For those of you who regularly ride down the bay, you may have been intrigued to see a young man with earphones constantly scribbling notes into a notebook, and wondered what he was up to. Well, I would like to introduce you to Steven English, a writer who lives at Diamond Cove. You may have also seen him at Andy’s, the waterfront waterhole for many islanders, where he has worked the past 6 years as a server. But his true passion is writing, and he finds living on Casco Bay to be a perfect setting for this author. Originally from Edison, New Jersey, where his “Class of 85” series takes place (name changed to “Whitfield”), Steve has been writing since he was young, but started his “Class of 85” series in 1999. Written in diary form, these books take place in high school years, and show the different lives and perspectives of high schoolers. There are 5 books published, with 1 or 2 more in the works. Steve self-publishes his books through Amazon and Kindle, which has a paperback division.

Living on an island and commuting by ferry to work allows him the chance to really relax and slow down, and write. When he’s not on the island or working, you can find him at any of the many cafes in Portland, enjoying coffee while absorbing conversations around him, which gives him inspiration and ideas. Steve does not lack in ideas – he has many thoughts in his head. They start there, and then he hand writes them in his notebooks. From there he puts them on computer, and edits, edits, edits. While most of his books take place in 80s New Jersey, he also has some other themes in his books, such as time travel. He does have an idea for a book that takes place in Casco Bay, so stay tuned for that one! In the meantime, Steve says to his fellow island community, “Keep reading!” And he would also love feedback on any of his current books.