In Other Words, Leadership by Shannon A. Mullen is now available for the first time in paperback. Dear Islandport reader, Campaign season always rattles my nervous system—the clutter of yard signs, the strident ads, the ever-present toxicity. It's tempting to tune it all out. But we can't, because we know what's at stake. We vote hoping our elected officials will represent our values and protect our collective well-being. We may disagree on what that looks like, but the participation, the...

An excerpt from Christi Elliott's Always Game ---out now! All photos by Mat Trogner DURING THE SPRING AND summer, I go clamming. You can dig clams all year, but I’m too busy with hunting and fishing. Clamming is gathering—a kind of mingling, in this case, between hunting and fishing. Unlike hunting and fishing, I’m guaranteed to succeed, to always bring home dinner. I find it methodical, peaceful, and relaxing.   One day last summer, I gathered my gear to dig clams for Travis’ birthday. I...

An excerpt from Always Game by Christi Elliott Blowing a duck call Photo credit: Melissa Goodwin I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF a good duck hunter, but I don’t let that stop me from chasing ducks. The only sound I can make through a duck call is a single "quack," and I hunt with a Brittany, not a retriever. Then again, I’m not your average hunter.   One early morning, my headlamp dangled around my neck, because the moon shone so brightly, I didn’t need it as I walked across a marsh near Machias,...