College administrators turned mystery writers

What do college administrators in Maine do after they retire? Well, apparently a few turn to writing mystery novels that take place in small towns.

William D. Andrews, former president of Westbrook College, had turned out two mystery novels (“Stealing history” and “Breaking ground”) that take place in a fictional town in Western Maine (appears to be based on Bethel), with the Julie Williamson, the director of the historical society, as the protaganist.

Earl H. Smith is a retired dean of Colby College. His first book came out last year: “The Dam Committee” also takes place in a small town, based in the Belgrade Lakes Area. It  brings to light the politics and eccentricities of town committee and community folks. And yes, there is a dead body!

Anyone who lives in a small town will recognize some of the character types in these books. The Long Island Community Library carries “Stealing History” and “The Dam Committee,” examples of what retired academics do with a little more time on their hands.

Winter reading on Long Island

Winter is here! Well, at least according to Casco Bay Lines. My heart always drops to see the cold blue color of the winter schedule, which runs from October through April. Yes, winter is 6 months long in Casco Bay! Well, us book lovers make the best of it and anticipate spending the dark evenings sitting by the fire, reading all those long tomes we put off during the other more inclement and lighter months, perhaps that Moby Dick or Gone with the Wind that we’ve been waiting for a “rainy day” to read (i.e., snow, sleet, hail, or whatever the gods bring us). And thanks to the longer check-out period that the Long Island Community Library is hoping to set into motion soon (from 2 weeks to 3 weeks), we will now have more time to read the wonderful selection of library books offered by our own island library. So, now that “winter” is here, it’s time to head to the library, and stock up on your favorite authors, as well as the wonderful array of films that are waiting to be viewed (including the recently viewed movies shown at our foreign film night). Enjoy!