years . Poet Phillip Booth lived in Castine . Sanford Phippen , a prolific author with a strong handle on Downeast humor , lives in Hancock . Like Downeast Maine , Booth ’ s landscapes can feel forbidding ; his central metaphor is that of the tide . Castine was also home to the poet Robert Lowell , the novelist Elizabeth Hardwick , and novelist / activist Mary McCarthy . Helen and Scott Nearing wrote Living the Good Life about their self-sufficient homestead life in Cape Rosier . This book became a foundational text of the back-to-theland movement , and the Nearing ’ s literary and activist work has attracted generations of creatives to the Blue Hill area , which remains a hotbed of literary artists . Linda Greenlaw of Isle au Haut , was the only female swordfishing boat captain on the east coast when she wrote bestsellers The Hungry Ocean and The Lobster Chronicles .
In 2002 , the Tides Institute & Museum of Art was founded in Eastport . In the 19 years since , the Tides Institute has built the first significant collections reflective of the cultural legacy of Downeast
Charlotte ’ s Web - EB White was a newspaper writer for The New Yorker and Harper ’ s , and also caught the attention of the Rusticators . The legendary fair in White ’ s children ’ s book Charlotte ’ s Web is based on the annual Blue Hill Fair . Work by EB White and Garth Williams .
Live Music , Lubec – Music holds an important role in the arts and culture scene of Downeast Maine . Outdoor music events are held regularly throughout the summer at scenic seaside parks , and yearround in historic theaters and community halls . Photo courtesy of DiscoverBoldCoast . com
Maine with connections to neighboring Canada . Many of the artists who have worked in this area are represented in the collections . The Tides Institute has also established a community campus that preserves and repurposes eight historic buildings including three downtown commercial buildings , two early 19th century church buildings and a former GAR
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