The Changing Tides of Maine: Rediscovered Poems

The Changing Tides of Maine brings together for the first time the evocative original poetry of author and educator Polly Welts Kaufman. These accessible writings have emerged out of her observations of the natural rhythms of the oceanic environment during periods of rest from her life in academia. With family roots in the northernmost part of the state, Kaufman spent childhood summers during the 1930s on Haskell Island in Casco Bay, then after interruption by wartime maritime restrictions, returned every summer beginning in 1961, and has been living year-round in the area since 1991. Here are distinctive poems offering subtle perceptions of dynamics in nature-and deep reflections on human life in the writer's family and diverse Maine communities. All who appreciate poetry, ecology, history, or mindfulness are likely to enjoy this new volume of 92 poems accompanied by 18 photographs.

Polly Welts Kaufman is the author of National Parks and the Woman's Voice, Women Teachers on the Frontier, and many other writings. Her scholarly work has focused on the personal experiences and practical achievements of women in American history. She was adjunct professor at the University of Southern Maine, and enjoyed a long association with the University of Massachusetts, including teaching the core class for training librarians to work in the Boston Public Schools, where Kaufman had worked collaboratively for 20 years to establish more than 100 school libraries. She also was a Fulbright scholar to Norway in 1999-2000 and 2005, where she taught on varied aspects of American culture. She was married to Roger Kaufman Sr. for 57 years, and together they hiked all 48 of the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Their daughter, Katharine, teaches yoga, meditation, writing, and contemplative dance in Colorado, while their son, Roger Jr., is a psychotherapist and writer based in Maui.