for the Concord Monitor. He filed more […]
Sanctuary for Desperate People in Boats | New England’s Gifts
Gruesome images today of refugees, fleeing poverty and war in North Africa and the Middle East, only to drown in Mediterranean waters, are arousing horror and sympathy around the world. European governments are faced with painful decisions: How many can they take in without being overwhelmed? The crisis is a reminder that New England has […]