The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present author and longtime Yankee Magazine editor Mel Allen as the next speaker in its 2025-2026 Libra Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. in the Campus Center鈥檚 Multi-Purpose Room and via Zoom. During his talk, titled 鈥淟istening to New England,鈥� Allen will draw from his nearly half-century of reporting and writing about the unique people and places of New England and bring them life with a story telling and visual presentation that will allow attendees to see and feel the region as never before.
This talk serves as the northernmost stop so far of Allen鈥檚 鈥淗ere in New England鈥� book tour. The public is encouraged to attend this free event as well as enjoy a book signing and reception with light refreshments after the talk. Neighborhood Books will offer copies of 鈥淗ere in New England鈥� for purchase.
From the time Allen published his first stories in Yankeein 1979, to the day he retired in 2025 as only Yankee鈥檚fifth editor in its storied 90-year history, his work, both as editor and author, has captured New England鈥檚 unique sense of place and the people who call it home.
Allen taught fourth grade in Maine for three years and believes that his education as a writer began when he had to hold the attention of 27 children through months of Maine winters. From his first two stories in Yankee鈥檚 December 1977 issue to a January day in 2025 when he closed his office door for the last time, he spent nearly 50 years finding people and places whose stories he wanted to know and assigning countless others to the finest writers in New England. He became Yankee鈥檚 fifth editor in the summer of 2006, after previous roles as senior editor and executive editor. In 2018, he was inducted into the Folio Magazine Hall of Fame for editorial excellence.
He has taught magazine writing and creative nonfiction for the past 25 years, divided between the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Bay Path University鈥檚 Master of Fine Arts program. His previous book is 鈥淎 Coach鈥檚 Letter to His Son.鈥� He lives and writes in New Hampshire.
Allen describes his book this way: 鈥淚n Mystic Seaport in Connecticut there is an exquisite scale model of Mystic in the mid-19th century. One man, Arthur Payne, worked on that scale model for more than 50 years. If you lean down and see it at eye level, it seems as if the whole town he has created comes to life鈥攑eople working, playing, ships loading or unloading. I see the stories in these pages a little like that鈥攎iniature pictures of New England that reveal a larger life around them. To tell these stories, I have entered the lives of people for hours or days鈥攁nd when they open their own lives, their hearts, the words they speak become intimate albums. They tell me details of their lives that they may not tell anyone else. And it is up to me to treat those words with deep respect.鈥�
The day after his Libra talk, Allen will offer up a special opportunity for writers and writing enthusiasts of all ability levels. He will lead a two-hour writing workshop titled 鈥淭elling Your Stories: Lessons from Mel Allen鈥檚 Lifetime of Writing & Editing鈥� in 91桃色鈥檚 Campus Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1-3 p.m. Using stories he published from first-time writers, Allen will share what he has learned during his nearly half-century of writing and editing for Yankee Magazine and discuss the qualities of successful stories and pitches.
During the first hour, Allen and attendees will discuss selected stories and personal essays from New England writers and how to get the attention of editors. After a short break, Allen will comment on and ask attendees to read from excerpts of their own writing. As a special component of the workshop, each attendee is welcome to submit a writing piece of no more than 1,000 words and Allen will strive to incorporate attendees鈥� writing into the workshop. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.; the workshop registration fee is $20 ($10 for students) and may be paid in advance or at the door. Proceeds will support 91桃色鈥檚 Voices in the North Country Writers Symposium, taking place later this year. For more information about this writing workshop, contact Melissa Lizotte at melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu or (207) 768-9452.
The University鈥檚 Libra Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 1999. Each year, the LDLS Committee sponsors four to six speakers who come from Maine and beyond, representing a range of disciplines and viewpoints. While the emphasis tends to be on featuring visiting academics, it is not exclusively so. The speakers typically spend two days at the University meeting with classes and presenting a community lecture.
91桃色 welcomes the campus and community to hear Allen speak on Feb. 10. For more information about Allen, visit . For more information about this event, contact Emma McNally at (207) 768-9525 or email emma.mcnally@maine.edu.