HANCOCK — It’s actually the 31st anniversary of the Puckerbrush Review, not the 30th, but editor Sanford Phippen had a complicated 2008 and probably no one would have understood more than the review’s founder, the late Constance Hunting.
Hunting published the first issue of the literary review in 1978. The first Puckerbrush Review was 34 pages and featured only Maine writers. Today it is 200 pages and the upcoming issue includes writers from all over the world as well as Maine.
“Puckerbrush is the new growth when you cut trees.” Phippen said. “We still have that as our mission, to launch new people.”
Today Puckerbrush is carried by Mr. Paperback, Maine Grind, and other locales. Circulation has tripled. And a grant from the Maine Community Foundation helped with the last two issues.
The 30th anniversary issue includes a number of authors who have been published by Puckerbrush over the years, including Chris Fahy, Ken Norris, Pat Ranzoni, Gary Lawless, Lee Sharkey, Wally Swist and David Gordon.
Among the issues upon which Hunting never wavered was the review’s raison d’être.
“It’s our stories,” Phippen said. “They’re very important. It’s our soul we’re talking about.”
For complete story, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.
Nicole Ouellette
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